Health Nut Q&A: Low-Sugar Snacks for Good Health
Our Health Nut and Registered Dietitian, Molly Morgan, answers our customers’ most pressing health and nutrition questions!
If you’d like Molly to answer one of your questions in a future blog post, please email your question to health@nuts.com. If we feature your question in The Nutty Scoop, we will also send you a pound of your favorite Nuts.com product.
Q: I eat a lot of almonds, goji berries, and pistacho nuts. Are they really as good for you as they say?
A: All nuts, including pistachios, can be part of a healthy eating routine, and which are best depends on what type of benefit you are looking for! For example, almonds have the highest calcium content, and walnuts are highest in omega-3 fats. My best tip is to swap up the type of nuts you eat to gain the maximum benefits from all the varieties.
Goji berries have a lot of vitamin A, about 170 percent of the daily value per serving! Vitamin A is linked to boosting the immune system and eyesight.
You may also want to check out the recent infographic from Nuts.com that has an overview on the nutrition features of several types of nuts.
Q: I am diabetic. What is the best nut to snack on to control my sugar level?
A: When looking for a snack that will help control blood sugar levels, you should select a snack with high quality carbohydrates (at least 2-3 grams or more fiber per serving). Foods with fiber will help to slow down the digestion of food in your body and should aid in slowing the release of sugars into blood.
Here are a few snacks to try:
Chia Energy Squares: These have 3 grams of fiber per serving, plus the sweetness comes only from dried fruit: these have no added sweeteners!
Freeze Dried Strawberries: These have 3 grams of fiber per serving and only 8 grams of carbohydrates. The best part is that the only ingredient on the list is strawberries! They are available in other varieties as well, like Simply Blueberries, Simply Cherries, Simply Raspberries, and more.
Something else to consider is combining carbohydrates (such as dried fruit) with protein (such as dry roasted edamame or nuts). This mix contains fiber from the dried fruit and the nuts, and the protein will help in further balancing out blood sugar levels. Try your favorite combination of nuts and dried fruit from Nuts.com and have a handful as a quick snack! A favorite of mine is Berry Mix combined with dry roasted edamame.
2 Responses to “Health Nut Q&A: Low-Sugar Snacks for Good Health”
Are pumpkin almonds good for diabetics? Sugar content?
Hi Peggy – Please check the grams of sugar on the pumpkin almonds you are interested in. Look for varieties that do not contain added sugar.