Nuts are a healthy plant food because they are high in healthy fats, protein and fibre, yet they’re often the source of confusion for those wanting to manage their weight.
Lisa Yates, Advanced Accredited Practising Dietitian and Program Manager of Nuts for Life answers some of your common questions about nuts below.
What are nuts?
Jar of mixed nuts
According to the Australian Dietary Guidelines, nuts and seeds are:
A nut is a simple dry fruit with one or two seeds in which the ovary wall becomes very hard (stony or woody) at maturity, and where the seed remains attached or fused with the ovary wall....Examples include almonds, pecans, walnuts, brazil nuts, cashew nuts, chestnuts, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, pine nuts and pistachio nuts.
The term ‘nut’ is applied to many seeds that are not botanically true nuts. These may include cape seed, caraway, chia, flaxseed, linseed, passionfruit, poppy seed, pepita or pumpkin seed, sesame seed and sunflower seed.
Although the peanut is technically a legume, the nutritional composition of the peanut is close to that of tree nuts, and there is research showcasing peanuts health benefits.
What nutrients do nuts provide?
Like other plant foods, nuts provide a range of nutrients, including large quantities of healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats (49–74% total fat), and moderate amounts of protein (9–20%) (except chestnuts which are low fat).
Nuts are also a good source of dietary fibre and provide a wide range of essential nutrients, including several B group vitamins (including folate), vitamin E, minerals such as calcium, iron, zinc, potassium and magnesium, antioxidant minerals (selenium, manganese and copper), plus other phytochemicals such as antioxidant compounds (flavonoids and resveratrol) and plant sterols.
The 2013 Australian Dietary Guidelines include nuts in the same food group as meat, fish, poultry, eggs and legumes, due to their protein content. A daily serving of 30g is recommended, but an additional 10g of nuts a day can be used in place of other healthy fat foods as well.
