Healthy Food Choices: Nuts

Nuts are a high-calorie source of protein, minerals, and healthy fats. Try these tips for buying nuts in this healthy shopping video.

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High in "good" fats
Can help lower cholesterol
Good source of protein, fibers
Can reduce risk of cardiovascular disease
Try unsalted versions

About this Author

Michelle Cooper has been a registered dietician for more than 10 years. She currently works for the state of North Carolina for the New Hanover County School District in the Child Nutrition Department as the supervising registered dietician on staff. She specializes in child nutrition, child fitness and overall child health. She enjoys her job because it allows her to be a pivotal piece of child development.

MICHELLE COOPER: Next, we are going to talk about nuts. Nuts, although high in fat and calories, are actually high in a good kind of fat, the monounsaturated kind. In fact, eating nuts can help lower your LDL cholesterol and help lower your risk for cardiovascular disease. A lot of nuts also are a good source of protein and a good source of fiber. For example, take walnuts. Walnuts are actually a good source of omega-3 fatty acids. In fact, they are going to start containing a label that tells you that eating walnuts can reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease. Another good one is pistachios. A cup of pistachios contains more fiber than a cup of spinach and an orange or an apple. So pistachios would be a good nut to choose as protein and fiber. The other thing that you want to be careful of when you are selecting your nuts is if sodium is an issue, you want to get the unsalted version, so you can still have the fiber and the benefits that you get without having the sodium. So when choosing nuts, number one, they can be part of a healthy diet because they do contain fat, but it is monounsaturated, which helps lower your LDL cholesterol. Number two, some of the nuts that you will see up here are going to provide you with other benefits like the walnuts giving you the omega-3 fatty acids and the pistachios giving you the fiber. But lastly, remember, if you are watching your sodium or your calories, choose the unsalted version and replace some of the protein in your diet with nuts, but don't add it on top of what you are already eating.

Healthy Food Choices: Nuts Video

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