Healthy Snacking With Almonds

When craving for something to eat between mealtimes, don’t reach for that bag of chips; reach for a bag of almonds instead.

They’re as tasty and as crunchy as potato chips, but  a one-ounce serving of almonds has only 164 calories and  is packed with the most nutrition one can get from any food.

A handful of almonds, which is roughly one ounce, contain fiber, vegetable protein, plant sterols, and other nutrients that support the well-being of a person’s heart. They are a good source of monounsaturated fats, which is responsible for lowering the levels of LDL cholesterol.

Almonds are also a good source of vitamin E and magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, calcium and iron.

Almonds are also found to help people lose those extra pounds and to keep them off.  Eating even just one serving of almonds can already satisfy a person’s hunger, thus preventing him from over-eating. They can even be sprinkled over fruits or added to low fat yoghurt, packing even more nutrients into the snack.

Almonds do not contain any carbohydrates, so flour made from almonds is a perfect substitute for wheat flour.

This will benefit people with wheat allergies and celiac disease, who cannot take any foods with gluten, and those who are on a strict low-carbohydrate diet like patients with diabetes mellitus.

Almonds have also been found to help improve complexion and the movement of food through the colon.