whats up with almonds??

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MattySparky
MattySparky Posts: 771
in Food and Nutrition
so I often hear people on here talking about how great almonds are but when I went to buy some from bulk barn I was shocked. Here is the nutritional value for unsalted natural roasted almonds:

per 1/3 cup (which isn't that much)

Calories :360
Fat: 30g (!!!!!!!!!!!!!?????)
(2.5g saturated fat)
Sodium: 15mg
Carbs: 10g
fiber - 7g
sugars - 2g
protein: 11g
15% calcium
20% iron

I still bought some incase I was missing something but now I dont even want to eat any... are you people buying special almonds or something? that's a ton of fat for 1/3 of a cup of anything, not to mention almost as many calories as a friggin hamburger. Am I missing something??

Replies

  • MattySparky
    MattySparky Posts: 771
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    so I often hear people on here talking about how great almonds are but when I went to buy some from bulk barn I was shocked. Here is the nutritional value for unsalted natural roasted almonds:

    per 1/3 cup (which isn't that much)

    Calories :360
    Fat: 30g (!!!!!!!!!!!!!?????)
    (2.5g saturated fat)
    Sodium: 15mg
    Carbs: 10g
    fiber - 7g
    sugars - 2g
    protein: 11g
    15% calcium
    20% iron

    I still bought some incase I was missing something but now I dont even want to eat any... are you people buying special almonds or something? that's a ton of fat for 1/3 of a cup of anything, not to mention almost as many calories as a friggin hamburger. Am I missing something??
  • cristy333
    cristy333 Posts: 16 Member
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    usual rule of thumb i've heard is that you should have about 11 almonds for a snack. They are good for staving off hunger. Also, they are really good for men, so that might be a good thing for you. Nuts have a lot of good fat, so they will raise the good cholestrol levels, however as with everything, moderation is key.

    you should stick to the almonds, just don't eat that many. Since they have protein, they also can help keep you from being hungry between meals.
  • purplepanda
    purplepanda Posts: 30 Member
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    as far as nuts are concerned, 1/3 cup is a lot. You should keep the portion to less than 1/4 cup per day as a snack. Nuts are high in fat and total calories, but the fat is a healthy type that is good for you. The benefits of nuts are lots of important minerals, as well as being high in fiber and protein--so they help keep hunger away when used as one of your snacks
  • liveagain
    liveagain Posts: 97 Member
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    I wouldn't worry too much about the fat. You get a lot of your energy from fat and you don't gain weight from eating it. You gain weight from excess calories. Almonds and other nuts have "good fat" as you saw the saturated fat is low and I'm assuming there is no trans fat. There is high amounts of protein and fiber which is another source of energy and these will help keep you feeling full longer.
  • kerrilucko
    kerrilucko Posts: 3,852 Member
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    almonds are great- good fats and protein.

    why they're mentioned so much here is that it seems a lot of people have trouble getting in all their daily calories. so a high-calorie, nutrient rich food- like almonds- is a great solution. Just count them out before you eat them, I could eat a whole bag, lol, and then I'm like.... oops. :laugh:
  • kerrilucko
    kerrilucko Posts: 3,852 Member
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    almonds are great- good fats and protein. (don't freak about the amount of fat either, fat is NEEDED by your body and fat doesn;t make you fat, excess calories do. Almonds contain GOOD fats, it's not even close to the same thing as eating a hamburger. same amount off calories? maybe, but nutritionally you're getting a lot of good things in the almonds... not so much in the hamburger.)

    why they're mentioned so much here is that it seems a lot of people have trouble getting in all their daily calories. so a high-calorie, nutrient rich food- like almonds- is a great solution. Just count them out before you eat them, I could eat a whole bag, lol, and then I'm like.... oops. :laugh:

