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Exercise Articles
Almonds As a Snack
by Dave Ranck
July 08, 2009
An “article” in a recent issue of a health-related magazine aimed at men provides 5 steps to “mak[ing] your snack work as hard as you do”. Closer inspection reveals that the “article” is an ad from California Almonds. Now, almonds are one of my favorite snacks. I keep a container in my desk drawer and another container on hand at home. They are a healthy snack that has multiple benefits. But use care when reading material like this. The advice given in the ad:
- Pick up some almonds in bulk – great advice. I personally prefer to get organically grown almonds, but buying in bulk is a good idea.
- Combine them with “good stuff” like dried fruit, seeds or even chocolate chips (emphasis mine) – huh? Dried fruit may be somewhat healthy, but it contains concentrated sugars. I wouldn’t consider chocolate chips to be among the healthiest foods. Almonds by themselves are a healthy snack. Why add items that have limited value and needless calories?
- Keep your power mix handy at work – great idea. I’d keep the almonds, but leave the other stuff out.
- [Almonds] help you maintain a healthy cholesterol level – Almonds do contain monounsaturated fats which have been shown to reduce cholesterol when substituted for saturated fats.
- Grab a handful whenever hunger strikes – Oops. Not such a great idea. Anything, even healthy foods like almonds, eaten in an unplanned manner adds “hidden” calories to your daily intake. Almonds contain about 165 calories per ounce (about 23 seeds). A few handfuls a day can add up to hundreds of extra calories. Eat almonds as a snack, but in moderation. For me, ½ ounce of almonds is a snack when eaten with a piece of fresh fruit.
The moral of the story? Watch what you read. Just because a food is healthy does not mean you can consume as much as you want without effect. You must know how many calories you eat and keep your total calories within a range that will meet your goals.
Some nutrition information on almonds:
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Common Name: Blanched almonds
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Serving size: 1 oz.
Other serving sizes: 1 cup whole kernels, 1 tablespoon, 100g
Percent daily values based on the Reference Daily Intake
(RDI) for a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition source: USDA SR-17.
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Calories From Protein (13%)
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Calories From Carbohydrates (14%)
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Calories From Alcohol (0%)
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Monounsaturated Fat 9.15g
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Polyunsaturated Fat 3.42g
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Total Carbohydrates 5.65g
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