Your Ultimate Guide to Nuts

Written by Manja El Masri on June 14, 2020

Last updated on January 17, 2022 at 08:20 pm

You Ultimate Guide to Nuts covers everything from the history of nuts, to their benefits and nutritional values.

A recent archeology dig in Israel brought to light an old nutcracker dating back 780,000 years. While the find is not shocking, it goes to reveal that nuts and eating nuts has been in existent since the world began.

Today, nuts are the go-to snack for many people. We have them raw, roasted/toasted, or soaked to keep you from binging on unhealthy food throughout the day.

Nuts play a pivotal role in our daily diet; they are super nutritious and super tasty. However, they have failed to garner the attention it needs because of their high-fat content.

History of Nuts

We cannot reliably determine who ate the first nut, but nuts consumption dates back 50,000 BC to the Middle East and 6000 BC to North America.

It is easy to see why people love nuts, they are small in size, weightless, fill you up quickly with amazing health benefits.

In fact, nuts are so versatile; they can be made into a paste, oil, dried, flaked, ground, or coated with other elements to boost their flavor or nutritional content. Over a millennium later, they still manage to play an interesting role in our diet.

Adding Nuts to Your Diet

According to the American Medical Association, the number of people who died of heart-related diseases in the United States had too much or too little nutrients. In fact, the study went further to state that people who added an ounce of nuts to their diet prevented the risk of heart-related diseases and increased their lifespan.

Now if that is not a reason to add nuts, then we don’t know what is. Nuts have remained the same throughout history. They have still retained their high calories and fat content, but some fat is good for you like those found in most nuts.

Nuts contain monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. These are labeled as good fats and have a less damaging effect on the human body when consumed in the right quantity.

7 Benefits of Eating Nuts

1. Regulates and lower bad cholesterol in the body – nuts have shown to have a positive effect on lowering the bad cholesterol levels in the human body. Studies even show that eating nuts like almonds, pistachio, and hazelnuts can increase your good cholesterol levels while dropping the bad one.
2. Nut help maintains proper heartbeat – for people that suffer from erratic heartbeat a handful of nuts is all you need. The Omega-3 fatty acids in nuts help prevent this heart condition. Furthermore, consuming nuts have been found to also help with blood clotting. If you are on regular doses of blood thinners, you might want to add some nuts to your diet.
3. Keeps a healthy heart – a healthy heart needs heart-healthy food, else we increase the risk of premature heart attacks, high blood pressure, and even stroke. Some nuts have shown to be rich in the compound L-Arginine, this component is a rich protein that helps relaxes blocked blood vessels and improves circulation in the body.
4. Help maintain healthy blood sugar – unlike other food that contains high sugars, nuts can help you maintain low insulin levels and regulate blood sugar, especially in people with diabetes.
5. Help you lose weight – this will have to be done carefully. Remember that nuts are high in calories, so consume with caution. However, nuts give a satisfying feeling and a sense of satiety because of the high-fat content in them.
6. Filled with antioxidant – if you always feel tired and stressed, maybe you need some nuts added to your diet. Their rich antioxidant nature makes them the perfect snack to neutralize free radicals and boost cell longevity. Nuts like almonds and walnuts are excellent choices to keep free radicals at bay.
7. High in fiber – fiber has lots of benefits in the body. They aid digestion, ease bowel movement, clean your guts and colons, and help you maintain a healthy weight and reduce your risk of being diabetes. Besides, fiber keeps you full for longer and slows the absorption rate of food into the body stream.

6 Ways to Eat Nuts

Nuts are available in all forms, raw, toasted, soaked in syrup or juice, ground, flaked, salted, or unsalted, and even spiced.

