Are Nuts Fattening?
Conventional wisdom tells us that fat is a harmful nutrient. Something which contributes to weight gain, obesity and poor heart health. But not all fat is created equal. And whilst some types of fat are best limited, there are lots of healthy fats which are actually essential to human health.
In other words, depriving yourself of healthy fats will do more harm than good.
The common misconception that nuts are not diet-friendly coincides with their energy density – because they provide a relatively high amount of fat and calories in a small package. They are often compared with other diet foods which are much lower in both. However, such foods tend to be heavily processed, crammed with synthetic ingredients and ultimately non-nutritive! What’s more, they’ll leave you hungry again in just half an hour after eating.
Are Nuts Fattening? Nuts are good sources of healthy fats such as monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, as well as heart-healthy Omega-3 fatty acids.
Unsaturated fats are found naturally in foods such as olive oil, peanut butter, avocados and different types of nuts. They work in the body to lower blood pressure. They create a healthy cholesterol balance and provide an efficient source of energy.
Eating nuts as part of a healthy diet could help you to lose weight as they are a rich source of protein and fibre, which helps us to feel fuller for longer. Snacking on nuts can curb pesky cravings and help you to maintain healthy body weight. Fat and calories provided by nuts are used readily by the body as a source of efficient energy when carb intake is low – helping to reduce fat mass by using dietary fat for fuel rather than storing it on the body.
So, by including different types of nuts such as brazil nuts, cashew nuts, walnuts and almonds in your diet, you can enjoy guilt-free snacking whilst reaping the amazing health benefits nuts have to offer.
The daily recommended dose of nuts is ca. 30 g, which is about one small handful.
Many people seem to struggle to control the number of nuts they eat – once you open a bag, it’s hard to stop. ? That’s why we created the Nutmad healthy snack box, which includes five portion size bags of activated nuts in different flavours. Each bag contains 30g. So it’s easy to control your portions. And the variety of sweet, salty and natural tasting nuts will make your taste buds happy. Why don’t you give them a try?
You can find out more about activated nuts and their benefits here.