We love to try new foods. Some are great. Some don’t measure up and some become staples in our kitchen. See what you think.
Nuts are now dietary divas, touted for health benefits, appetite satisfaction and even weight control. How did this happen? As the fat and phtyochemical stories evolved, researchers realized nuts had a lot to offer – healthy fats and a rich compliment of phytochemicals. Experts are recommending a daily intake of 3 tablespoons or 1.5 ounces. As long as you keep your intake to a handful, not a canful, nuts are great addition to a healthy diet.
Virginia Cocktail Peanuts offer a selection of Virginia peanuts available as Sea Salt, Unsalted, Cajun, Jalapeno, Toffee, and Milk Chocolate. Who doesn’t like a peanut coated in chocolate? A 1-ounce serving of the plain and lightly flavored varieties has 170 calories and 85 milligrams of sodium. Unsalted has no sodium. Toffee has 210 calories for a 1-ounce serving and 20 milligrams of sodium. A 1-ounce serving of Milk Chocolate has 230 calories and 55 milligrams of sodium. All the varieties are very crispy and crunchy due to careful processing of the peanuts which prevents too much oil absorption. This is a quality peanut product definitely worth a try.
Planters continues to expand its snack nut selection. New in 2012 are Dry Roasted and Salted Almonds, Dry Roasted In-Shell Pistachios, Sea Salt and Black Pepper In-Shell Pistachios, Pistachio Blend, and Nut-rition Men’s Health.
A 1-ounce serving of Dry Roasted Almonds (about 25 pieces) has 170 calories, 14 grams of fat (9 grams are heart healthy monounsaturated fats, 3.5 grams are polyunsaturated fat and 1 gram is saturated fat), 90 milligrams of sodium and 210 milligrams of potassium.
A 1-ounce serving of both varieties of In-Shell Pistachios (about 46 in-shell pieces) has 160 calories, 12 grams of fat ((7 grams are heart healthy monounsaturated fats, 4 grams are polyunsaturated fat and 1.5 grams is saturated fat), 180 milligrams of sodium (190 for Sea Salt & Black Pepper) and 290 milligrams of potassium.
A recent study from Louisiana State University showed people who ate a small serving of nuts daily including almonds, cashews and pistachios had a lower body weight, smaller waist circumference, and an overall better diet. A 1-ounce serving of the Pistachio Blend fits this recommendation because it is made up of pistachios plus peanuts, almonds and cashews. A serving has 160 calories (about 28 pieces), 13 grams of fat (7 grams are heart healthy monounsaturated fats, 3.5 grams are polyunsaturated fat and 1.5 grams are saturated fat), 80 milligrams of sodium and 220 milligrams of potassium.
Nut-rition Men’s Health (endorsed by Men’s Health magazine) is also a nut blend of almonds, peanuts and pistachios. A serving has 170 calories (about 28 pieces), 15 grams of fat (8 grams are heart healthy monounsaturated fats, 4 grams are polyunsaturated fat and 1.5 grams are saturated fat), 50 milligrams of sodium and 210 milligrams of potassium. It is available in 10.25-ounce cans or in 1.5-ounce snack packs.
All the Planters nut products are kosher certified (OU).
As a bonus all nuts contain fiber and are cholesterol free.
