FitSugar

A Reader Recipe: No-Bake Apricot Balls

Fit Community — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 03:05:54 PST

Need some healthy treats to power you through the weekend? These no-bake fruit and nut balls that reader be-healthful posted in the Healthy Recipe community group may be just what you need.

See the recipe when you

What 100 Calories Looks Like: Nut Edition

FitSugar — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 08:00:03 PDT

Nuts have always been my go-to snack. I keep bags of homemade trail mix everywhere - in my gym bag, my desk drawer at work, even in the car. Although a great source of protein, fiber, and healthy fats, they're also high in calories. If you're not careful, you can end up racking up hundreds of calories with only a few bites.

I've already told you about what 100 calories looks like when it comes to veggies, fresh fruits, and whole grains. To find out how many nuts it takes to reach 100 calories,

5 Things: Almond Butter

FitSugar — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 12:30:00 PDT

Almond Butter is one of my favorite treats. A spoonful of it with some dark chocolate chips and dried cranberries is absolutely divine and, not to mention, satisfying.

1 tbsp of almond butter contains 95 calories, 8g of healthy fat (this can help to lower LDL cholesterol), no cholesterol, 2g of fiber, and 2.5g of protein.
2 tbsp of almond butter contains 86 mg of calcium. Your RDI of calcium is 1,000 mg.
Almond butter is a good source or magnesium, Vitamin E, and potassium. It's also a great source of selenium, which has been shown to be effective in preventing cancer.
People who have a peanut allergy can eat almond butter (only if it's processed in a plant that doesn't process peanut products).
To prevent almond butter from going rancid, it should be stored in a cool dry place until it's opened, and then stored in the fridge after that.

Source

Cutest Little Otter Plays With Nut

GiggleSugar — Fri, 23 Feb 2007 11:11:42 PST

This little guy is doing a whole floor routine here at the zoo. I love when he takes the nut and rolls it around on his chest, jumps up and looks at the "audience" for approval. No worries, Mr. Otter, we like you. We really like you! (Thanks, again, mgod.)

Nut Breakdown

FitSugar — Sun, 04 Feb 2007 03:15:00 PST

One of the easiest foods to snack on (in my opinion) is nuts - a great Super Bowl munchable. Dieters tend to shy away from them because of their high fat content - but they have the the unsaturated heart-healthy fat that may help to lower LDL (bad) cholesterol. Just want to remind you that even though they are loaded with "good" fat, you still should limit yourself to a handful.

Check out how these crows eat their nuts...

Okay, here's the Nut Break Down for a 1 oz serving of each nut (dry-roasted, no salt added), including calories, total fat, saturated fat (bad fat), and protein.

Almond (20-24 nuts): 161 cals, 14g fat, 1g sat fat, 6g protein
Brazil Nut (6-8 nuts): 183 cals, 19g fat, 4g sat fat, 4g protein
Cashew (16-18 nuts): 160 cals, 13g fat, 3g sat fat, 4g protein
Grape Nuts: (just kidding)

Want to see the rest? Then

read more Hazelnut (18-20 nuts): 180 cals, 17g fat, 1g sat fat, 4g protein Macadamia (10-12 nuts): 201 cals, 21g fat, 3g sat fat, 2g protein Peanut (28 nuts): 166 cals, 14g fat, 2g sat fat, 7g protein Pecan (18-20 halves): 198 cals, 21g fat, 2g sat fat, 3g protein Pine nut (150-157 nuts): 188 cals, 19g fat, 1g sat fat, 4g protein Pistachio (45-47 nuts): 159 cals, 13g fat, 2g sat fat, 6g protein Walnut (14 halves): 183 cals, 18g fat, 2g sat fat, 4g protein So go ahead and enjoy a handful of nuts. It's a great source of protein and healthy fats.

Everything You Need to Know About Nuts

Heather Dale — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 00:55:06 PDT

I'm a bit of a nut head. An entire shelf in my kitchen cupboard is dedicated to my nut collection, with each kind of nut having its own designated jar. I also keep snack sizes of mixed nuts to stash in my purse when I'm heading out the door. When enjoyed in their raw state and preferably organic, nuts are a great source of protein, fiber, and they even lower bad cholesterol and triglycerides level. Not all nuts are created equal, and not watching your nut serving size can often do more harm than good. Here's a primer on getting the most out of your own nut habit.

A Mini Nutritional Nut Breakdown: A look at popular nuts including pecans, macadamia nuts, almonds, pistachios, and peanuts. Analysis is based on a one-ounce serving of each nut and includes calorie, fat, saturated fat, and protein amounts.

Keep reading to learn more about your favorite nuts.

