6 of the Best Nuts to Add to Your Diet

About Tori Thurmond

Tori Thurmond combines her creative writing background with her marketing experience in her role as the Content Specialist at Brookdale. When she's not writing, she's probably spending time with her two cats or knitting.

Are you someone who loves incorporating healthy snacks into your day or adding a little extra nutrition to your morning oatmeal or bowl or yogurt? Then you’re probably already a fan of eating nuts. But have you ever wondered which nuts are the healthiest for you? Here are a few of the most nutritious nuts you can eat to help meet your daily dietary goals.

Almonds

Starting out with a favorite of many, almonds are not only a popular snack to keep in the pantry but are also often made into milk and flour as alternatives to their traditional counterparts. Almonds are a good source of healthy fats and vitamin E. They can help support heart health, improve cholesterol levels and even boost gut health. If you aren’t a fan of just plain or salted almonds, try out some flavored almonds. Sweet, tangy or spicy—there’s something for everyone, so try swapping out your daily serving of potato chips for a handful of salt and vinegar flavored almonds or your nightly piece of chocolate for a few chocolate covered almonds.

Walnuts

Whether you like eating walnuts by themselves, topping your favorite brownies with them or mixing them into your family’s banana bread recipe, they are full of omega-3 fatty acids that are important for our bodies and a great addition to your diet. Some research even shows that walnuts may help reduce the risk or progression of mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease. If you’re looking for new and exciting ways to incorporate walnuts into your diet, check out some of these walnut recipes from Food & Wine, like Muhammara (a roasted red pepper and walnut dip) or cranberry-walnut stuffing that could be a great addition to an upcoming holiday meal.

Pistachios

For a possible reduction in blood pressure and a boost in antioxidants, crack open a handful of pistachios. These nuts are also metabolism and immune boosters. Pistachios have been trending lately with pistachio lattes from popular coffee shops to the social media-famous Dubai chocolate that features a pistachio cream filling. But, if you’re looking for a few healthier pistachio recipes, check out this pistachio-crusted chicken or this pistachio Brussels sprouts salad.

Brazil Nuts

Brazil Nuts may not be as common to find in your bagged trail mix as some of the other nuts on this list, but they are just as tasty and nutritious. These nuts are known for being a rich source of selenium, a mineral that’s essential for thyroid health and DNA synthesis. Keep in mind that the serving size for Brazil nuts is only 1-2 nuts occasionally. While rare, eating too many Brazil nuts at once could result in selenium poisoning. If you like to make your own granola or trail mix, consider tossing in a few Brazil nuts next time—just be mindful of how many you consume in a sitting.

Hazelnuts

Hazelnuts don’t just have to be consumed around the holidays or in the form a chocolate-hazelnut spread as a sweet treat. In fact, these nuts are packed with vitamins and minerals that could benefit your health year round. Get a boost of healthy fats, protein and fiber by tossing some butter-toasted hazelnuts onto your side salad or be a little more adventurous with these hazelnut green beans with prosciutto and dates.

Macadamia Nuts

Macadamia nuts are another healthy snack that will help you boost your fiber intake and may help lower bad cholesterol (LDL) and blood sugar levels. While macadamia nuts pair well with sweet flavors like white chocolate or granola, try using macadamia nuts in your savory dishes. If you like breaded fish but want something a little lighter, try herbed macadamia-crusted baked fish for dinner or the macadamia nut and avocado toast for a fresh lunch or snack option.

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