Certain Nuts

The heart may benefit from eating nuts as part of a balanced diet. In addition to other nutrients, nuts contain unsaturated fatty acids. Additionally, they make excellent portable snacks because they are cheap, convenient to store, and easy to pack.

Almonds are very rich in calcium, providing 97 mg per 1/4 cup (35 grams), or around 10% of the RDI, compared to the small levels found in all other nuts. Walnuts, pistachios, hazelnuts, and macadamia nuts provide between 2-3% of the RDI for the same amount, while Brazil nuts come in second to almonds with about 6% of the RDI per 1/4 cup (35 grams). Nuts are a rich source of protein, fiber, and healthy fats. In addition, they're a good source of B vitamins, magnesium, copper, potassium, selenium, and vitamins E and K. They're also high in antioxidants. Regular consumption of nuts may improve blood pressure, lower risk factors for metabolic diseases like type 2 diabetes and heart disease, and help you lose weight.