Your Health

Smart Snacking Key Component In Weight Management

Posted 6/8/2011

Snack more, weigh less is what some nutritionists say now, especially when it’s pistachios you’re snacking on. Oz Garcia, Ph.D.

(NAPSI)—Holding off on snacking because you’re worried about unwanted weight gain may be a mistake. Snacking is not a sin. Health and nutrition experts agree that all well-planned diets should incorporate routine snacking to help reduce bingeing and keep metabolism high.

Not only will you feel happier when you stop starving yourself, but smart snacking can help you look and feel your best. Certain snacks may even help you maintain a healthy blood sugar level, add missing nutrients to your diet, and, perhaps most surprising, help you maintain a healthy weight.

Promising nutrition research suggests that people who regularly consume nuts, such as pistachios, have a lower body weight than those who do not eat nuts, even when those individuals consumed more calories on average.

Oz Garcia, Ph.D.—known as “Nutritionist to the Stars”—recommends pistachios as a delicious snack choice to many of his clients who are watching their weight. Garcia has worked with Heidi Klum, Hilary Swank and Kim Cattrall.

“The main goal of any snack is to pack in as many nutrients as you can while keeping the snack lower in calories,” he explains. “I’m a big fan of pistachios. They offer more than 20 different nutrients for only 160 calories.”

Here are a few more reasons Garcia calls pistachios a “power snack”:

• Portability: Pistachios come in their own carrying case. With durable shells, pistachios won’t crumble when thrown into a gym bag or briefcase, but they’re still easy enough to open without a nutcracker.

• The Crunch Factor: Skip the chips and get your crunch fix from pistachios. Unlike overly processed chips, pistachios are packed with protein, vitamin B6 and heart-healthy antioxidants.

• Quantity and Quality: Pistachios are one of the lowest-calorie nuts—at 160 calories per ounce. You can have 49 tasty pistachios per serving, more than any other snack nut.

• Portion Control a Plus: Since pistachios almost always come in their shell, cracking them open will naturally slow down consumption, helping you to eat less. The remaining pile of shells also serves as a reminder of how much you’ve eaten.

• You Can Mix it Up: You don’t want to get bored with your snacks. With pistachios, you can make your own trail mix by tossing them together with dried fruit and chunks of dark chocolate. The fiber found in a serving of pistachios (3g) will help keep you full while the fruit and chocolate will satisfy your dessert craving.

Learn More

You can learn more from The Green Nut, a nutrition-awareness campaign sponsored by the Western Pistachio Association.

For healthy tips and research information, visit www.thegreennut.org, find it on Facebook at www.facebook.com/thegreennut or follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/thegreennut.