Nuts: 11 things you may not have known about them
It’s all Nuts!:
11 things you may not have known about nuts!
In our most recent online programme one of the participants asked me the following question: “could you please tell a bit more about different type of NUTS? Which ones are better than others and why? Are there any type of nuts to avoid?”
The reaction to my answer made me realise that not many people knew some of these things, so i decided I would share my answer here too, just in case there’s more people out there wondering…
So, here are 11 things you may not have known about nuts:
a) First of all can we clarify that peanuts are legumes, they are not nuts! so we will leave them out of this discussion. if you really want to have peanuts make them a treat, to be eaten not too often
b) All nuts are good for you, especially the raw ones, they all have something different to offer you health-wise, and collectively they are just a good source of fat and protein, both these macronutrients are needed when we eat to help us feel content so we can go longer without eating.
c) The nuts that are salty or dry roasted etc are unfortunately full of other ingredients too, so best avoided. Just pick a pack and look at the ingredients on the back, any kind of sensitive stomach will feel unwell after flavoured nuts (I always hope to find a flavoured pack of nuts without additives but I just haven’t come across it yet, the best you can hope for on an ingredient list is ‘chosen nut, sunflower oil, salt’ but I don’t trust the quality of the oil so I only have these rarely)
d) 2-3 Brazil nuts a day are a great idea for all of us, women especially, because they deliver the right amount of Selenium our thyroid needs...naturally! Once opened, store in the fridge in a sealed bag to preserve them better
e) Cashews are the highest in magnesium!! So, we really want them in our life, because magnesium is needed for practically everything from heart health to blood sugar balance to good moods. Magnesium is depleted daily from the simple act of living and breathing but our magnesium stores get seriously depleted when under stress too. Cashews are a great one to keep in your diet...HOWEVER they are the highest in carbohydrate content, this means that too many of them could affect your blood sugar, so no more than a handful at a time
f) Walnuts: an absolute must and great daily choice of nut! They are high in Omega 3s and noone gets enough omegas from food these days. They are a great daily snack and will keep you content for longer due to their high good-fat content. Store in a shady dry place and seal the bag to preserve them.
g) Almonds: a great option, naturally high in calcium and low in carbs, a real safe choice, however as with everything don’t go wild on quantities and frequency.
h) Macadamias are the highest in good fat, pecans are next in line so we like them too. High in good fats means that fewer of them will keep you fuller for longer and that you are getting lots of lovely beneficial substances in less than a handful. Interesting fact: they are a great food for people that lost weight too fast due to medications or some health condition (this does not mean you will put weight on if you are not in such a place! Just means less of them will fill you)
i) Avoid bags of mixed nuts, opt for individually wrapped ones. Why? Because when they mix them into one pack they have to put a coating over them to keep the flavours from transferring to the other nuts (and the crowd gasps!) yes! So, best to buy 4 different bags of raw nuts and take a few of each into your little bowl and eat them like that
j) They say a handful of nuts per day is enough.... i can't confirm if that is correct... a handful per sitting sounds more feasible :D. Point is they are more-ish so it's a good idea to pour out your little portion and put the rest of the packs away ;)
Shop around where you are and find what you like best, but whatever you do, get used to looking at the ingredients on the back of the pack.
For anyone living in Ireland like myself: Aldi and Lidl are great places to source your raw nuts at the best price (i confess i prefer Lidl for taste).
Tesco also has them, Dunnes not so much, Sainsbury’s not great either (more expensive than the others and I can't say the taste is great)
All nuts are good, unless you can't tolerate something of course, & nut allergies to my knowledge are rare (remember peanut is not a nut!)
As with everything, the best is to rotate the various species of nuts and keep it to reasonable amounts
Enjoy! And if you have any specific fact about nuts that you'd like to discuss, fire away :)