Nut recipes for heart health

A healthy choice

If you have diabetes, you need to do what you can to keep your heart healthy. Research on nuts and heart health has been reviewed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which has allowed certain foods containing nuts to carry a qualified health claim on the label. The claim is approved for almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts, pecans, pine nuts, pistachios, and walnuts. It states, "Scientific evidence suggests, but does not prove, that eating 1.5 ounces per day of most nuts as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol may reduce the risk of heart disease."

Although nuts may provide health benefits, they're still a rich source of fat and calories, so you shouldn’t simply add large amounts of nuts to your diet. Instead, use them in place of less healthful snacks and/or fats. And while nuts taste great on their own, remember they're also delicious in snacks, as these recipes prove.

Nuts by the numbers

Nuts vary in shape, size, and flavor, so it makes sense that their nutritive values are different. Below are the values for 1.5 ounces (a small handful) of nuts, the amount allowed in the health claim on the label.

Peanuts: calories: 249; total fat: 21; carbo: 9; protein: 10; fiber: 3

Almonds: calories: 246; total fat: 22; carbo: 8; protein: 9; fiber: 5

Brazil Nuts: calories: 279; total fat: 28; carbo: 5; protein: 6; fiber: 3

Pecans: calories: 294; total fat: 31; carbo: 6; protein: 4; fiber: 4

Pine Nuts: calories: 286; total fat: 29; carbo: 6; protein: 6; fiber: 2

Cashews: calories: 244; total fat: 20; carbo: 14; protein: 7; fiber: 1

Soy Nuts: calories: 180; total fat: 6; carbo: 14; protein: 18; fiber: 8

Hazelnuts (Filberts): calories: 267; total fat: 26; carbo: 7; protein: 6; fiber: 4

Walnuts: calories: 278; total fat: 28; carbo: 6; protein: 6; fiber: 3

Macadamia Nuts: calories: 304; total fat: 32; carbo: 5; protein: 3; fiber: 3