Dietary and nutritional content reviewed by Jasmin Gorostiza, DT, DM, DSS, CFPP.️
Having nuts for snacks is definitely a wise and healthy option. They are tasty, convenient, and go well with anything. Furthermore, they are easy to store.
Here’s the main reason why we recommend snacking on nuts: Nuts are one of the most under-rated health foods in the market.
Nuts are packed with a lot of health benefits. From lowering cholesterol and triglycerides to reducing inflammation, nutritionists have always cited nuts as a food item people should incorporate in their daily diet.
And in spite of the fact that they are high in fat — good, healthy fat, that is — nuts have been time and again proven to be fat-busters.
According to Webmd.com
Several studies have shown that eating small amounts of nuts helps dieters lose weight because the fiber and protein help dieters feel full longer. Dieters are less like to overeat and more successful at losing weight.
In a major study about the popular Mediterranean diet, researchers found that when supplemented with nuts, this diet was found to be more effective in reducing waist circumference compared to the diet supplemented with olive oil.
Another study found on National Center of Biotechnology Information (NCBI) found that nuts such as almond tend to help promote weight loss in a controlled weight reduction program.
I definitely have added nuts to my snack list. These are the 10 best nuts researchers have found to be proven fat-busters.
10. Macadamia
People usually avoid eating macadamia thinking that it is laden with fats and cholesterol. However, the fat in macadamia is monounsaturated fats which promote weight loss. Macadamia nuts are rich in palmitoleic acid, and omega 7 fatty oil that provide building blocks for the enzymes and control the burning of fat and curb the appetite. Palmitoleic acid increases fat metabolism and reduces fat storage. Their fatty acids content makes them an extremely satisfying food, and we will need only a handful to feel satisfied. (1)
9. Hazelnuts
Hazelnuts contain other beneficial nutritional elements besides monounsaturated omega-9 fatty acids and antioxidants. For example, fibre typically accounts for between 9 and 10 percent of the hazelnut’s mass and diets rich in fibre can reduce the risk of colon cancer and curb appetite, according to a large body of research. (2)
8. Brazil Nuts
The selenium in Brazil nuts may help us lose weight. Selenium is one of many important minerals, acting as a powerful antioxidant and is needed for balancing thyroid function. Brazil nuts happen to contain a significant amount of selenium. New Zealand researchers compared Brazil nuts versus selenomethionine supplements with increasing selenium status in participants with low levels. After 12 weeks, the Brazil nut group had increased levels by 64.2% versus 61.0% in the supplement group. Therefore, grab a few nuts before heading to the supplement store because the nuts are actually more efficient. (3)
7. Pecan
A study from Harvard School of Public Health discovered that people who consume pecans have managed to keep the weight off longer than people who didn’t consume them at all. It is important to point out that we cannot only consume pecans and expect great results. We simply must eat healthy food in order to achieve amazing results. (4)
6. Pine Nuts
Studies have also suggested that Korean pine nuts may provide an unexpected weight loss benefit. Science Daily refers to a study presented at the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics meeting, which reported that pine nut oil may have an appetite-suppressant effect. Science Daily reports that the pine nut oil releases two appetite suppressant hormones at the same time, decreasing the desire to eat within 30 minutes. (5)
5. Peanuts
Harvard researchers showed that a moderate fat weight loss diet that incorporated peanuts, peanut butter, and peanut oil as healthy options in place of bad fats was easier to stick with compared to a traditionally recommended low-fat diet (McManus, 2001). Both groups in the study lost weight, but the moderate fat group kept more weight off over the long-term at 18 months, whereas the low-fat group did not. (6)
4. Pistachios
Pistachios are low in calories and high in protein, potassium and fiber. Plus, they’re packed with monounsaturated fatty acids that help control cholesterol. And they can help promote weight loss, according to a study in Nutrition. Sixty middle-aged adults at risk for diabetes and heart disease were divided into two groups. The group that added pistachios to their diet had smaller waists, lower total cholesterol levels, better blood sugar numbers and less harmful inflammation. To eat fewer pistachios and therefore consume fewer calories, opt for ones in the shells because they’ll take us longer to eat. (7)
3. Almonds
Snacking on almonds may possibly be one of the best choices we can make. According to the results of a study, choosing almonds as opposed to carbs like white bread or muffins, may reduce the risk of heart disease by decreasing belly fat, the dangerous type of fat that can encircle our organs. Central abdominal fat is a component of the metabolic syndrome, a risk factor for developing premature coronary artery disease. A key finding of the study was that eating almonds helped to reduce both LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol) as well as total cholesterol. Perhaps a more striking finding was that along with an improved lipid profile, central adiposity (belly fat) was also reduced. An excess of belly fat has been established as a risk factor for premature heart disease. (8)
2. Cashews
Although cashews are somewhat high in fat, like other types of nuts, most of this fat — 8 of the 13 grams in an ounce of cashews — is the healthy monounsaturated type. A study published in the British Journal of Nutrition in 2003 reports that replacing saturated fat in the diet with unsaturated fat helped increase weight and fat loss even if the number of calories and the total amount of fat consumed stayed the same. Eating a diet high in monounsaturated fat may also be just as beneficial for weight loss as eating a diet high in carbohydrates but low in fat, according to another study published in Diabetes Care. (9)
1. Walnuts
A diet high in polyunsaturated fats – found in walnuts and olive oil, for example – helped those trying to lose weight just as much as dieters who were swearing by a low-fat diet, San Diego doctors say in a new study. “One of the surprising findings of this study was that even though walnuts are higher in fat and calories, the walnut-rich diet was associated with the same degree or weight loss as a lower fat diet,” Dr. Cheryl Rock, of the University of California’s San Diego School of Medicine, said in a statement. (10)
These nuts are indeed fat busters. However, this does not mean that we can eat all the nuts that we want. We need to take easy as well. Don’t binge on them.
Like any food, portion control is best. So what is the best serving size to reap the health and fat busting benefits of nuts?
Most nutritionists recommend keeping serving size of nuts at 1.5 oz or 1/4 cup per day. Serving size also pertains to the nut kernel without the shell.
So stick to the right amount of serving size to enjoy the benefits of eating nuts.
To help us stick to the right portions and not end up eating a whole bagful of nuts, just do the following:
1. Pre-portion nuts in a zip lock.
2. Only get a handful for consumption then keep the rest away prior to munching.
3. Sprinkle nuts on food.
4. Get nuts still in their shells. Cracking nuts in order to eat them will help keep us from consuming lots of them cause we basically have to do some work in order eat them.
Avoid the salted version as much as possible as too much salt is not good for us. These nuts are tasty as they are already anyway.
Here’s a fun fact. Peanuts are not actually nuts. They are legumes. A legume is a type of plant with seeds that grow inside pods just like beans or peas. Peanuts also grow underground unlike nuts which grow on trees. Since peanuts have a very similar nutrient profile to nuts, peanuts are usually lumped together with nuts. Just thought of sharing that fun fact. 🙂
If getting healthy and shedding those extra pounds is top priority for you, you might like to learn more about how this particular popular diet program has helped millions of people achieve their health and weight goals safely and effectively.