Almonds, peanuts, cashews... How bad ARE they?

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  • melsmith612
    melsmith612 Posts: 727 Member
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    I have taken to having one ounce of almonds each day as my mid-afternoon snack. I buy the lightly salted kind, because I do like them to have a little saltiness, and I measure them out with a scale (something I highly recommend).

    Although one ounce of nuts is not terribly filling, they do have the benefit of a low glycemic value, so they are ultimately more satisfying than crackers or something sweet. It gets me through until dinner!

    Melissa

    This is 100% correct. The digital kitchen scale is an invaluable tool and using one becomes habit in almost no time at all. My husband eats 1 oz of almonds just about every day and he uses them as a source of protein when taking salads for lunch to work (because putting tuna/chicken in every salad is way to expensive for our household budget). I would eat an oz/day also but I have trouble with willpower like others have mentioned... if I open the package, I have trouble stopping myself. Overall, nuts are a great addition to any diet (low fat, low carb, low cal, etc.) but must be eaten in moderation to avoid calorie overload. My suggestion? If you feel like you may have trouble stopping yourself from eating more than a serving... put that serving into a salad or yogurt instead... using slivered/chopping almonds. Then it's not a "snack" food, it's just part of a planned meal.
  • formersec
    formersec Posts: 233 Member
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    I like sliced almonds. I add them to oatmeal or as a topping for salad (instead of croutons). At most a tablespoon. A little goes a king way.
  • melsinct
    melsinct Posts: 3,512 Member
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    Nuts are nutrition powerhouses. I eat almonds every day at work. I measure out ONE serving. That is the key. Measure/weigh out your portion. If you can't be trusted, buy the 100 calorie pack, though they rob you since a real serving of almonds is 30 grams, or roughly 170 calories. :wink:
  • TammyBee
    TammyBee Posts: 178
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    Moderation is the key.
  • ebonyroche
    ebonyroche Posts: 675 Member
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    Try buying to 100 calorie packs. I buy Emerald Cocoa Roast Almonds, delish!:smile:
    I keep a larger container of peanuts, almonds, and cashews at work and just weight them out into portions on a food scale. Buying them in prepackaged 100 calorie increments gets overly expensive.
    Yes, but I grabbed this brand because you get 7 packs for the week for 2.50 at Walmart and Target.
  • bikermike5094
    bikermike5094 Posts: 1,752 Member
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    Read this..

    http://lancaster.unl.edu/food/ftmar04.htm
  • Picola1984
    Picola1984 Posts: 1,133
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    I mix crushed nuts into my oats of a morning, usually about 10 grams. I love the crunchyness of them!

    However I have found that brazil nuts to have the highest calories on my nutty quest, so don't choose them too often
  • pdworkman
    pdworkman Posts: 1,342 Member
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    If I have salted, roasted nuts around the house, my husband and son will gobble them up. If I only have raw, unsalted nuts, they are far more moderate. So I would suggest just getting a small amount of raw nuts each week, measuring them into 1 oz portions or whatever you have allowed yourself, and only taking one portion a day. Because they are not oily and salty, you won't be as tempted to snarf them all down at once.

    Pam
    They are not bad, infact good if eaten in moderation. But the problem with me is, if I have a pack in front of me, my mind forgets to transmit the signal "Stop" :grumble:

    I'm terrible about moderation. I'll try to hide the pack from myself but it's not like I don't know where it is. Maybe I should put some in ziploc bags at home and only allow myself to take 1 bag to work every day.
  • wendy99709
    wendy99709 Posts: 4
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    I purchased a LARGE can of mixed nuts and keep them at work. (In a location NOT near my desk.) I allow myself to get one small dixie cup (approximately 1 serving) when I get the afternoon munchies. They really do the trick, and keep me from snacking on other less healthy choices.
  • gatecityradio
    gatecityradio Posts: 401
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    I eat raw, unsalted almonds with one meal every day, I limit myself to a handful which is about 1/3 cup or 160 calories.
  • gargoyle999
    gargoyle999 Posts: 117 Member
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    Almonds are a superfood! Eat them, just account for the calories. I like pistachios too. I've decided that I like salted 1000x better than unsalted so that's what I buy now. Salted nuts are the only thing I buy that aren't reduced or no sodium added (where available) so I don't feel too bad for buying the salted nuts. lol
  • KathieElisa
    KathieElisa Posts: 38
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    I'm eating shelled unsalted peanuts as a snack... in the time it takes you to open the shells and eat 2 at a time you feel satisfied quicker where if you have a bag of them you just eat hand fulls of them and don't notice how many you ate.
  • harley47920
    harley47920 Posts: 62 Member
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    I've been on an almond kick. I will eat almonds with my breakfast or for my afternoon snack.

    The secret for me is to count them out and pour them into a little ramiken dish. I then put the bag back in the pantry and snack! :o)

    24 almonds is 160 calories. Less than a breakfast bar and keeps me feeling full longer.
  • maryjay51
    maryjay51 Posts: 742
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    nuts are good for you ..the fats in them are good for you too
  • DanielleDavids
    DanielleDavids Posts: 96 Member
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    Nuts are a GREAT healthy fat and I totally think that they should stay in everyone's diet. The trick is not to go overboard with them, because you're right, the calories do add up very quickly. I try to make sure that I keep whatever nuts I eat under 150 calories. That's equivalent to about a TBSP of peanut butter, 20 cashews, 20 almonds etc. Once you learn how many you should be eating per serving it's easier to count or weigh them out and get your healthy fat requirements for the day. :)

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