Nuts are good plant-based sources of protein

It is now widely known that tofu, legumes, and beans are sources of protein, but nuts are good plant-based sources of protein that can also contribute to meeting your daily requirements (see table below).

Nuts are also good sources of fibre, antioxidants, and minerals including magnesium, phosphorus, copper, manganese and selenium. In fact, just one Brazil nut exceeds your daily selenium requirements!

But how much is one serve of nuts? In Australia, one serve is just 30g, or 1/3 of a cup, or a small handful.

Nuts have some key health benefits, including improving heart health and gut health, and a reduction in the risk of developing Metabolic Syndrome (includes high waist circumference, impaired blood glucose/sugar control, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure), which may lead to Type 2 diabetes.

We know that nuts are good plant-based sources of protein and contain many other beneficial nutrients. The challenge is finding good quality fresh nuts. The nicest-tasting nuts I have found on supermarket shelves are the Woolworths own brand Macro walnuts, pecans, brazil nuts, and almonds, and Coles pistachios. The Macro zip lock bags keep Brazil nuts nice and fresh, important because at just one a day maximum, it can take a while to get through the bag. I have yet to experience eating macadamias, peanuts, or cashews that are not top quality irrespective of the brand.

The types of questions I am often asked about nuts include: Does it matter which nuts you eat? Do they need to be activated?

A handful of mixed non-activated nuts will provide a range of beneficial micronutrients. People concerned with the phytic acid content of nuts may not realise phytic acid is actually an important antioxidant that has health benefits. Soaking nuts in water will also reduce the amount of water-soluble (B) vitamins.

A recent study found that people that eat a handful of nuts each day were likely to live longer. So when will you be adding a handful of nuts to your diet?