Nuts are packed with vitamins, minerals, protein and good fats.But which are the healthiest ones? Senior Dietitian Victoria Taylor explains.
We’re eating more nuts than ever in the UK, partly because of a greater interest in health and plant-based eating. Gone are the days when the choice was between salted or dry roasted peanuts.
The type and range of nutty products has grown enormously, including a choice of nut butters and nut milks as well as whole nuts.
You might think of nuts as unhealthy because of their fat content, but that’s not the whole picture. Nuts are a nutrient-rich food providing us with fibre, protein, vitamins, minerals and other micronutrients that could help reduce our risk of heart and circulatory diseases. Eating nuts and pulses as protein sources, rather than meat and dairy, has also been recommended as a way of eating that is more sustainable for our planet.
Some studies also show that people who eat nuts on a regular basis are less likely to have, or die from, heart attacks, although this type of study can’t prove that it was definitely the nuts that made the difference.
Nut nutrition
Although nuts are high in fat, it’s mainly healthier unsaturated fat. They contain protein, B vitamins, vitamin E and minerals, including iron, potassium, selenium, magnesium, zinc and copper.
Walnuts are also a vegetarian source of omega-3 fats: the kind found in flax, hemp and chia seeds (not exactly the same as the omega-3 found in fish oils, but a good vegetarian alternative).
Because of their fat content, nuts are high in calories, so it’s best to limit your portion size to a small handful (30g).
Because of their fat content, nuts are high in calories, so it’s best to limit your portion size to a small handful (30g). This amount of nuts generally contains 180 to 225kcal (depending on the type of nuts). That’s more than a packet of crisps and less than a 45g bar of milk chocolate, but with more nutrients than either.
Peanuts and pistachio nuts have slightly fewer calories than other nuts (but are still high in calories); hazelnuts and almonds are lowest in saturated fat.
Eating whole nuts is the best way to include nuts in your diet, especially if you eat them instead of other snacks like crisps or biscuits. Just make sure they are unsalted and don’t have coatings, which can add sugar, fat and sometimes salt. Take some out of the packet and put the rest away if you think you’ll be tempted to eat more.
Which are the healthiest nuts?
In terms of energy and fat, they’re all fairly similar. Peanuts – which are technically legumes but are nutritionally like other nuts – have the fewest calories (but they’re still high in calories) and macadamia nuts the most. Most nuts are primarily a source of unsaturated fat but do contain some saturated fat as well.
Brazil nuts are the highest in saturated fat – almonds and hazelnuts are the lowest. If you eat a range of nuts, you’re most likely to benefit from all the different nutrients they can provide.
How healthy are nut butters?
Peanut butter has overtaken jam as the UK’s most popular spread. And whereas once the choice was either smooth or crunchy, there are now many different nut butters, and a large variation in price too.
With all nut butters, the most important thing is whether they have any added ingredients, not the kind of nut they’re made from. Look for the ones that only contain nuts, with no added salt, sugar or palm oil. Even premium brands can have added extras that you might not expect, so check the ingredients list carefully, or look for ‘100% nuts’ on the label. Palm oil and coconut oil are often added to nut butters, but they are both high in saturated fat so are best avoided.
You might see flavoured nut butters with additions like coconut, cocoa or maple syrup. These flavours increase the saturated fat, salt and sugar content, leaving less room for the nutritious nuts.
They are often sweetened with things like honey or coconut sugar, which might sound healthy but are just sugar by another name. Once you’ve chosen your nut butter, keep an eye on portion size. Try to stick to 30g, which is two heaped teaspoons.
How healthy are nut milks and nut bars?
The choice of nut milks has expanded hugely, due to an increasing demand for dairy alternatives. The amount of nuts they actually contain is usually small – generally two to six per cent – and so they’re lower in protein than dairy milk. That’s not a problem for most people, but choose one with added calcium if you’re using it as a dairy alternative, and make sure it’s unsweetened.
There’s also a growing range of snack bars that market themselves on their protein content, usually from the nuts they contain. Check the ingredients and nutrition information, as many of them contain less healthy ingredients, including sugar (often in the form of glucose syrup or honey), chocolate, coconut and salt. A handful of unsalted nuts is usually a healthier choice.
