Nuts just might be nature’s perfect snack food; they taste great and are easy to take with you. Almonds, cashews, walnuts and their relatives are packed with protein, monounsaturated fat and antioxidants that boost heart health and fight inflammation. And if you are worried about calories, a study in The Journal of Nutrition showed that people who regularly ate nuts not only didn’t gain weight but actually lost weight and kept it off. So snack to your heart’s content (literally).
Cashews store an arsenal of powerful nutrients including iron, zinc and magnesium, which can prevent anemia and boost your immune system.
Walnuts contain omega-3 fatty acids in addition to the most antioxidants of them all—earning the title of “superfood.”
Almonds are loaded with great dietary fiber and are rich in the antioxidant vitamin E. They are also lower in calories than many other nuts.
Nutritional information from mayoclinic.org and ncbi.org (National Center for Biotechnology Information).
Emily Wise Miller is the web editor for Live Happy. Look for some of her other posts: Tomatoes Take a Starring Role and 3 Easy Steps to Healthy Eating.
