Nuts....Good or bad?

aminakhan1980
aminakhan1980 Posts: 105 Member
edited December 17 in Food and Nutrition
I always hear ppl say nuts are a very healthy snack. But, they are super high in calories! I usually choose almonds as my nut snack of choice, but they are 170 calories in just a quarter cup. So what's the benefit of eating nuts? Anybody?

Replies

  • OceansForever
    OceansForever Posts: 221 Member
    I enjoy them as a healthy snack. I use my scale to get the exact serving size and prepare for the day ahead.

    The only real problem with nuts (except for allergies) is that it is so easy to over eat. That's why I don't bring the entire bag of nuts along.

    They are a great protein source :)
  • SteveHunt113
    SteveHunt113 Posts: 648 Member
    Nut's in moderation or more than just good, they are very good! They contain good fats your body needs. Generally speaking, you don't want to eat more than a quarter cup or so.

    My favorites are almonds and pistachios.
  • prism6
    prism6 Posts: 484 Member
    a quarter cup of pistacios? Is that really possible? :}
  • amammaa4
    amammaa4 Posts: 176 Member
    I always hear ppl say nuts are a very healthy snack. But, they are super high in calories! I usually choose almonds as my nut snack of choice, but they are 170 calories in just a quarter cup. So what's the benefit of eating nuts? Anybody?

    I wonder the same thing. Not only 170 calories but 15 grams of fat. I know they are good fats but MFP doesnt have a good fat, bad fat logging. Does it count the same way towards fat and calories then?
  • kaned_ferret
    kaned_ferret Posts: 618 Member
    I picked up the habit of eating nuts and seeds as part of my journey, and it has worked so well for me at not only staving off hunger (they give you plenty of energy and make you feel satisfied for ages!) but also learning the art of portion control (much easier to make yourself aware when you know just how bad a calorie hit could be if you don't pay attention to the amounts!) I now made a daily snack of 5g sunflower seeds, 5g pumpkin seeds, 20g nuts (cashews atm) and 25g dried prunes. Gets me through the afternoon and through my c25k runs, not to mention helping out the digestion ;)
  • KitchenCourses
    KitchenCourses Posts: 27
    They ARE high in fat, but they contain monounsaturated fats, which means that they're heart-healthy fats and good for your skin, hair, nails, and bones, as long as they're enjoyed in moderation. They're also a great source of protein and fiber, which means you'll stay full longer after even just a 1/4 cup serving and they keep things moving.
  • strawberrie_milk
    strawberrie_milk Posts: 381 Member
    They are good in moderation because they have healthy fats. Just don't eat a whole bag and you'll be fine :)
  • kobiemom
    kobiemom Posts: 218 Member
    Nuts and seeds keep you from getting hungry.
  • mmapags
    mmapags Posts: 8,934 Member
    Great fats, many high in Omega 3s. Just very energy dense as you've already discovered.
  • gracieabem
    gracieabem Posts: 211
    I just take a portion and put it in a little bowl and enjoy them one at a time. I put the big canister away so I'm not as tempted. Yum. My favourites are almonds. My evening ritual of late has been a handful of almonds - eaten one by one, a bowl of blueberries (about 1/2 cup) and a cup of green or white tea whilst I read my book on the couch with the dog curled up beside me. Bliss.
  • fitnesspirateninja
    fitnesspirateninja Posts: 667 Member
    They're good in moderation. I have raw almonds pretty much every day, but I only eat 12.
  • joytron
    joytron Posts: 103 Member
    My evening ritual of late has been a handful of almonds - eaten one by one, a bowl of blueberries (about 1/2 cup) and a cup of green or white tea whilst I read my book on the couch with the dog curled up beside me. Bliss.

    This sounds DIVINE! I wish I had a dog. : ) But I can definitely get my hands on some blueberries, almonds, green tea, and a good book! This sounds like it'll be tonight's plan.
  • ImperfektAngel
    ImperfektAngel Posts: 811 Member
    It's a good fat, I have almonds every day but dont have more than a serving size a day
  • kdiamond
    kdiamond Posts: 3,329 Member
    100 calories of natural almonds per day pretty much every day.
  • iluxoxo211
    iluxoxo211 Posts: 241 Member
    They are really good for you but I try not to buy them as much as I was because I can eat alot more then the serving size... love them:bigsmile:
  • PercivalHackworth
    PercivalHackworth Posts: 1,437 Member
    Perfect in moderation
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/527415-dried-fruits?hl=dried+fruits#posts-7375506
  • Toddrific
    Toddrific Posts: 1,114 Member
    Some nuts are also very high in Vitamin E which is pretty damn good for you(almonds, sunflower seeds).
  • melsinct
    melsinct Posts: 3,512 Member
    They are super healthy for you, you just have to work them into your daily calorie goals. They are also great for upping your calories as you get closer to goal. I eat one serving of almonds daily (170 calories). They lower your LDL cholesterol, keeps your blood sugar from spiking, a good source of vitamin E and manganese, and most importantly for me, they really satisfy my hunger since a good wallop of ( healthy) fat is more satisfying than a handful of carrot sticks.
  • Sidesteal
    Sidesteal Posts: 5,510 Member
    giggity.
  • Charliesuccess
    Charliesuccess Posts: 181 Member
    I heart nuts
  • Meatsies
    Meatsies Posts: 351 Member
    I quote from the 'New Rules of Lifting for Women': "The group with the lowest heart-disease risk - about 30 percent below baseline - were those who ate the most nuts. They averaged 2.8 servings of nuts per week, which was a lot more than any other group in the study ate. Since a serving is about a quarter cup, you should get some cardiac protection with just three-quarters of a cup of nuts a week."

    I heart nuts, too.
  • cherryolac
    cherryolac Posts: 34
    Good fats and protein. Yum...just make you sure you eat no salted nuts or you run you sodium quickly. :)
  • darrensurrey
    darrensurrey Posts: 3,942 Member
    As you can tell, nuts are good for you. As to whether you should eat a lot or not, that depends on your general intake. I'm using them to boost my calorie intake up to 2000 as I'm quite a light eater. If you're trying to reduce calories down to 2000 a day, then go easy on them but try to have them anyway for the EFAs.
  • orchidsand
    orchidsand Posts: 65
    I love nuts & seeds, so use them to make my own granola, that way I can get nuts without eating too many. In my granola recipe 1/2 cup is about 300 Calories, so I add 1/4 - 1/3 cup to a bowl full of berries and my unsweetened soy milk, and I have a satisfying breakfast that totals about 400 calories, and it easily holds me until lunch........and it satisfies my craving for nuts because if left alone with a full jar or tin, I have the propensity to eat the whole thing. :smile:
  • 81Katz
    81Katz Posts: 7,074 Member
    I personally don't find that nuts keep my appetite at bay. I usually don't eat an entire serving though because they are high in calories. I know the fat is good fat, but the calories just blow my mind. I too measure them out down to the exact ounce or gram, or in my case half. I've made some bad choices if I have a whole container in front of me. I personally would rather just not buy them anymore because I sometimes find those dang containers too tempting. Plus it sucks when I see my DH just grab the container and munch of them. Ugh...

    I am a nut addict. Cashews, peanuts, almonds, walnuts, pecans, pistachios. :ohwell:
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