Dear Nuts for nuts,

One variety of nut isn't necessarily healthier or better than another. All nuts are healthy, unless you have an allergy or sensitivity to one or more kinds. While individual types vary in nutrients, most nuts contain an array of vitamins and minerals, such as iron, magnesium, zinc, vitamin E, and small amounts of folate, copper, phosphorous, and calcium. Nuts may also contribute to one's daily protein and fiber needs.

The following chart provides nutritional information for some popular nuts. All numbers are for dry roasted, unsalted nuts. (Some nuts are roasted in oil, which adds fat and calories without adding additional vitamins or minerals. In addition, some nuts are salted, which may greatly contribute to one's daily sodium intake.)

Nuts are calorie dense foods, meaning they pack a lot of calories into a small amount of food. This can be helpful for people trying to gain weight, but also need not make them off limits to those watching their waistlines. An ounce of most nuts amounts to about 18 - 24 nuts (a small handful for many, and a tiny handful for larger-handed folks), and has between 165 - 200 calories. The majority of the calories in nuts is derived from their unsaturated fats — specifically, monounsaturated fat — which is more healthful than saturated fat.

Include these flavorful nuggets into your eating plan, since nuts offer so many valuable nutrients and can be enjoyed in small servings:

• Mix sliced nuts into plain rice, rice pilaf, or couscous.
• Sprinkle slivered nuts onto vegetables or into salads.
• Use slivered or chopped nuts as a yogurt topping.
• Substitute diced nuts for croutons in salads.
• Add chopped nuts to vegetable dips or soups.

Alice

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