Feel Like A Nut?

Nuts to you! Just a small handful of nuts is packed with protein, other nutrients, fiber and health-protective plant substances. Stick to a small serving so calories don't add up. In fact, 1½ ounces of nuts a day may reduce your chance of heart disease if the sat fats and cholesterol in your food choices are low!

Different nuts have different benefits: almonds for the most fiber, almonds and hazelnuts for the most vitamin E (an antioxidant), pecans for more cancer-fighting ellagic acid, Brazil nuts for more selenium (another antioxidant), cashews and pistachios for more potassium, walnuts for omega-3 fatty acids. Many nuts also have phytic acid, which may reduce cancer risk and help control blood sugar, cholesterol and triglycerides.

Wonder about the fat? It's mostly monounsaturated -- the kind that doesn't raise your blood cholesterol. And nuts are cholesterol-free, too.

Pick an easy nutritious culinary idea today.

Use nuts as a condiment. Sprinkle on soup, salad, yogurt, chicken, or fish or cooked veggies.
Switch nuts for different benefits. Try chopped hazelnuts in salads, walnuts in pesto, or pistachios on baked fish.
Try this crumby idea: Mix finely chopped nuts in a breadcrumb topping.
Give a toast to nuts. Toast nuts in a dry skillet over medium heat for three to five minutes, shaking often, to intensify their flavor.

Source: 365 Days of Healthy Eating from the American Dietetic Association (Wiley 2004), Roberta Larson Duyff, MS, RD, FADA, CFCS