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Peanuts

"Man cannot live by bread alone. He must have peanut butter". Comedian Bill Cosby

Now you can add nuts to your diet!

Peanuts with their high energy content are rich in E and B complex vitamins: the minerals zinc, copper, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, calcium and iron.They are also cholesterol free, containing polyunsaturated or "good" oils.

People who love nuts are celebrating the new research findings that state the unsaturated fat in nuts can actually reduce your risk of heart disease. This is great news for many, but some nutritionists are not buying into it just yet. The director for the Center for Science in the Public Interest, Bonnie Liebman, says, "Nuts are a very dense source of calories". She is concerned this new data may cause weight-watchers to consume too many calories.

On the brighter side, other nutritionists are convinced the excess calories in nuts will do your diet no harm due to their beneficial properties.

So how do we muddle through the confusion? I suggest using the age-old theory of moderation in all things. If you love nuts and want to put them back into your diet, by all means do so. Just watch the amount you consume and try to limit your intake to an ounce or two a day. How much is that? Here is a chart to help you in determining an ounce of various nuts:

Type of Nut # of Nuts in 1-ounce Calories
Almonds
22
 170
Brazil nuts
6 to 8
 185
Cashews
18
 160
Hazelnuts
20
 175
Macadamias
10 to 12
 200
Peanuts
18
 165
Pecan halves
20
 200
Pistachios (shelled)
47
 160
Walnut halves
14
 185

See also:
The Nut Case -- Article and Recipes!
A Second Look at Nuts

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