pistachio

It's time to go nuts: today is National Pistachio Day! Pistachio nuts, according to FitSugar and Mireille Guillano (the author of French Women Don't Get Fat) are a great-on-the-go snack food. I always have a baggy of nuts in my desk at work, and in my car for an emergency hunger attack. They are loaded with good fat and a serving of pistachios is 45-47 nuts so you can have a few handfuls. Pistachios also are great incorporated into all types of recipes from appetizers to desserts. The California Pistachio Commission has put together a brochure of recipes featuring pistachio recipes from the nation's top chefs, including Tyler Florence's pistachio meringues and Sheila Lukins' pistachio frisee salad. I've found a super yummy super quick appetizer/snack recipe that pairs pistachios with brie. To take a bite, read more

One of the easiest foods to snack on (in my opinion) is nuts - a great Super Bowl munchable. Dieters tend to shy away from them because of their high fat content - but they have the the unsaturated heart-healthy fat that may help to lower LDL (bad) cholesterol. Just want to remind you that even though they are loaded with "good" fat, you still should limit yourself to a handful.

Check out how these crows eat their nuts...

Okay, here's the Nut Break Down for a 1 oz serving of each nut (dry-roasted, no salt added), including calories, total fat, saturated fat (bad fat), and protein.

Almond (20-24 nuts): 161 cals, 14g fat, 1g sat fat, 6g protein
Brazil Nut (6-8 nuts): 183 cals, 19g fat, 4g sat fat, 4g protein
Cashew (16-18 nuts): 160 cals, 13g fat, 3g sat fat, 4g protein
Grape Nuts: (just kidding)

Want to see the rest? Then read more