1. Buy them raw and store it – raw nuts will keep in an airtight container for 4 to 6 weeks. Although raw nuts do not have a long shelf life, they taste better and prevent you from eating more than required at a go. Furthermore, if you are storing raw nuts, do not add any additive to keep them, not even salt.
2. Roast them – roasted nuts will keep for months in an airtight container but there is a catch. If you roast them at very high temperatures for too long, you lose their nutritional component and taste.
3. Store them in the fridge or freezer – some nuts with high moisture and fat contents will get spoilt or molded when left in the open. Nuts in this category are walnuts, Brazil nuts, and pine nuts. If you are buying in bulk, store in an airtight container and refrigerate.
4. Make them into a paste and use as a spread – most nuts will blend beautifully with little water or other liquid into a spreadable paste. This can be a suitable replacement to spread with high saturated fats like butter. It is also a healthy way to enjoy your favorite nuts.
5. Activate them – if you are wondering what we mean, it is very easy. Sometimes nuts in their raw state have a strong taste that most people dislike. Besides, it can act as a hindrance to the body’s ability to absorb some crucial minerals. Activation means soaking them in clear liquid to awaken them (funny as it sounds). It makes it easier to eat or process into another state. However, soaked nuts have a tendency to fill you up quickly hence you eat less. And once soaked you can make yourself incredible nut milks.
6. Add nuts to salads or porridges – add some texture to your food to increase the sweetness of your meal. A handful of roasted or toasted nuts will make all the difference.

What is the Right Quantity of Nuts Required Daily?

The right portion of nuts is 30grams of ANY type of nuts daily.

How Many Nuts Can I Eat Per Day?

Note that this is a daily maximum of nuts in total per type of nut.

Example: If you had a total of 20 almonds, you shouldn’t eat more nuts for the day.

Name of nuts	Number or nuts
Almonds	20pieces
Walnuts	10 pieces
Cashew Nuts	15 pieces
Brazil Nuts	1-  2 nuts
Hazelnuts	20 piece
Pistachio	Enough to close in your palm
Pecan Nuts	15 halves or 8 whole
Pine Nuts	30ml or two tablespoons
Macadamia	15 pieces
Chestnuts		10 roasted

A simple calculator should get you on the way.

11 Types of Nuts Explained – Your Ultimate Guide to Nuts

Hazelnuts

If you have never seen this nut in real-time, we do not blame you. Many people know hazelnuts as round whitish nuts on the side of a Nutella bottle or chocolate bar, but these nuts are super healthy, and a great way to start your day. Hazelnuts contain minerals and vitamins, including vitamin E, magnesium, and fibers. If you are looking to lose weight, hazelnut can help you achieve it easily. These high antioxidant nuts rid your body of free radicals, helps in wound healing, improves brain function, and reverses signs of aging.

Walnuts

Walnuts have a rich taste and flavor with a crunch that makes you want to keep eating. Although it can be eaten raw, it is better roasted to eliminate the metallic taste you get in your mouth. They are great additions to salad, baked goods, and desserts. Eating walnuts prevent cell damage and promote good cholesterol. They are an excellent source of Omega 3.

Pistachio

Who does like these little green nuts? Toast them in their shell and enjoy a cracking time bursting them open. Pistachios are the perfect after snack to a healthy lifestyle; add them to cakes, ice cream, cookies, and salads for a crunchy meal time. They are high in protein compared to other nuts. Pistachio contains high levels of vitamin B6 that help maintains insulin level and promotes the production of red blood cells.

Pecans

Do you suffer from PMS, cramps, or need to lose weight? Pecans are the best nuts to help you ward off these issues. These beautiful orange-brown nuts are high in monounsaturated fats that keep you full for long after consumption. They also contain high levels of calcium and magnesium to boost women’s health by improving bone health and brain function.

Peanuts

This is one of the richest nuts in the bunch. It is packed with minerals, vitamins, proteins, healthy fats, and many more that prevent depression, gallstones, and even birth defects in unborn babies. Peanut is the complete nut to snack on, but its high-calorie content is one to watch. It is also the one nut with the most allergy complaints.

Chestnuts

Chestnuts are unique nuts used in Asia and Italian cooking. These nutrient-packed nuts can be consumed in all forms except for raw. They contain vitamins and minerals, including manganese, and molybdenum that aids in relieving constipation and digestive problems. Other benefits are strong bones; improve brain function, and high antioxidant levels to wade off free radicals.

