Nuts and Your Health

By Ann Henneman, MS, RD, with Linda Boeckner,
PhD, RD, University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension

Recipes

Looking for 15 fantastic ways to include nuts in your recipes? Go to:

The Notorious Nut

Website Resources For Adding Nuts To Your Meals

International Nut Council's Nutrition Research and Education Foundation
www.nuthealth.org

Almond Board of California
www.almondsarein.com

The Hazelnut Council
www.hazelnutcouncil.org

National Pecan Shellers Association
www.ilovepecans.org

California Pistachio
Association
www.pistachios.org

The Walnut Marketing Board
www.walnut.org

Peanut Advisory Board
www.peanutbutterlovers.com

The Peanut Institute
www.peanut-institute.org

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     This year, we made our March theme "NUTS for Nutrition," since March also is "National Peanut Month" and has National
Pecan Day (March 25).

We keep hearing how healthy nuts are. And that we should eat a handful a day. If you ever wondered how many nuts, calories, etc. are in a "handful," you'll find out in this article.

For readers who enjoy "toasted nuts" or would like to try them, check this month's recipe for microwave-toasted nuts. They take about 5 minutes (total time!). Plus, there are very few dishes to wash!

Nuts For Heart Health

     In 2003, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved this package label "qualified" health claim for nuts:

"Scientific evidence suggests but does not prove that eating 1.5 ounces per day of most nuts, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, may reduce the risk of heart disease."

     According to FDA, "Types of nuts eligible for this claim are restricted to almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts, pecans, some pine nuts, pistachio nuts and walnuts. Types of nuts on which the health claim may be placed is restricted to those nuts that were specifically included in the health claim petition, but that do not exceed 4 g saturated fat per 50 g of nuts."

     Though nuts are a higher-fat food, it is mostly heart-healthy unsaturated fat and may help lower low-density lipoproteins (LDL or "bad" cholesterol).

     Nuts also are recommended as part of the DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension), a dietary plan clinically proven to significantly reduce blood pressure. The DASH diet is supported by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and recommends 4 to 5 servings per week from its "nuts, seeds and legumes" grouping.

Nuts For Weight Control

     Researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital and the Harvard School of Public Health found three times as many people trying to lose weight were able to stick to a Mediterranean-style moderate-fat weight loss diet that included nuts, peanuts and peanut butter versus the traditionally recommended low-fat diet. (International Journal of Obesity, Oct. 5, 2001).

     As long as you control total calories, eating a handful of nuts daily may help prevent weight gain and possibly promote weight loss. The fat, protein and fiber in nuts help you feel full longer, so you may eat less during the day. By helping induce a feeling of satiety, nuts may help people feel less deprived and not like they're "dieting." Just limit your portion to a healthy handful.

Nuts For Diabetes

     Women in a Harvard School of Public Health study who reported eating 5 or more 1 ounce servings of nuts/peanuts per week reduced their risk of Type 2 diabetes by almost 30 percent compared to those who rarely or never ate nuts. Women in the study who ate five tablespoons of peanut butter each week reduced their risk for Type 2 diabetes almost 20 percent. (Journal of the American Medical Association, Nov. 27, 2002.)

Nuts For Nutrition

     Some nutrients associated with nuts include magnesium, manganese, protein, fiber, zinc and phosphorus.

     A sampling of nuts in the news for their contribution to specific nutrients include:

• Walnuts. One ounce of walnuts (about 14 shelled walnut halves) is all that is needed to meet the 2002 dietary recommendation of the Food Nutrition Board of the National Academies’ Institute of Medicine for omega-3 fatty acids.

• Almonds. One ounce of almonds (about 20 to 24 shelled whole almonds) provides 35 percent of your daily value for vitamin E. Vitamin E may help promote healthy aging. A study reported in the Journal of the American Association (June 26, 2002) suggests a diet rich in foods containing vitamin E may help protect some people against Alzheimer's disease. The study also found vitamin E in the form of supplements was not associated with a reduction in the risk of Alzheimer's disease.

