Looking for something crunchy and healthy to snack on? Try pistachios! In honor of National Pistachio Day, here are five reasons to enjoy pistachios as part of your next meal or snack.
- Heart Health: Pistachios have cholesterol-lowering properties and are rich in heart-healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. In fact, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approves the health claim that eating 1½ ounces per day of most nuts, which includes pistachios, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol may reduce the risk of heart disease.
- Weight Management: The combination of fiber, protein, and fat in pistachios helps promote satiety, making them an excellent option for weight management. A one-ounce serving of pistachios equals 49 nuts, which gives you a larger portion size per serving than most other nuts. Furthermore, having to remove the pistachio meat from its shell slows down the eating process, allowing the body time to signal the brain that it is full. As with any nut, be mindful of your portion size since they are calorie-dense.
- Glycemic Control: Pistachios may help lower and/or keep blood sugar levels stable. This is attributed to the fiber, healthy fats, and protein found in pistachios.
- Post-Exercise Nourishment: Pistachios are a great way to fuel the body after a workout. They supply a healthy dose of antioxidants, healthy fats, protein, vitamins, and minerals needed for muscle recovery and repair. One serving of pistachios has as much potassium as half of a large banana as well as six grams of heart-healthy protein.
- Eye Health: Pistachios contain powerful antioxidants, including lutein and zeaxanthin which are known to support eye health. One ounce of pistachios has 398 micrograms of lutein and zeaxanthin, offering more than most other nuts.
Have pistachios as a snack or with a meal. Try one hundred calorie packs of pre-portioned pistachios, or measure out a 1 to 1½ ounce serving of pistachios (~49 pistachios = 1 ounce) for a satisfying snack. Mix pistachios into casseroles, pasta dishes, salads, soups, and stir fries, or add them to low-fat cottage cheese, oatmeal, or yogurt. Use finely chopped pistachios as a crunchy outer coating for lean proteins, like lamb, chicken, or fish, or vegetables, like eggplant, green beans, or asparagus. However you decide to eat your pistachios, your body will be thankful for the healthy and nourishing supply of nutrients.