    I meant to hit edit... I hit quote... oops. :laugh: I'm tired.:yawn:
  • Dave198lbs
    Dave198lbs Posts: 8,810 Member
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    almonds are almost a pefect food..BUT....23 almonds is about an ounce which is a serving.....the calories can add up REAL fast.....10-25 almonds a day....and keep track...is good....man it is hard to just eat a few......we need to learn that the word fat can be areal ggod word...the fat in almonds is a real good fat
  • MattySparky
    MattySparky Posts: 771
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    sweet, great info... thanks everyone. Does anyone know if the same can be said for unsalted cashews? the nutritional info is almost identical accept for the fact that cashews have 25% of daily iron intake for a 2000 cal diet.
  • liveagain
    liveagain Posts: 97 Member
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    it goes for almost all nuts. They just vary in the types of nutrients they provide.
  • kerrilucko
    kerrilucko Posts: 3,852 Member
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    sweet, great info... thanks everyone. Does anyone know if the same can be said for unsalted cashews? the nutritional info is almost identical accept for the fact that cashews have 25% of daily iron intake for a 2000 cal diet.

    yes. all nuts are pretty good for you, the nutrition will vary a bit but the protein, fat, fibre, all good things. It's great that you're analyzing the nutritional info huh? it's funny, I remember NEVER looking at it before. lol, yes, enjow the cashews.
  • astridfeline
    astridfeline Posts: 1,200 Member
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    Hi,
    Another thing to check is whether they are dry-roasted or roasted with oil. Needless to say roasting in oil may add too many calories. You can also eat nuts raw. :wink: Enjoy!
  • mannworley
    mannworley Posts: 5 Member
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    If you have a Trader Joe's nearby check their section that has nuts. The one by me has almonds and cashews in individual packs of about 1.25 oz each... It is more expensive than buying them in bulk but also helps keep in check mindless munching that can happen with a large container. Sometimes I keep a few of the little bags in my desk at work. If I'm starving late afternoon and I know it will be a while til dinner, one pack will help me get by. Like everything, portion control!
  • niteryder
    niteryder Posts: 3
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    Barry Sears wrote some books on a diet called the Zone Diet. He goes into detail about things like this. Basically, most nuts have monounsaturated fat. It's the fat that is good for you (in moderation), it is also the fat that tells your brain to stop eating. Almonds were on the top of the list, second only to the macadamia nut.

    Basically, 9-12 almonds, small piece of cheese (or cottage cheese), and a half of a fruit were a very good choice for a snack. Especially, to curb hunger.
  • duffyzmom
    duffyzmom Posts: 644 Member
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    I love nuts of all kinds but have to measure them out into snack bags for the day. If not, I find myself eating too many. I try to stick to a 1 ounce serving.
  • cab2424
    cab2424 Posts: 122 Member
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    I recently found that Emerald almonds has 100 calorie packs. They have Dark Chocolate roasted ones ( I don't like them they have splenda), natural almonds and walnuts. I know it is a bit more $$ but I do better with it pre portioned.
  • miasuperstar
    miasuperstar Posts: 112
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    I absolutely love almonds and used to eat them every day for lunch but not just 24, more like a cup!!! Since I started counting calories though, I try to keep it to 12 or 24 and this is very hard so I mostly just avoid them :frown: .

    One very good trick for eating almonds and saving on their price is to buy them raw and then spread them out on a cookie sheet and put them under the broiler in the oven for a few minutes, stir them up and leave for another few minutes. This basiclly roasts them really quick and their cheaper in the raw form. Be Careful though, they're easy to burn!
  • arewethereyet
    arewethereyet Posts: 18,702 Member
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    I work on the road. I have to leave the house at 9 am, I am sometimes gone until 7-8. I have a container of almonds always at the ready!

    Started with salted, went to sea salt...now I eat them plain. They are delicious and make me feel full. I eat 11 and then wait 20 minutes to see if I am still hungry. Usually the 11 do the trick and then I can wait until I have time to sit and have a healthy lunch.

    :flowerforyou:

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