All nuts are considered a beneficial and healthy addition to the everyday diet. Each variety is loaded with healthy mono and polyunsaturated fats, vitamins and minerals, antioxidants, fiber, and filling protein. Packed with all these nutrients, it’s no wonder that nuts have been shown to provide tons of amazing health benefits such as lowering LDL (bad) cholesterol [...]]]>

All nuts are considered a beneficial and healthy addition to the everyday diet. Each variety is loaded with healthy mono and polyunsaturated fats, vitamins and minerals, antioxidants, fiber, and filling protein. Packed with all these nutrients, it’s no wonder that nuts have been shown to provide tons of amazing health benefits such as lowering LDL (bad) cholesterol and thus, decreasing your risk for heart disease!

The only problem with these tiny bits of pleasure? They are addicting and that can be troublesome to your waistline. (Why does there always have to be a catch??) Ya know that old chip commercial slogan, “Betcha can’t eat just one?” With nuts it’s, “Betcha can’t eat just 50!”  

Now, before you swear off nuts forever with the alarmingly high calorie count, please know that you CAN and SHOULD relish over a few little nuts a day in order to reap the benefits and still satisfy your taste buds. Just substitute a 100-200 calorie portion of nuts for one of your other daily snacks. Then, put the container or bag away and promise those nuts you will be back tomorrow!

Below are MY top 5 picks for the healthiest nuts!

Almonds

  One serving of almonds consists of 24 nuts, 160 calories, 14 grams of fat (0 grams saturated fat!!), 6 grams of protein, and 3 grams of filling fiber! Besides all the heart healthy benefits, almonds are also beneficial to bone health because they contain nutrients such as calcium and magnesium.

Walnuts

One serving of walnuts consists of 14 halves (1 oz) 185 calories, 18 g fat (2 g saturated fat), 4 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 4 g protein.  As one of the highest plant sources of protein, walnuts also contain more omega 3 fats than other nut varieties. Walnuts have been shown to not only play a crucial role in lowering LDL (bad) cholesterol, but also in reducing levels of CRP (C-reactive protein, which is an independent marker of heart disease) by improving the elasticity of your blood vessels and reducing plaque accumulation. Eat a couple of these nuts after a meal high in saturated fat and you just might save your arteries!! (I always make Brandon crunch on some walnuts after he eats french fries).

In March 2004 the FDA even approved the following health claim:

“Supportive but not conclusive research shows that eating 1.5 oz of walnuts per day, as part of a low saturated fat and low cholesterol diet, and not resulting in increased caloric intake may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease.”

Pistachios

One serving consists of 49 kernels, 157 calories, 13 g Fat (2 g sat), 8 g carbohydrate, 3 g Fiber, 6 g protein. Not only are they loaded with 30 vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients, pistachios also contain a high amount of filling fiber! Their tiny shell packaging also makes binging a lot more labor intensive!

Pecans

One serving consists of 19 halves (1 oz), 20 g fat (2 g saturated), 4 g carbohydrate, 3 g Fiber, 3 g Protein. Pecans contain more antioxidants than any other variety of nuts. This is great news when it comes to fighting diseases such as cancer, Parkinson’s, and Alzheimer’s!

Brazil Nuts

One serving consists of 8 nuts (1 oz), 190 calories, 19 g Fat (4 grams saturated), 3 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 4 g protein. I had to add Brazil nuts to my list because they are a favorite! Brazil nuts are high in a nutrient called Selenium, which works with proteins in the body to form antioxidants that help neutralize free radicals (free radicals = damaging to the body)! 

There you have it! My Top 5!! What are YOUR favorite types of nuts??

If you haven’t already submitted a recipe for the Magic Bullet Giveaway! Don’t forget, you only have until Friday!!

And, if you are going through withdrawal like me, read about how Jin from LOST keeps his svelt figure by reading some of the interview with Daniel Dae Kim (Jin) on The Actor’s Diet. Thanks for sharing this post with us Cristin!

Usually I avoid granola bars because typically they’re just a glorified candy bar; lots of sugar and low in protein and fiber. I have found that Kashi brand granola bars are probably one of the better options, with more fiber and protein, but if you don’t want to spend $3.50 for a box of 6, [...]]]>

Usually I avoid granola bars because typically they’re just a glorified candy bar; lots of sugar and low in protein and fiber. I have found that Kashi brand granola bars are probably one of the better options, with more fiber and protein, but if you don’t want to spend $3.50 for a box of 6, then it might be a good idea to try and make your own! I have made granola bars without sugar before and to me, they were incredibly tasty. However, since I did not want to scare people away at the thought of a sugar-less bar, I decided to start with this next recipe. Plus, it looked amazing!

