Posted by kathryn in Fat

Next on Q & A Thursday Naomi has asked what are the health benefits of raw vs cooked nuts and seeds.

I love nuts and seeds. They’re delicious, crunchy and packed full of nutritional goodness. However most people don’t eat a lot of them. I read a statistic recently that Australians only eat an average of 4g of nuts per day – although don’t quote me because I can’t remember where I saw that snippet.

What about the fat?

Part of the reason many people avoid nuts and seeds is because of their fat content. And it’s true, they are high in fat: it ranges from 50 – 76 percent, depending on the nut. However the fatty acids in nuts are mostly poly- and mono- unsaturates. They contain very few saturated fatty acids. This means while you should be careful of how much you eat, it’s in your best nutritional interests to include nuts regularly in your diet. Unless you’re allergic of course.

Should you avoid cooked nuts?

I’ve seen articles which claim that cooking nuts changes the fatty acids in them from un-saturated to saturated. This is not true.

It is possible that at extremely high temperatures some of the fatty acids could be converted from un-saturated to trans fatty acids. And trans fatty acids can act in the body like super-charged saturates.

However both home-cooked and commercially roasted nuts are not heated to these sorts of temperatures.

The main difference between cooked and un-cooked is a alight decline in the B vitamins. Nutritionally that’s about it.

Why nutritionists always recommend raw nuts

Despite this, most nutritionists still recommend buying raw nuts. This is because commercially roasted nuts are often cooked in oil and most have lots of added salt. Which adds kilojoules and sodium most of us just don’t need.

If you buy raw nuts you can control how they are prepared and served. You can toast them on the stove-top or under the grill, without adding any extra oil.

If you want to buy commercially roasted nuts, then choose brands which specify they are dry roasted. Or check the ingredients list to see if any oil has been added.

Eat in moderation

Most clients who come to see me have nuts and seeds added to their diet. They’re simply too good nutritionally to avoid. Nuts can also provide a contrasting flavour and texture to dishes and make a really useful snack.

But it’s best to eat them in moderation. A daily serve of about 30g of nuts gives you all the benefits, without adding too many kilojoules. This is about:

• 1/4 of a cup or a small handful of mixed nuts
• 20 walnut halves
• 2 tablespoons of pine nuts
• 20 almonds
• 10 Brazil nuts
• 15 cashews

So eat nuts – but not too many of them

04 September, 2008