Are Nuts Healthy?
Are nuts healthy? In this blog, we will discuss the amazing health benefits of nuts. Nowadays many people are busy with their health: avid athletes, all kinds of diets, or perhaps a combination of both. You will undoubtedly know it from your own environment. If you are also consciously involved with your nutrition, the coming will be very interesting for you. We are going to talk about nuts and in particular whether nuts are healthy.
Different types of nuts can be distinguished:
- Almonds
- Cashew nuts
- Hazelnuts
- Brazil nuts
- Pecans
- Macadamia nuts
- Pistachios
- Walnuts
Nuts are very healthy in themselves. Despite being high in fat, nuts are very healthy and a good addition to a balanced diet. For example, the largest part of nuts consists of unsaturated fats, which ensures that your cholesterol will go down and that the hormone system remains in balance. Indirectly, you can therefore regularly eat nuts to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Are Nuts Healthy? Proteins, vitamins, and minerals
Furthermore, most nuts contain a relatively large amount of proteins. It is therefore also a good addition to your diet if, for example, you do not eat meat or if you are thinking about eating less meat. Nuts are a great meat substitute, provided it is simply eaten raw. If you heat or fry the nuts, a large part of the good nutrients will be lost. A disadvantage is that you would have to eat a fairly large amount of nuts if nuts were to make up for your protein deficiency. In itself, such an amount is not so bad, but it does bring a lot of extra calories.
Nuts are also packed with vitamins and minerals that are very healthy. Almonds contain, for example, calcium, vitamin C, phosphorus, magnesium, and iron. But what about hazelnuts? These nuts are a source of calcium, proteins, folic acid, phosphorus, magnesium, vitamin B1 and zinc. Nuts also have a good effect on the functioning of the brain, the nervous system, and blood pressure, provided you do not use salted nuts.
Kcal. | Protein | Fat | Saturated fat | Carbohydrates | Fiber | |
Almonds | 580 | 19 | 55 | 4 | 5 | 14 |
Cashew nuts | 620 | 19 | 51 | 10 | 22 | 8 |
Hazelnuts | 690 | 14 | 69 | 5 | 6 | 8 |
Walnuts | 690 | 15 | 68 | 5 | 8 | 8 |
Are peanuts also nuts?
Peanuts are often incorrectly also counted as nuts. However, these are not nuts, but legumes. Yet peanuts have a similar positive effect on your health as nuts. In addition, peanuts also contain a lot of protein and, like nuts, are quite high in calories. So even though they aren’t actually nuts, you don’t necessarily have to get them from a nut mix if you want to live a healthy life.
Nuts are actually quite healthy. How much you should eat per day varies from person to person. But to help you somewhat: on average, 30 to 40 grams per day is enough as a meat substitute. If you want to consume it more as a snack, two hands are sufficient. Nuts are therefore certainly a healthy component in your diet in moderation.