Nuts & Athletes: Love 'em or Leave 'em?

Which Nuts Are Best?

OK, so now that I’ve convinced you to include nuts in your sports snacks (and meals), you might be wondering “What is the best kind of nut to eat?” That is like asking, “What is the best fruit to choose?” The answer is, each type of nut offers it's own special health benefits. Almonds have a little more fiber than cashews; walnuts have a little more polyunsaturated fat than hazelnuts; peanuts have a little more vitamin E than walnuts—but no one nut is distinctly superior to another one. So, rather than get caught up in trying to choose the “best” nut, simply buy a variety of nuts for a variety of nutrients, flavors and health-protective attributes. Enjoy:

  • slivered almonds on your morning cereal
  • a peanut butter and banana sandwich at lunch
    (Now doesn’t that sound more substantial than yet-another turkey sandwich?  Don’t panic about the calories! Rather, notice how peanut butter will keep you feeling fed, so you don't end up eating abundant calories of sweets later in the afternoon.)
  • trail mix with cashews and dried fruit in the afternoon
  • walnuts in your dinner salad.

What's So Healthy About Nuts for Athletes?

Nuts offer far more than just calories. They are filled with hard-to-get nutrients that can easily get processed out of refined foods. By the end of the day, nut eaters tend to have a diet with overall higher nutrient quality (4). Nuts offer magnesium, niacin, vitamin E, copper and manganese, as well as other phytochemicals that are health protective, like resveratrol (reduces heart disease). All this means that nuts have a powerful impact on your health.

Nuts protect against the diseases of aging. That is, people who eat nuts or peanut butter five or more times a week reduce their risk of heart disease and diabetes by more than 20 percent (1). That's impressive! Incorporating some nuts along with your pretzel--or rice cake snack offers both health and weight-management advantages.

If you are enjoying nuts as a recovery food after a hard workout, be sure to eat some carbs along with the nuts. While the protein and (healthful) fat in nuts abates hunger and helps build muscles, only carbs (re)fuel your muscles. Some carb-protein nut combinations include: peanut butter + banana; nuts + dried fruit; almonds + oatmeal.
 
Nuts offer only a little protein—for example, about eight grams in two tablespoons of peanut butter (the amount in a typical sandwich). This is not much, considering the protein needs of most active women are 60 to 90 grams, and active men may need 80 to 120 grams. Hence, vegetarian athletes need to really eat a lot of nuts and peanut butter if this is their main source of protein!

Easier yet, boost your protein intake by adding this childhood memory back into your daily sports diet: a glass of milk along with the peanut butter sandwich! In general, enjoy nuts, in moderate portions, as an integral part of your meals and snacks.

Calories in Nuts

An ounce of nuts—a woman-size handful or quarter cup— offers about 150 to 200 calories. Here’s how nuts compare:

 

    Nut   # per ounce (approx)   Calories/oz  Calories/nut (approx) 
 Almonds    28     170     6
 Cashews    23  160   7
 Macademia  27  200  8
 Peanuts  30   160   5
 Pecans  15  200  13
 Walnuts  14  185  13
     
                     

 


Nancy Clark, MS RD CSSD (Board Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics) counsels casual and competitive athletes in her private practice at Healthworks, the premier fitness center in Chestnut Hill MA (617-383-6100). Her Sports Nutrition Guidebook, new Food Guide for Marathoners, and Cyclist’s Food Guide are available at www.nancyclarkrd.com. Also see www.sportsnutritionworkshop.com for information about her online workshop.

References

1. Sabate J, Ang Y. Nuts and health outcomes: new epidemiological evidence. Am J Clin Nutr 89(5):1643S-1648S. 2009

2. Johnston C, Tyler C, McFarlin B, Poston W, Haddock C, Reeves R, Foreyt J. Weight Loss in Overweight Mexican American Children: A Randomized, Controlled Trial. Pediatrics 120(6)):150-1457, 2007.

3. 1. Kirkmeyer SV, Mattes RD Effects of food attributes on hunger and food intake. Int'l J Obesity 24 (9):1167-75, 2000.

4. Kris-Etherton PM et al. Improved diet quality with peanut consumption. J Amer College Nutr. 23(6):660-668, 2004

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