Nobody ever said a bad word about nuts. How could they when the science around them is so powerful. Scarcely a year goes by where scientists don’t bang on about their health boosting prowess. They keep you lean. They fully charge your brain. A small handful can even stop you from getting a wide range of diseases. Cancer. Heart disease. Diabetes. Respiratory disease. Nuts have got your back. You can eat them sweet in desserts. You can eat them savory on their own. You can even eat them salty with your favorite beer. There’s pretty much nothing nuts can’t do, nature’s ultimate gift. So, can you eat too many and do they suffer the law of diminishing returns?
The nut dilemma
Regardless of the nut variety, they are all quite high in good fats, which can make them rather calorific. Fortunately, they do have high levels of protein and fiber that offers some form of a counterbalance. That said, if you’re trying to lose weight by cutting down on calories, nuts are something that are very easy to overeat. They can blow out your calorie quota for a meal in just a few mouthfuls. This is especially true if you chase them down with another snack.
Do this and suddenly you find yourself way over your macro nutrient target for the day and are none the wiser. The research points to 30g of nuts being the magic number for optimal health benefits. It doesn’t really matter what variety you choose. Some nuts are better than others in terms of the number of antioxidants levels. At the end of the day, the type of nut that makes you want to eat nuts, then that’s the best nut for you.
The upper cap
So, what does 30grams of nuts look like? You could get your scales out or just work off a handful. It’s about 20 almonds or roughly 15 cashews or 17 pecans. Realistically, that’s nothing extreme. You could grab a handful and almost finish it before you walk from your pantry to your car. With an ounce of mixed nuts sporting 185 calories, if you eat too many handfuls that can cause weight gain very quickly. Fortunately, they do roll with plenty of fiber so will leave you feeling satisfied. But what does this all mean for nut butters? These are a delicious way to accentuate the flavors of any garden variety slice of toast or celery stick. For the most part, an ounce of nuts is in about two tablespoons of nut butters. You can even get flavored varieties of peanut or almond butters. These are low in sugar and packed with flavors that tick nut’s nutritional health box.
Moving forward
Don’t limit your mouthfuls of nuts. There’s a good chance your body will do naturally. Yet, nobody has died from nut overdoses. They’re a welcome snack for anyone looking to lose weight, just be mindful of the overall calories they come with. If those aren’t accurate enough for you, then choose a nut butter, which has the exact number of calories labelled on it. That’s how you one-up nature.
