Call me nutty! I’ve got a great new snack and I want to share it with you. ALMONDS!
Last week my Dr. recommended almonds. He told me they are a practically perfect food (unless you have allergies of course). One ounce is approximately 23 almonds, which is a lot of snack for 160 calories! “What makes them so great?” I asked, ever the skeptic. Boy, did I get an earful. You will want to start snacking with me right away.
• Almonds are nutritionally dense. This means that “you get the most nutrition possible out of the calories you eat.”
• Almonds lower the ‘bad cholesterol’ known as LDL as part of a diet low in saturated fat. That’s right! Men and women who ate “one daily ounce of almonds for ONE MONTH lowered their cholesterol by 4.4 percent. Those who ate two daily ounces of almonds for a month lowered their LDL cholesterol even more-by 9.4 percent-and maintained their weight.” NCBI
• Almonds may help you “maintain or even lose weight.” A study in the International Journal of Obesity found that “adding almonds to a low-calorie diet enhanced weight loss.” They help you feel full and satisfied which helps “prevent patients from overeating.”
• Almonds also protect cells from oxidation. The antioxidants contained in almonds help prevent cell damage that can lead to heart disease, cancer and stroke.
• A one ounce, 160-calorie handful of almonds is an excellent source of vitamin E and magnesium, a good source of protein and fiber, and offers potassium, calcium, phosphorous, iron, and monounsaturated fat.
• For $2.48 you can buy the cutest little tin that holds one ounce of almonds. Then you can download your own label for the tin. It’s very cute. Get yours at the Almond Board of California's online store
For more on this super-food check out Almonds Are In!
The most amazing thing about working with dietitians is their ability to take a food and ‘shape’ it into something healthy, delicious, and good for you. Then they can tell you why this is so! It makes me laugh, but they are allowed to play with their food! We had fun playing with mustard last week. This week, Renee, Lauren and Josee will be NUTTY FOR YOU. Hopefully, Tim will also share another great recipe with us! Stay tuned…
- NancyLabels: grocery shopping, Health, healthy eating, Nancy, nuts
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