did you know that up to 80% of a nut is all fat! that’s right, and they’re part of a balanced and heart healthy diet. if this concept has never made sense to you, then you may be unfamiliar with the rules around eating these tasty little snacks. if you’re ready to go nuts, then start by diving into the details.

first, there are no bad nuts! they vary slightly in calories and nutrient content, but overall, they are a great choice for snacking. that being said, the preparation of the nut can take a nutritional goldmine and turn it into a landmine. if it’s coated in sweet glaze, salt or chocolate, then it is not the optimal choice. we are sorry to say m&ms do not qualify as part of a balanced diet. if they are anything other than raw or dry roasted, those healthy fats may be trumped by the hydrogenated oil they were heated in, or they may have been roasted at such high temperatures that their nutrients were destroyed.

so to keep your nuts healthy, choose raw and then dry roast them yourself in a skillet or on a baking sheet in the oven. if you need a little something extra, toss them with your flavor of choice, like cocoa powder, salt, lemon pepper, chili powder, garlic salt or any other spice sensation you have on your shelves.

the next key point to this tempting little snack is moderation. nuts have anywhere from 160-200 calories per ounce. that is ten to twenty nuts depending on size and type. if you really love to snack, then choose pistachios. you can have 50 of them and stay around 160 calories and 13 grams of fat. although if you’re watching your figure, it’s better to eat around half an ounce or less. twenty-five delicious little morsels is still a pretty good deal.

for being such a tiny food, they pack in a wallop of protein, vitamins, heart-healthy fat and some needed minerals. for example, just one little brazil nut gives you an entire day’s worth of selenium. that’s better than most supplements! nuts also pack in manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, copper, great fiber, vitamin e and a kick of protein. they do have some carbs, but there are lower carb choices, like almonds or walnuts.

nuts are a great snack choice because they help to suppress your appetite and keep you satiated for quite some time. each nut has a little something special too, so if you have a favorite, it’s a good idea to do a little googling and see what it can do for you. for example, walnuts are high in alpha linoleic acid, ALA, which helps to lessen the oxidation and inflammation in your arteries if you eat fatty foods. almonds are high in vitamin e which is a fat-soluble antioxidant that lowers inflammation in the body.

there are too many great things about individual nuts for us to list them all, so it’s better to grab a few of each and see which are your favorites. if you can’t decide, then enjoy all their benefits and go for a mixed bag!