Protein in Nuts: A Quick Nutrition Guide
Approximately 6% of Americans adhere to a vegan diet and this number is likely higher if we include vegetarians.
As a result, more and more Americans are looking for alternatives to protein without needing to eat meat. One of the best ways to make up for animal protein is to consider protein in nuts.
Nut nutrition is a great way to get protein as well as improve one’s overall health. This quick guide will show you all you need to know about the nutrition in nuts.
Here’s what you must know:
Where Do You Get the Best Protein In Nuts?
With so many varieties of nuts, you might wonder which nuts you should focus on the most.
In the battle between peanuts vs cashews, for instance, is there a real winner? Both often have the same amount of protein so you want to consider the other benefits of peanut nutrition and cashew nutrition if you want to focus on one.
If you need to gain weight, cashews have more carbs. You might prefer these for building muscle. If you need to improve your overall heart health, peanuts, and peanut butter are far superior.
Of course, you can always switch it up and have a combination of both. You can use cashew butter in your smoothies and peanut butter in your sandwiches.
What About Almond Nutrition?
Almond nutrition is so great that it deserves its’ own section. Almonds have a high amount of protein — with 7 grams per 1/4 cup. They also contain antioxidants.
These are great for boosting your immunity and ridding your body of toxins. Antioxidants can help reduce the risk of heart disease, cancer, and rapid aging.
It’s also highly recommended to enjoy almonds with fruits. Almonds can get eaten as-is, or you can enjoy them in smoothies or in other forms such as almond butter and almond milk.
Don’t Forget About Hazelnuts
Among the many varieties of nuts, we often tend to put hazelnuts on the back burner.
But hazelnuts offer 5 grams of protein for every 1/4 cup serving. They’re also sweet so you might enjoy them over other types of nuts. Hazelnuts are also great for decreasing bad cholesterol and increasing good cholesterol.
You might have tried the hazelnut spread Nutella. While this might be a guilty pleasure, it actually has numerous health benefits so you don’t have to cut down on tasting it!
However, you want to avoid having hazelnuts as the only type of nuts. Try to always have one of the other nuts mentioned in this guide to supplement your hazelnut intake.
Now You Know About Protein In Nuts
Protein in nuts is abundant and the examples we gave in this guide are the best options.
Both cashews and peanuts are great for providing high amounts of protein. Focus on cashews if you need to gain weight and build muscle. Peanuts are great for overall well-being.
Almonds are one of the best nut options so you should always add them to your diet. Don’t be afraid of trying hazelnuts as they too have unique health benefits.
You can find more health-related articles on our website.