5 Surprising Ways to Eat Nut Butter

FitSugar — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 13:49:49 PST

Nut butters are good for more than just sandwiches. As a source of healthy fats and plant-based protein, nut butters can be a nutritional powerhouse. Whether you prefer classic peanut butter or one of the healthy peanut butter alternatives, here are five unexpected ways to incorporate nut butter into your diet:

Blend it into your smoothie: Make your breakfast sip a bit creamier - and more satisfying - by adding some nut butter to the mix. For a bit of indulgence, try a chocolate strawberry banana smoothie. The healthy fats and dose of protein will help you to stay full and get your day off to an energized start.
Add it to your soups: Boost pureed soups with a spoonful of nut butter. Not only will it create a thicker texture, but it will also add rich, unexpected flavor to standard recipes. Surprise your taste buds by adding almond butter to butternut squash and or blending walnut butter into a beet soup.
Turn it into a dipping sauce: Marinate meats in your favorite nut butter before grilling, or use it as a dipping sauce for fruits and vegetables. Get creative with your combinations: try jicama dipped in cashew butter for a fresh twist on peanut butter apples.
Toss it into Greek yogurt. Get double the protein punch by mixing nut butter into your serving of Greek yogurt. For extra energy and nutrients, add fresh berries and rolled oats to the bowl.
Use it in your salad dressing. Blend nut butter with other oils and spices to create a smooth, rich salad dressing. Not sure where to start? Try a Thai dish, like this kale slaw with peanut dressing recipe.

Source: Flickr User Rusvaplauke

Taste Test: Blue Diamond Baked Nut Chips

Susannah Chen — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 13:15:05 PDT

We've been confident that potato chip alternatives are soon to be a huge snack food trend, and sure enough, nearby grocery stores are have finally jumped on the black bean, lentil, and kale chip bandwagon. This weekend I spotted something new that I'd never seen before: Baked Nut Chips, by Blue Diamond Growers, the makers of those tasty smokehouse- and wasabi-flavored almonds.

Just looking at the bag made me feel healthy: "Irresistible snacking! Smart eating!" it declared. "Contains 20 grams of whole grain from brown rice, and 81 percent less saturated fat than potato chips." These crisps, made from almonds and brown rice, are also a suitable alternative to anyone allergic to wheat or gluten. Curious to try a chip made of nuts, I picked up two bags. They sounded full of promise, but were the puffy chip bags full of goodness - or disappointment? The moment of truth, when you read on.

Nutty For Nutritional Info on Nut Butters

FitSugar — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 16:30:00 PST

When I was a child, I loved peanut butter. In college I experimented with almond butter. Cashew butter, which I dabble in every once in a while, is just heavenly. My girls, however, only like peanut butter, which made me curious - are all nut butters created equal? Does it matter which nut butter you choose? Is one more healthy than the other?

To see a side-by-side nutritional comparison of many popular nut butters

read more. This chart compares creamy, organic, all-natural nut butters. Essentially, the ingredients are mostly limited to nuts, just nuts.

2 tbsp.	Calories	Total Fat (g)	Saturated Fat (g)	Sodium (mg)	Carbs (g)	Fiber (g)	Protein (g)
Peanut Butter (no salt)	190	16	2	0	7	3	8
Peanut Butter (salted)	190	16	2	80	7	3	8
Almond Butter (no salt)	190	16	1.5	0	6	4	7
Cashew Butter (no salt)	190	15	3	0	10	2	5
Soy Nut Butter (no salt)	200	14	2	0	8	2	10
Soynut Butter (salted)	200	14	2	150	8	2	10
Macadamia Nut Butter (no salt)	230	24	4	0	4	3	2

Soynut butter has the most protein, but almond butter has the most fiber and least amount of saturated fat. They're all pretty similar though, except for macadamia nut butter, which tastes so good but should really only be a splurge. So I guess it's all about personal preference when deciding which is better for smearing. Source, Source, and Source

A Reader Recipe: Spelt and Buckwheat Banana Nut Muffin

Fit Community — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 01:40:00 PDT

Looking for a healthy way to start your day? This spelt and buckwheat banana nut muffin that reader prepel posted in the Healthy Recipe community group may be just what you need.

Keep reading to find out how to make this dish!

Nut	Number of Nuts	Calories
Almonds, raw	14	97
Almonds, dry-roasted, salted	14	98
Brazil nuts, dried	3	93
Cashews, raw	10	98
Cashews, oil-roasted, salted	9	96
Hazelnuts, dry-roasted	10	102
Macadamias, raw	5	102
Macadamias, dry-roasted, salted	5	102
Peanut, raw	17	99
Peanut, oil-roasted, salted	16	96
Pecan halves	10	98
Pine nuts, dried	77	100
Pistachios, dry-roasted, unsalted	29	99
Pistachios, oil-roasted, salted	29	99
Walnuts, dried	13	104