• Peanuts. Though often discussed with nuts, peanuts are a legume along with dry beans, peas and lentils. One ounce of roasted peanuts provides about 10 percent of the daily value of folate, a B vitamin recommended to help reduce the incidence of birth defects and lower the risk of heart disease. Peanuts also are an excellent source of niacin, providing about 20 percent of the daily value.

     As a group, nuts also are important for what they DON'T offer:

• Cholesterol. Nuts are cholesterol-free.

• Sodium. Unless salt is added to nuts, they naturually contain, at most, just a trace of sodium.

A Handful of Nuts

     If you're nuts about nuts and want to assure getting your "handful," here is some additional information on measuring amounts. REMEMBER: The FDA recommendation suggests up to 1.5 ounces of nuts daily or one and a half times a "handful."

• A handful equals about 1-ounce. This serving size corresponds to the the serving size listed on the "Nutrition Facts" panel on food labels. The Nutrition Facts label will also tell you how many 1-ounce servings there are per package.

     On average, a 1.5-ounce serving is equivalent to about 1/3 cup of nuts according to Maureen Ternus, registered dietitian and nutrition coordinator for the International Tree Nut Council's Nutrition Research & Education Foundation (INC NREF).

Feel Like a Nut?

     It's easy to nibble on nuts. Here are three quick ideas plus links to lots more. Store shelled or unshelled nuts in an airtight container in your refrigerator for up to 6 months or for a year in your freezer for best quality, advises INC NREF.

1. It's in the Bag!

     You don't have to fire up the stove or get out your cookbook to enjoy nuts. Your handful of nuts may be enjoyed -- simply -- out of hand.

     Divide a container of nuts into small snack bags for easy snacking at home, office or on the road, advises Ternus, INC NREF. Simply count, measure a third cup, weigh 1 to 1.5 ounces of nuts on a kitchen scale or grab a handful and store in each snack bag. Keep in the refrigerator until you're ready to enjoy! A handful of nuts may help you resist that gooey sweet roll in the breakroom at work.

2. Just a Sprinkle

     Sprinkle nuts into these foods:

• Salads
• Yogurt
• Cereal
• Pasta
• Cooked vegetables
• Muffins and pancakes (toss a handful or two into your batter)

3. Toasting Nuts in Your Microwave

     For added richness of flavor, try this quick (takes about 5 minutes!) recipe for microwave-toasted nuts.

Here's a quick and cool way (with minimal cleanup) to toast nuts, based on information from Linda Gossett, MPA, CFCS, Extension Educator - EFNEP, University of Idaho.

     This method works well for amounts ranging from a tablespoon to 1/2 cup. With larger amounts, some are likely to turn dark quicker than others. The time will vary depending on the size, type and temperature of the nuts/seeds, and also may be influenced by the type of microwave.

• Spread from a tablespoon to 1/2 cup nuts evenly in a single layer in a flat, microwave-safe dish, such as a 9-inch microwave-safe pie plate.

• Add a small amount of soft butter/margarine or of oil to the nuts. Use about 1/2 teaspoon fat per 1/2 cup of nuts; use proportionally less for smaller amounts of nuts/seeds. Stir the nuts/seeds to thinly coat with the fat. NOTE: This small amount of fat helps with browning, speeds up the toasting process and only adds about 20 calories per 1/2 cup of nuts.

• Microwave on high for 1 minute.

• Stir and microwave for another minute.

• Check to see how the toasting is proceeding. Add more microwave cooking time one minute at a time, because nuts and seeds can burn quickly. Stir after each addition of time.

• Small amounts of thin nuts (for example, sliced almonds) could be finished at 2 minutes. Larger amounts of nuts, such as slivered or whole almonds, walnuts or pecans will take an additional minute or two more microwaving to become lightly browned and smell fragrant.

• Store any extra toasted nuts in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 weeks or freeze them in an airtight freezer container for 1 to 3 months.

      For more tips and recipes for adding nuts to your meals, check the links in the sidebar.

Source: University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension - Lancaster County