When You Need the Most Bang Per Calorie...
You may have seen the headlines:
Dieters who eat midmorning snacks lose less weight. But that could be because those people choose the wrong snack says Roberta Re, PhD, a nutrition researcher at Leatherhead Food Research—that is, they probably aren't eating almonds. Re and her colleagues found that when people ate a portion and a half of almonds (1.5 ounces) around 11 a.m., they were
less hungry at lunch and at dinner and ate fewer calories daily than non–almond eaters. And when volunteers snacked on more than a standard-size 1-ounce serving, they also reported feeling much less angry. Re says she has tested many foods in the past decade, and very few have shown an effect like almonds. (If you become bored of naked nuts, try these recipes for
spiced,
spicy roasted,
cinnamon glazed and "firecracker” flavors.)
How much: 1.5 standard portions (1.5 ounces total) or about 35 nuts
Extra perk: If you can, chew your almonds up to
40 times before swallowing (oh, to know what your colleagues will think!).
You'll absorb more nutrients like vitamin E than if you munched less; you'll also feel fuller longer, found research at Purdue University. This habit will result in thoroughly breaking down the nut's cellular wells, helping your body absorb more of the good stuff. (Alternatively, you can eat almond butter or make a smoothie and let your blender do the work.)
