A regular consumption of nuts and seeds is often associated with low cholesterol levels, a low prevalence of chronic disease, and the maintenance of a healthy weight.
Some could even say that nuts and seeds are Mother Nature's golden nuggets, as they provide an excellent ratio of fibre, protein, fat, and carbohydrates, as well as essential vitamins and minerals such as vitamin E, calcium, and zinc.
It is often recommended that you consume one handful of nuts and seeds per day to reap their wonderful health benefits, but the question is, how big is a handful? Well, a handful usually equates to 30 grams, which is ~23 almonds, ~14 walnut halves, or ~1/4 cup of sunflower or pumpkin seeds.
As you can infer from the infographic above, different varieties of nuts and seeds are slightly more or less energy dense than others per 30g serving. However, this shouldn’t deter you from consuming a wide variety of different types, as each one contains a unique nutritional make-up and they are all health-promoting.
For instance, in comparison to other nut/seed varieties, almonds contain relatively higher levels of calcium, pumpkin seeds contain zinc, brazil nuts are a good source of selenium and chia seeds provide omega 3 fatty acids.
Let us know, how do you incorporate nuts and seeds into your diet?