Pine Nuts

Pine nuts are a common crunch element in salads, and they taste good too, especially when toasted to intensify their flavor and scent. Do you know that it takes almost 25 years or a pine tree to start having fruits, and the cones take another 18 months to mature? It is a long time for these super healthy tear-drop nuts to get to your table. So the next time you are munching away, remember how long and eat less.

Brazil Nuts

This big nut is the easiest to overeat, partly because you are only required to eat just 2 a day. Yes, you heard right, just two. This is because the nuts contain a high level of selenium that is both beneficial and harmful to the body. Selenium helps in fighting cancer cells and thyroid production, but too much can cause brittle hair and nails. However, one extra benefit of eating these nuts is it relaxes the body and helps you to sleep better.

Almond

Almond is another versatile nut. This nut has been processed into flakes, meal, paste, butter, spread, flour, and many more. However, the sweet, nutty taste and easy absorption make them a favorite for so many people. Almonds are superfoods because of the high nutrient. Almonds have many benefits, but one use is as a pre and post snack for athletes. It is also a great, heart-healthy nut for everyone.

Macadamia Nuts

This heart-healthy nut deserves a place in your kitchen cabinet. Native to Australia, if you have only eaten this nut in a chocolate bar, it’s alright. Having the highest fat content, the nut contains minerals, vitamins, Omega-9, and oleic acid that help with cell regeneration, bone health, and a healthy heart. A couple of macadamia nuts a day keeps you at bay from heart attack and strokes.

Cashew Nuts

The half-moon shaped nuts with a deep, rich, creamy flavor and taste. When toasted, they are crunchy and a great addition in baking, salads, and hummus and even as yoghurt. Cashew has come a long way and is one of the most versatile cooking nuts in the world. They cannot be eaten raw because of the high acid content and need to be toasted until all the acid burns out. Cashew nuts contain high levels of Lutein –an important component for eye health.

Nutritional Comparison of Nuts

Name	QTY gram	Cal	Fats	Carb	Fiber	Protein gram	Toast time mins	Soak Time hr	Toasting Temp ° F
Hazelnut	28	183	18g	5	2.7	4.3	10	8 – 12	275
Walnuts	28	183	18	3.8	1.9	4.3	10	4	350
Cashew	28	161	13	9.2	0.8	4.3	60	2-4 hrs	350
Brazil Nut	28	185	19	3.3	2.1	4	15	8-10	350
Almond	28	167	15	5.9	3.1	5.9	12 -15	8 -10	350
Pecan	28	194	20	3.8	2.7	2.6	5 -12	6	350
Pistachio	28	159	13	7.7	2.9	5.9	50 -60	8	350
Peanut	28	164	14	6	2.4	6.8	10 -12	12	375
Macadamia	28	201	21	3.9	2.4	2.2	12-15	2	225
Pine Nuts	28	188	19	3.7	1	3.8	5 – 10	2-4	375
Chestnuts	28	69	0.6	15	1.4	0.9	30	15 min	200-400
Gingko	28	51	0.5	11	0	12	30	2 hours	300

The toasting temperature are should be strictly adhered to bring out awaken the nutrients and healthy oils in nuts. Whether you are dry roasting or oil roasting, these temperatures should be maintained. Nuts are a good source of antioxidants for the body, roasting at higher temperature disvalue they polyunsaturated oil, make them loss their antioxidant property and you are just munching away at an unhealthy foods.

Note: They are more likely to go bad if toasted/roasted at high temperatures too.

Whether you are eating nuts to stay healthy, or simply trying to build a healthy regimen for yourself, nuts are a great addition to your meals. It does not matter if you eat them raw, soaked, toasted/roasted, ground dry, or into a paste, they are super healthy and great.

We know nuts are easy to snack more than required, so the above table should help you make accurate measurements without jeopardizing the means. Nuts are full of health benefits but also high in calories, eat them wisely.