Healthiest Nuts: Health Benefits of Almonds, Pistachios, Peanuts & Walnuts

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Time to reintroduce yourself to this wholesome snack.

In recent years, you may have noticed nuts are taking on new shapes. They’re being sold and consumed as milk, flour, and even faux ground beef. If you haven't yet come out of your peanut shell because you’ve been too spooked by fat content, you might think the rest of us are nuts. What's behind this urgent exploration of the crunchy morsels? Well, an increased interest in eating more nourishing foods, and research that proves nuts have health benefits.

Whether you’re a diehard almond butter fan or a more traditional trail mix packer, you might not have even been aware that your go-to snack is actually good for you. We’re here to be the bearer of the best news by breaking down the health benefits of your midday scoop of goo or handful of pistachios.

To get down to the bottom of exactly how nuts can help our bodies thrive, we spoke to registered dietitian Catherine Sebastian, MS, RD, who leads nutrition communications for Wonderful Pistachios. Sebastian let us in on all the benefits of nuts — as well as new ideas on how to embrace them in your daily diet.

"Nuts have a wide variety of vitamins and minerals," Sebastian explains. "All nuts have health benefits but each nut has its own superpower."

We’ve broken down the benefits of five popular nuts below.

Nuts are a stellar source of antioxidants, and pistachios contain these compounds that can slow or prevent cell damage. "The antioxidants are actually what contributes to the red and green color of the pistachio peel and skin," Sebastian says. This little green powerhouse boasts more than 30 different vitamins and minerals including B vitamins, copper, and manganese.

If you’re looking to cut back on meat, you can turn to pistachios as a substitute: "Pistachios are a complete protein. Meaning you’re going to be getting adequate amounts of all of those nine essential amino acids that you would have been getting by consuming meat. A 28-gram serving of pistachios has 6 grams of protein and is the highest protein nut providing more than 10 percent of your daily recommended intake. They make a great plant-protein choice because pistachios are cholesterol free and are also a good source of fiber providing 3 grams per serving."

"If you’re looking for more calcium and bone health, you might want to lean into almonds," Sebastian recommends. An ounce supplies around 6 percent of your recommended daily value of calcium, which means that about 23 almonds go a long way. Along with being notably rich in calcium, calcium is also rich in vitamins E and B, copper, and magnesium.

Sebastian points out that walnuts are a good choice for brain health — one study suggests that eating 1-2 ounces of walnuts per day can aid cognitive function. The same study presents evidence that walnuts can help prevent the risk of cardiovascular disease, depression, and type 2 diabetes.

Peanuts are an excellent source of niacin — otherwise known as vitamin B3. Niacin is proven to improve blood fat levels, skin health, and cognitive function.

Research links cashews to lower blood pressure and the reduction of "bad" cholesterol. Plus, a 2019 study even found that people with type 2 diabetes who got 10 percent of their daily calories from cashews had lower insulin levels than those who didn't eat cashews.

An increase in antioxidants and improved cognitive function are all well and good, but many people are intimidated by the fat content of nuts. Sebastian clarifies that the fat in nuts is not at all the same as the fat in a double bacon cheeseburger, for example.

"Fats have that bad reputation of being something to avoid or that the fat that you eat will definitely directly result in weight gain. As we’ve seen from evidence and research, that's not the case," Sebastian explains.

She clarifies that there are two groups of fats: Unsaturated and saturated fats. Nuts — like fish, olives, and avocados — are full of unsaturated fats that don't have the same health detriments that you’d get from a plate of pork rinds. "You want more of those unsaturated fats because those will easily move through your arterial wall because they break down a lot easier," she says. "They’re your heart-healthy fats." According to the American Heart Association, unsaturated fats reduce rates of cardiovascular mortality and lowers bad cholesterol.

Fats in bacon, lard, and processed meats contain saturated fats that don't break down as easily and can clog your arteries. As a result, saturated fats increase your risk of cardiovascular disease and raise "bad" cholesterol levels. You’ll want to enjoy these in moderation and replace them with more wholesome sources of unsaturated fat.

As for the weight gain myth, multiple studies have concluded that nuts are associated with the prevention of weight gain and can reduce the risk of diabetes.

If you’re still concerned about calorie density, pistachios are one of the lowest calorie and lowest fat nut and Sebastian recommends snacking on pistachios since seeing the empty shells will remind you how much you’re eating: "The shells act as a visual cue. Usually, people take a whole handful and eat. When you see the shells, it curbs your intake."

Find nuts to be a tad bit too bland by themselves? Sebastian recommends flavored nuts if you’re snacking on them solo — which is especially good news if you tend to crave the type of flavor dust you typically find in neon chip bags. "The sea salt and vinegar pistachios can rival salt and vinegar chips," Sebastian says. "You’re still getting that salty taste and crunch, but with all the health benefits."

In addition to classic salt seasoning, Wonderful Pistachios has outlandish flavors like sea salt & pepper, sweet chili, chili roasted, or honey roasted. If you’re in an experimental mood, you can even play around with different flavor combos: "I like taking the honey roasted and the chili roasted and mixing them together in one bag," Sebastian says.

Flavors are pretty amenable to dietary needs, too. Reassessing your relationship with salt? The lightly salted option has only 65 mg of sodium per serving. Afraid of excessive sugar in your snack foods? The honey and sweet chili flavors have only three grams of sugar per serving.

Plus, you can also sprinkle nuts in other meals that you already enjoy. "Add them to yogurt or put them in your cereal to get more protein. They’re also stellar as a crunchy crouton replacement in salads."

If you don't love eating nuts whole, Sebastian recommends blending soft ones like pistachios into pasta sauce or smoothies. And while you can always buy nut butter, making it at home is as easy as firing up your blender.

"It all really depends on what the person is looking to consume," Sebastian says. "But they can trust that they’ll get a large variety of vitamins and minerals from incorporating nuts into their diet."

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