Nuts are one of the best foods that you should eat if you want to reduce body weight. They are a good source of antioxidants and protect the body against cardiac ailments and diabetes. This healthy and nutritious snack has a place in almost all types of weight-loss diets. This is because nuts are fulfilling and increases satiety in a person. In this article we will learn how to consume nuts for weight loss.
This superfood is a good source of healthy fats, dietary fiber, and protein. They speed up the metabolism, and provides energy. However, if you overconsume them, then it can elevate calorie levels in the body. This can backfire and cause weight gain. To get the above benefits, it is important to learn what type of nuts you should eat for weight reduction and how you should eat them.
Nutritional Composition Of Nuts
- Nuts have good amounts of protein.
- They have healthy fats in the form of unsaturated fats that protects your body from heart diseases. These fats serve as a good source of energy to keep you charged and uplifted throughout the day.
- They are high in antioxidants and calories
- Nuts are low in carbohydrates
Every one-ounce serving or 28 grams of nuts provide you following nutrients:
Walnuts
180 calories, 4.3 grams protein and 17 grams of fat
Brazil nuts
200 calories, 4.1 grams protein and 18 grams of fat
Peanuts
161 calories, 7 grams protein, and 14 grams of fat
Hazelnuts
176 calories, 4.2 grams protein, and 17 grams of fat
Pecan Nuts
190 calories, 5.4 grams protein, and 14 grams of fat
Almonds
163 calories, 6 grams protein and 15 grams of fat
Pistachios
153 calories, 6 grams protein and 13 grams of fat
Macadamia Nuts
200 calories, 2.1 grams protein and 19 grams of fat
Cashews
152 calories, 5 grams protein and 13 grams fat
Smaller portions of nuts have high amounts of fats, and calories in them. This pose concerns in people that regular consumption of nuts might cause them weight gain. However, this is not true. There is no link between regular consumption of nuts with weight gain. Daily consumption of nuts aids in cholesterol and weight management in the body. Read on to know how it happens?
Reasons Why Nuts Are Helpful In Weight Loss
1. Nuts Curb Appetite
When you eat nuts, you feel fuller for a longer time. This superfood increases satiety in a person. In this way, it helps to cut on frequent indulgence in food. By eating less, you take in fewer calories.
Nuts have an appetite-suppressing impact on the body. It happens due to high unsaturated fat and protein content in nuts that increases the secretion of two hormones, peptide YY and cholecystokinin in the body. This helps to normalize appetite.
Due to both these ways, nuts help in weight loss.
2. Not All Fats In Nuts Are Absorbed By The Body
The high fiber, and structure of nuts imply that only a certain percentage of fat content gets absorbed by the intestine. The remaining fat gets excreted from the body. This attribute of nuts makes it a potent weight-loss food.
How we consume nuts is also important to determine fat content used and excreted by the body. The amount of fat absorption is lower when you consume nuts in the whole form than in the form of nut butter, roasted form, or oil form.
This implies that consuming them as a whole, aids in weight loss. In all other ways, absorption of its nutrients (including fat) is more.
3. Nuts Help In Burning Of Fat And Calories
Consumption of nuts increases the rate of calories burned when you are at the resting state. This fact is backed by science. In one research, it was proved that participants who regularly ate walnuts burned 25 percent more calories in the body.
Another research conducted on a set of overweight people, showed that consumption of peanut oil for two months led to a 5 percent more burning of calories. This proves that nuts are healthy food for people who have excess weight. It indicates that despite being rich in fats, and calorie content, nuts turn out to be extremely healthy food for obese and overweight people. Its high calorie and fat content should not prevent you from making it a part of your balanced diet.
All the above reasons make it clear that regular, and moderate consumption of nuts assists in weight loss.
General Instructions To Eat Nuts The Right Way
- Health experts recommend the following portion control. It is advised to eat one-ounce or 28-grams of nuts daily to get the best benefits. Eating more than this limit can lead to calorie gain that in turn will translate to weight gain.
- To get the desired benefits, it is also important to choose a healthier form of nuts. Eat nuts in plain form than salted, and roasted form.
- If you are eating them with your meal, then make sure that the meal is low in calories. This way, you can maintain a balance in the calorie amount in your meal.
- Do check the calorie content of the nut to arrive at the right time to eat them during the day. Nuts that are dense in calories, should be consumed as the first meal of the day and those with moderate calorie content can be consumed in lunch or as an evening snack.
List of Nuts That Contribute To Weight Loss
These are the most effective nuts that you should include as a part of your weight loss diet. Here, we have also listed the right form, the right time and the right amount to consume them to achieve weight loss.
1. Almonds
Almonds are loaded with protein and dietary fiber. They are a high energy food that tastes delicious and helps in weight reduction. One ounce of almonds provides 163 calories in the body. You will also find a large proportion of protein, monounsaturated fatty acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids, dietary fiber, and calcium in them. To achieve weight loss, you should incorporate them with a low-calorie diet.
You should consume one ounce of almonds that is equivalent to 20-21 almonds a day.
The best way to eat almonds is to soak them in water for about two hours and eat them. The external covering of this nut is rich in fiber and nutrients. So, consume them with the outer skin in raw form, or as almond milk, almond curd, and almond shake.
The best time to eat this nut is as the first meal of the day and as a pre-workout meal.