    I found the original recipe at SmittenKitchen.com for Thick, Chewy Granola Bars and I was lured into attempting my own version. I ended up replacing half the butter with mashed banana and using 2 T of canola oil instead of corn syrup because I wanted to be cautious (I’m still new at this baking business).

    The result was a nourishing bar that was both moist and chewy, with just the right amount of crunch. Truly, they make a delectable snack that will leave you feeling full, with about 3 grams of fiber per square!  If you are watching your weight, be mindful of your portions. I think that adding only 1 cup of dried fruit/nuts and decreasing the peanut butter and sugar would not compromise the taste too much, so I appreciate hearing if you try this! I would not advise omitting the peanut butter completely, as I felt it really added a great flavor! I will work to lower the sugar content of these for next time.

    I also highly recommend these granola bars for parents. I think the recipe is a fantastic way to get kids to help in the kitchen and are an excellent source of whole grains and other important nutrients, without artificial ingredients. They can even help those parents struggling to get their children to gain weight.*

 Chewy Oatmeal Peanut Butter Granola Bars
Adapted from SmittenKitchen.com
1 bar per serving, 16 servings per batch

1 2/3 cup Old Fashioned Oats
1/2 cups sugar
1/3 cup Oat flour (or grind 1/3 cup of oats in blender or food processor)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
2 cups dried fruit
     *1/3 cup craisins, 2/3 cup raisins, 1/3 cup sunflower seeds, 1/3 cup pecan halves, 1/3 cup walnut halves
*Experiment with different combinations of nuts and fruit!1/3 cup natural peanut butter
*Optional additive

Mix the above ingredients in large bowl.

1 tsp vanilla extract
3 T Butter or Margarine
3 T mashed banana (equivalent to about 1 small banana)
1/4 cup honey
2 T Canola oil
1 T water
Mix above ingredients in separate bowl, stir well.
Directions:
Preheat oven 350 degrees. After you have combined dry ingredients in one bowl and wet ingredients in another, add the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until a crumbly batter forms.

    Place in an 8 x 8″ pan lined with parchment paper (spray parchment with cooking spray) and bake 30-40 minutes. Remove from the oven once the top is golden brown but is still slightly “undone.” Place pan on cooling rack, cool 20 minutes and then remove the parchment from pan. Continue to let cool. Slice into 16 equal squares once bars have completely cooled (they are excellent warm but will fall apart if sliced too soon). Wrap each individually in saran wrap for the perfect afternoon snack or seal in airtight container.

As you can see the bars may be small but thick, which makes them deceivingly filling.

Nutritional Profile per bar: 180 calories, 8.3 g fat (1.1 g sat., 4.1 g poly, 3.1 g mono), 32 g carbohydrate, 3.2 g fiber, 2.6 g protein, 12 g sugar (high, I know…)
Good source of Vitamin E, Copper, Magnesium, and Phosphorus.
Iron: 7.4 %
Manganese: 62%

*On a daily basis, I consult with parents who have children struggling with adequate weight gain and fall in to the category of “underweight.” This refers to the child falling below the 5th percentile on the growth charts. This can sound scary to some parents and the tendency is to take offense and feel as if they have done something wrong as a parent.
    I encourage parents NOT to feel this way, as there are more reasons than improper parenting that lead to underweight.  After ruling out any underlying condition that might be preventing weight gain, take in to consideration activity level of the child, texture aversions, picky eaters, etc. The fact is, most children would rather not interrupt play time for a snack or meal. So it’s up to the parents to come up with ways to make snacking fun and encourage snacks every 1-2 hours. Children below the 5 th percentile risk malnutrition and can develop improper bone growth, weakened immune system, or anemia.
    Looking to healthy fats is a great way to promote weight gain. Whole milk, Olive or Canola oil, nuts, natural peanut butter, and dried fruits are excellent snacks to encourage weight GAIN.  The recipe above is terrific for kids because it tastes good and a small portion (~2″ x 2″) packs about 180 calories a square! Paired with a glass of whole milk, you have a wholesome after school snack that could potentially add an additional 300-400 calories to their daily diet!!