Wednesday, November 08, 2006

Nuts to You


This month’s Cooking Light magazine, a staple in our house, offered a good comparison of almonds and walnuts. Although all nuts are sources of “good” mono- and polyunsaturated fats, almonds and walnuts particularly stand out for their individual merits.

An ounce of almonds contain almost half of the recommended daily intake of vitamin E which helps boost your immune system. Almonds also have almost twice the fiber intake as compared to walnuts and more than double the calcium of walnuts.

However, where walnuts shine is in their content of omega-3 fatty acids. An ounce of walnuts offers 3 grams of omega-3 fatty acids. Compare this to the daily intake recommendation for men of 1.6 grams and for women of 1.1 grams.

Here’s an easy analysis of walnuts and almonds:

Almonds Walnuts

164 calories 185 calories
14 grams fat 19 grams fat
3 grams fiber 2 grams fiber
7 milligrams vitamin E 0 milligrams vitamin E
70 milligrams calcium 28 milligrams calcium
0 grams omega-3 fatty acids 3 grams omega-3 fatty acids

Remember, an ounce is only a small handful. Calories from nuts add up quickly given their fat content. Three handfuls would almost be a meal from a calorie standpoint.

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