Do You Go “Nuts” Over Nuts?
I often recommend nuts as snacks for my clients, whether they are trying to lower their cholesterol, lose
weight, have PCOS ( as nuts a great low carb snack) or just trying to eat healthier. Nuts are nutritious, filling and contain heart healthy fats. Consumption of nuts have been linked to a decreased risk of heart disease and diabetes.
The down side of nuts - they are high in calories. Some people have the discipline to eat one portion of nuts. However other people, such as myself, don’t have this control. Have you ever found yourself sitting with a full can of cashews in front of the television only to find the can suddenly half empty? How many times have you found your hand reaching into the nut bowl at your local bar? I am guilty of that one…
I have a hard time finding mini bags of nuts in local stores. Most small bags are 1.5 - 2 oz. This translates into approximately 250-320 calories. The little bags of nuts at Starbucks are 550 calories!
Calorie content of nuts
| ***Nuts | Number of Nuts | Calories | Total Fat Grams | Mono-unsaturated Fat Grams | Protein Grams | Fiber Grams |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Almonds | 24 | 160 | 14 | 9 | 6 | 3 |
| Brazil nuts | 6-8 | 190 | 19 | 7 | 4 | 2 |
| Cashews | 18 | 160 | 13 | 8 | 4 | 1 |
| Cashews. oil roasted | 18 | 163 | 14 | 8 | 5 | 1 |
| Chestnuts, roasted | 3 | 69 | .6 | .2 | 1 | 1 |
| Hazelnuts | 20 | 180 | 17 | 13 | 4 | 3 |
| Hazelnuts, oil roasted | 20 | 187 | 18 | 14 | 4 | 2 |
| Macadamia nuts | 10-12 | 200 | 22 | 17 | 2 | 2 |
| Macadamia nuts, oil roasted | 10-12 | 204 | 22 | 17 | 2 | 3 |
| Pecans | 20 halves | 200 | 20 | 12 | 3 | 3 |
| Pecans, oil roasted | 15 halves | 194 | 20 | 13 | 2 | 2 |
| Pine nuts | 157 | 160 | 14 | 5 | 7 | 3 |
| Pistachios | 47 | 160 | 13 | 7 | 6 | 3 |
| Walnuts | 14 halves | 190 | 18 | 13 | 4 | 2 |
| ***Nut-Like Legumes | ||||||
| Peanuts | 28 | 170 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 2 |
| Peanuts, honey roasted | 28 | 159 | 11 | 6 | 6 | 2 |
| Soynuts | 1/4 cup | 120 | 4 | n/a | 12 | 5 |
| ***Seeds | ||||||
| Pumpkin seeds, whole, roasted | 85 | 126 | 5 | 1.7 | 5 | 2 |
| Pumpkin seed kernels, dried | 2 Tablespoons | 147 | 11 | 1.4 | 4.6 | n/a |
| Sesame seeds, toasted | 2 Tablespoons | 161 | 14 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Sunflower seed kernels, dry roasted | 2 Tablespoons | 165 | 14 | 2.7 | 5.5 | 3 |
Tips to control your portions of nuts:
1. Portion out nuts into small bags. This can help you to control your portion sizes.
2. Buy a type of nut you don’t love. For example, I don’t love soy nuts - but know they are healthy. I would buy those over almonds (which I would have trouble controlling my portion of)
3. Buy mini bags of nuts so they are already portion controlled. They are hard to find in stores. I find random deli’s in NYC that sell mini bags (1 oz) of almonds and peanuts. I have also found that you can buy them online sometimes.
Purchase mini bags of nuts online:
1. Thanks to my client Viviam S. for telling me about real mini bags of nuts (1/2 oz portion for 80 calories). Great for a snack! She brought me in a sample that she got on an airplane. They are called King Nuts. Check out mini bags of Fancy Nuts and Peanuts. You can purchase these online.
2. Check out Planter’s on the Go nut packs. They contain 1 oz portions and are 160 calories. Unfortunately, I have only found them in a few random stores and you can’t purchase them on the Planters website. However, I did find that you can purchase them on Amazon.com at this link (only the peanut 
variety though). Make sure the nut pack you purchase is one ounce as many of the nut packs are 3 oz or more. Do an online search and you may be able to find where you can purchase them.
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May 2nd, 2008 at 7:12 pm
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