Are nuts good or bad for us?

Nuts are high in energy because they are high in fat. All nuts made up of about half to two thirds fat. Eating too many can contribute to putting on weight.

Nuts contain a combination of saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats (as do all high fat foods). But nuts are higher in mono and poly unsaturated fats than many other snacks. The unsaturated fats are the good fats that we should include more often (and have less saturated fats).

Fat profile of commonly eaten nuts

	per 100g nuts
	Saturated fat	Poly-unsat fat	Mono-unsat fat
almonds	4	12	32
Brazil nuts	15	29	22
cashews	8	8	31
hazelnuts	3	7	49
peanuts	7	16	24
Pecans	5	25	39
pistachios	6	16	27
walnuts	4	50	12

Nuts also contain zinc and magnesium, some calcium as well as vitamin E making them an all round nutritious snack – in moderation.

Things to think about when eating nuts

-       Nuts can be a tasty way to eat your healthy fats: walnuts are particularly high in omega 3 (a poly unsaturated fat).

-       Keep your portion small: take a handful and make sure you can still close your fist around the nuts. This will help keep the calories down while you can enjoy nuts for a snack.

-       Choose raw nuts: looks for unsalted nuts that haven’t been roasted in fat or coated. If you like the crispy taste dry bake them in the oven at home. Put the nuts on a tray straight into 180^oC oven. It takes about 15 minutes (keep your eye on them)

-       Put the bag away before you start: Nuts are moreish and delicious. Take your handful (about 30g or less) and put them on a plate. To prevent potentially of grazing until dinner put the bag back in the cupboard before you start to eat.

-       Have nuts instead of less healthy snacks. Nuts contain many nutrients as well as the good fats and are a good, convenient snack.

-       Consider adding nuts to your salad at lunch as a change from the usual meat, tuna or cheese options. You could also try them in a stir fry, soup or sandwich.