Best Nuts For Weight Loss
By Kevin DiDonato MS, CSCS, CES
If you search for diets or diet books on
the internet, you come up with many different books or diet plans that
guarantee losing weight fast. Some of these diet plans are healthy,
while some of them are not so healthy. The best way to lose weight, and
keep it off, is to watch what you eat and exercise.
A healthy diet full of fruits, vegetables, plenty of fiber, plenty of
essential vitamins and minerals, and high-quality lean proteins will
help trim your waistline. Having a healthy breakfast, lunch, and
dinner are great ways to maintain adequate calories for weight loss.
However, sometimes you get hungry mid-morning or mid-afternoon and you
have trouble finding the right snack to eat.
Nuts are a great food to snack on. They are full of fiber, healthy
fats like mono and polyunsaturated fats, and low in saturated fats. Nuts are also full of high-quality proteins
and provide a great pick-me-up during those hungry times during the
day. A handful of nuts can be great for satisfying your hunger and
helping you to lose weight.
Here is a list of the best nuts for helping you lose weight fast!
1) Almonds
Nutrient Breakdown (1 ounce)
Calories: 164
Total Fat: 14 grams
Saturated Fat: 1.1 grams
Monounsaturated Fats: 9.1 grams
Polyunsaturated Fats: 3.5 grams
Fiber: 3.3 grams
Protein: 6 grams
Almonds are a little powerhouse of nutrition. With heart healthy mono
and polyunsaturated fats, almonds have been recommended to help reduce
total cholesterol and raise HDL cholesterol. Almonds are low in
carbohydrates, but high in fiber. Almonds also have high levels of
Vitamin E, which is great for the eyes and possibly the skin. Almonds
also have phytosterols found in the skin, which have been shown helpful
in reducing cholesterol and protecting the heart.
2) Cashews
Nutrient Breakdown (1 ounce)
Calories: 163
Total Fat: 13 grams
Saturated Fat: 2.6 grams
Monounsaturated Fats: 7.7 grams
Polyunsaturated Fats: 2.2 grams
Fiber: 0.9 grams
Protein: 4 grams
Cashews are a great nut for helping battle both Diabetes and Heart
Disease. Cashews do have a higher fat content than most nuts, but the
fat found in cashews can be considered a healthy fat. Higher levels of
mono and polyunsaturated fats make this a perfect snack for heart
patients or people looking to watch their dietary fat intake. Cashews
have adequate levels of magnesium and copper, which are minerals needed
to maintain proper functioning.
3) Peanuts
Nutrient Breakdown (1 ounce)
Calories: 166
Total Fat: 14 grams
Saturated Fat: 2.0 grams
Monounsaturated Fats: 7.0 grams
Polyunsaturated Fats: 4.4 grams
Fiber: 11.7 grams
Protein: 7 grams
Not only are peanuts loaded with fat-fighting fiber, but they are
abundant in plenty of vitamins and minerals that have been shown to
fight some diseases, including cardiovascular disease and some cancers.
Peanuts have niacin, Co-enzyme Q10, plenty of antioxidants, and
Resveratrol, which has been linked to reduction in cardiovascular
disease and some cancers.
4) Walnuts
Nutrient Breakdown (1 ounce)
Calories: 185
Total Fat: 18 grams
Saturated Fat: 1.7 grams
Monounsaturated Fats: 2.5 grams
Polyunsaturated Fats: 13.4 grams
Fiber: 1.9 grams
Protein: 4 grams
Walnuts are a great source of heart healthy fats, with high levels of
polyunsaturated fats, which has been linked to lower cardiovascular risk
factors. Considered by some to be the best nut for better heart
health, walnuts have been shown to decrease damage from free radicals to
certain cells. The reason for this: walnuts are chock full of
antioxidants, which have been shown to reduce damage caused by oxidative
stress.
5) Pecans
Nutrient Breakdown (1 ounce)
Calories: 196
Total Fat: 20 grams
Saturated Fat: 1.8 grams
Monounsaturated Fats: 11.6 grams
Polyunsaturated Fats: 6.1 grams
Fiber: 10.4 grams
Protein: 3 grams
At 10.4 grams of fiber, you are getting roughly 10% of your daily
intake in 1 ounce of pecans. So if the fiber content blew your mind,
wait for this: Pecans have an immense amount of the heart healthy fats
that can help lower LDL cholesterol, and raise our good HDL
cholesterol. Under 200 calories, pecans provide a healthy supply of
Vitamin A, potassium, calcium, and other trace minerals that our body
needs for optimal functioning.
6) Macadamia Nuts
Nutrient breakdown (1 ounce)
Calories: 203
Total Fat: 22 grams
Saturated Fat: 3.4 grams
Monounsaturated Fats: 16.8 grams
Polyunsaturated Fats: 0.4 grams
Fiber: 2.3 grams
Protein: 2 grams
Macadamia nuts, like other tree nuts, have been shown beneficial in
helping to reduce total and LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, and are
recommended in a heart healthy diet. Having a high amount of
mon-unsaturated fats, these nuts can be an alternative to other nuts for
helping reduce cardiovascular risk factors.
7) Pistachios
Nutrient breakdown (1 ounce)
Calories: 161
Total Fat: 13 grams
Saturated Fat: 1.6 grams
Monounsaturated Fats: 6.8 grams
Polyunsaturated Fats: 3.9 grams
Fiber: 2.9 grams
Protein: 6 grams
Pistachios are another nutrient
powerhouse that is low in carbohydrates with zero cholesterol. Full of
healthy fats and low in saturated fats, this nut can provide you with a
moderate amount of calories and nutrients from essential vitamins and
minerals, namely potassum, calcium and Vitamin A. This nut provides
plenty of nutrition.
Nuts can be a great source of heart healthy fats and plenty of high-quality proteins
and fiber. Eating nuts in moderation for a snack, in recipes, or as a
topping, can add plenty of healthy calories to your meal, and provide
you with essential nutrients that can help you lose weight, and keep
your hunger at bay in between meals. Although nuts are naturally low
fat, low carbohydrates, and sodium, the way the nuts are processed is
just as important as the type. Make sure to buy natural brands and stay
away from the salted brands, which will raise the amount of sodium per
serving.
Submitted by DMorgan on Sun, 08/14/2011 - 11:14am.
At the end of the article it says nuts are low in fat. Wtf?
Submitted by Football25 on Mon, 03/18/2013 - 7:51pm.
For my 2014 resolutions I was demoting cashews as a "sometimes" nut. And I was only planning to eat almonds most of the time! Now I see I can continue eating as many cashews as I've been...
Submitted by Ginger Tansil on Mon, 12/16/2013 - 1:26pm.