2. Peanuts
Peanuts are an incredible and cost-effective source of protein, Vitamin B3 and E, calcium, healthy fats, iron, phytonutrients. One ounce of these nuts provides you 161 calories. Its regular consumption reduces high cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the blood. Soaked peanuts are helpful to reduce the possibilities of cancer, cardiovascular ailments, high blood pressure, and diabetes.
The best way to consume them is in dry roasted, soaked and boiled form. Avoid fried, and salted peanuts available on the market.
As peanuts are a moderate calorie food, you can make it a part of your mid-morning and evening snack.
3. Brazil Nuts
These are creamy and delicious nuts that are enclosed in a kernel. One ounce of Brazil nuts provides 200 calories. They are rich in selenium that is an effective antioxidant. It helps reduce the levels of lower density cholesterol and total cholesterol in the body. These nuts are packed with two types of healthy fats such as monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fats. They work in the body to prevent inflammation and weight gain caused due to it.
You should eat forty grams of these nuts that are equivalent to ten nuts daily.
The right time to consume these nuts in the first meal of the day. The calorie you gain from it will get used during the day.
4. Walnuts
These are tree nuts that resemble that of the brain. Besides weight loss, this nut is also a superfood for the brain cells and reduces the risk related to Type 2 diabetes. One ounce of walnut provides 180 calories to your body. When you consume them, it lowers BMI (Body Mass Index) in the body.
To reap its weight loss benefits, you should consume thirty grams of walnuts in the raw or dry roasted form daily.
Do not add any salt and oil to it when you eat them. Walnuts are a little high in calories, so you should eat them in your breakfast smoothie, mid-morning snack or lunch.
5. Pistachios
This is another delicious and healthy nut that can help shed excess fat and body weight naturally. These are green-colored seeds are enclosed in a hard outer shell. One ounce of pistachios provides 160 calories to your body.
You should consume up to forty pistachios daily.
It is advised to eat them preferably in the raw and unsalted form to get weight loss benefits. Dry roasted pistachios are also permissible.
Being comparatively low in calories, you can eat them in the form of a mid-morning or evening snack.
6. Cashews
People who are on a weight loss diet often complain that their diet does not comprise of delicious foods. This is not true. Nuts are one such food that can help you reduce weight in a tasty way. Cashews are one of them. Due to its wonderful taste, many people tend to overconsume cashews. Portion control is the key.
One ounce of cashews contains 152 calories. Cashews are loaded with several beneficial nutrients such as monounsaturated fats, protein, essential minerals like vitamin K, zinc, magnesium, calcium, and dietary fiber.
You can consume one ounce of cashews that is equivalent to 16-18 medium-sized cashews daily.
The best way to eat them is in raw, unsalted, and dry roasted form.
Add them before or after your first meal of the day. Relish them as a snack, or add them into your smoothies and shakes.
7. Macadamia Nuts
Like Brazilian nuts, Macadamia nut is another calorie-rich variety of nuts. One ounce of these nuts has a whopping 200 calories in them. However, when you eat them in moderate amounts, then it contributes to weight loss. These nuts are packed with protein, monounsaturated fats, vitamin B3, calcium, magnesium, and dietary fiber.
The presence of high antioxidants in these nuts makes them ideal to lower inflammation-caused weight gain in the body. It has been scientifically proved that these nuts reduce dangerous cholesterol levels in the body and also lessen inflammation in the fat cells.
You can eat ten to twelve macadamia nuts in a day.
The ideal way to consume them in your weight loss diet is in dry roasted, and unsalted form. These nuts work great when consumed in the form of a breakfast snack or addition in your salads, or smoothies.
The right time to eat them as a post-workout meal and in your breakfast.
8. Hazelnuts
Hazelnuts are another healthy weight loss nut that you should consume for weight reduction. It is a moderate calorie food. One ounce of these nuts comprises around 176 calories. They not just taste fabulous but also are complete nutrition. You feel full for several hours.
Hazelnuts are loaded in healthy fats like monounsaturated fats, protein, vitamins A, E, and K, magnesium, and calcium. Regular consumption of these nuts helps to regulate blood lipid levels, and lower bad cholesterol levels in the body.
You can eat around ten to twelve hazelnuts in a day.
Consume them either in raw, or dry roasted form without salt.
They are best when consumed as the breakfast meal, mid-morning snack, and lunch.
9. Pecans
Pecan nuts are known for their high antioxidant levels. They are rich in vitamin A, monounsaturated fats, dietary fiber, minerals and protein that nourishes the body and increase satiety. Talking in terms of their calorie content, pecan nuts are on the higher side. One ounce of these nuts provides 190 calories in a day. Their high-calorie content keeps you energized throughout the day.
Do not eat beyond ten pecan nuts in a day otherwise it can lead to weight gain.
Raw, unsalted, and dry roasted pecan nuts are suitable to shed excess weight. The ideal time to eat them is at breakfast, or lunch. Some of the best options are to add them to your shakes, salads, and breakfast bowls.
Conclusion
To shed excess pounds from your body, you should begin consuming these nuts from today. Ensure that you eat them in moderate portions. The best strategy is to mix the different types of nuts and eat them. This way you can reap the varied benefits of nuts easily.
Along with eating nuts, you should eat a clean diet and exercise for a minimum of five days a week to make the best utilization of the calories you eat in a day. This will prevent the accumulation of unused calories as body fat. With these guidelines, you can easily shed weight and lead a healthy life.
If you liked this post, then do share it with your friends on social media. Also, you can write to us with any of your suggestions, comments, and queries. We will be happy to address them soon.
Related Posts
