Can nuts be eaten as snacks? A calorie comparison between peanuts, cashews, and macadamia nuts!

Don't underestimate a small nut, it is actually a superfood that maintains "heart health" and protects the heart. However, why do some people still stay away from nuts, believing that nuts are high in calories and fat, and it is easy to consume too much if eaten as snacks? Among the commonly eaten nuts such as peanuts, cashews, pistachios, macadamia nuts, etc., which one has the highest calories? Let the nutritionist explain.

Eating nuts can protect your heart and prevent cardiovascular disease

From a nutritional perspective, nuts have many benefits and very high nutritional value. For example, cashews, walnuts, almonds, pistachios, peanuts, macadamia nuts, hazelnuts, etc. are rich in unsaturated fatty acids, protein, dietary fiber, vitamin E, magnesium, copper, selenium and other nutrients, especially monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA), which help increase good cholesterol (HDL-c) and lower bad cholesterol (LDL-c), thereby preventing cardiovascular disease by lowering blood lipids.

The vitamin E, selenium and magnesium in it have antioxidant properties, which can help eliminate free radicals and peroxides in the body and prevent cell damage and aging. In addition, nuts contain a large amount of dietary fiber, which not only can bind bile acid to increase cholesterol excretion, but also can promote intestinal peristalsis, increase stool volume, help maintain intestinal health and prevent constipation.

Nuts are rich in nutritional value, but the biggest problem is that they are not low in calories

According to the new version of the daily dietary guidelines released by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the oils and fats in the original six major food categories have been increased to "oils and nuts and seeds", and nuts and seeds have been separated from oils and fats. This means that people are called upon to eat more nuts to reduce the incidence of chronic diseases and stay away from the threat of cardiovascular diseases.

Some people eat nuts as snacks, but are all nuts healthy snacks? If you compare nuts to cookies, bread, and sugary drinks, they are a healthy snack as long as they are consumed in moderation. Since it is not processed, it is more natural and can provide many nutrients needed by the human body. It is the best choice when you are craving for it. It is both healthy and delicious.

Nutritionist Huang Xiaotong said that the biggest problem with nuts is that they are not low in calories. Although they have very high nutritional value, they are classified as fats in dietary replacement. If you accidentally consume too much, it can easily lead to problems such as high blood lipids and obesity.

High-calorie nuts: macadamia nuts > cashews > peanuts

The following is a comparison of the nutritional components of peanuts, cashews, and macadamia nuts. It can be found that a serving of peanuts should be: about 8 grams (10 pieces) of peanuts have 43.7 calories, 8 grams (5 pieces) of cashews have 45.3 calories, and 7 grams (5 pieces) of macadamia nuts have as high as 49 calories. This shows that the calories in macadamia nuts are much higher than peanuts and cashews.

Plant protein content: peanuts > cashews > macadamia nuts

In addition, nuts are rich in plant protein. From the comparison table, except for macadamia nuts which have a lower protein content, it is not difficult to find that peanuts and cashews have high protein content, with peanuts even having as high as 30%. The nutritional value is comparable to animal protein sources, such as eggs, milk, lean meat, etc. It can be seen from this that nuts are one of the sources of protein for vegetarians.

Unsaturated fatty acid content: macadamia nuts > cashews > peanuts

It is worth mentioning that nuts are rich in unsaturated fatty acids that promote human health. Among them, the order of higher content of monounsaturated fatty acids is macadamia nuts (80%), cashews (58.8%), and peanuts (40%), and macadamia nuts have the highest content of monounsaturated fatty acids among nuts. In addition, the polyunsaturated fatty acids in nuts are almost all omega-6 fatty acids, with only a small amount of omega-3 fatty acids. Nuts that are rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids include walnuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, pine nuts, etc.

High in omega-3 fatty acids: Walnuts and pecans

Omega-3 fatty acids can help the body metabolize cholesterol, promote the baby's brain development, protect the heart, maintain normal vision, prevent depression and relieve menstrual pain. However, walnuts and pecans have the highest content of omega-3 fatty acids among nuts. People who want to supplement omega-3 fatty acids can choose these two nuts.

Vegetarians are advised to choose peanuts with higher protein content when eating nuts

Nutritionist Huang Xiaotong said that if you are a vegetarian or want to supplement more protein, it is recommended to choose peanuts with a higher protein content. For those who want to supplement omega-3 fatty acids, walnuts and pecans are the best choices.

Nut intake advice: limit intake

The recommended daily intake of nuts is about one tablespoon (5 cashews/2 walnuts/5 almonds/10 pistachios), which is equivalent to about 1 teaspoon (5 grams) of fat. Remember to control the amount of nuts you eat, as excessive consumption can easily lead to obesity.

Choose good nuts and avoid high temperature frying

 Appearance is full and free from insect damage.

 Lighter in color.

 No oil smell, emits natural aroma.

 Avoid high temperature frying and choose low temperature baking.

 Choose to eat original nuts and avoid seasoned nuts (e.g., nuts with added salt, spicy, honey, maple syrup, etc.).