Step 3 : Nuts - One serving a day

Nuts should be a part of healthy daily diet. They should be eaten in small quantities. As we all know nuts have high calories and fats in them. But many nuts contain good fat that does not clog arteries. Nuts are also a good source of protein, dietary fiber and minerals.

I love to eat nuts that are lowest in calories like pistachios, almonds or cashews. The readily available peanuts also form a great snack. They have around 160 calories per ounce i.e. approximately half of a small cup.

I read somewhere that a serving of 49 pistachios has same number of calories as that of 13 potato chips. Nuts have good calories and keep us fuller for longer time. So the choice is ours.

WHEN TO EAT NUTS:
I like to eat nuts as a meal 2 hours after breakfast and 2 hours before lunch.
I like to eat something in moderation every two hours.

I also like to carry nuts with me in pocket when I go for shopping or at a party. I keep munching nuts so that I dont feel ravishingly hungry at meal time.

The key here is that you should have just one serving (half a cup) a day (and this is a must).

It is best to choose raw or roasted nuts. They should not have honey or chocolate coatings. Neither should they be salted. They are no longer healthy snacks if they are loaded with sugar or salt coatings or if they are fried.

Which nuts did you have today? I had roasted pistachios.

-Geeta
Keep it simple. Raw or roasted. Thats it. Do not sugar coat, salt or fry nuts.