Mean Green Snack Machine
Are you looking for the ultimate snack on the go for your busy lifestyle, running from the gym, to kids activities, to appointments, and onto the next thing? Look no further than the pistachio!
Pistachios are the ultimate snack food, and here’s why:
1. Their hard shell makes them easy to take on the go, and requires no special container.
2. They don’t require refrigeration or a cooler.
3. They have a broad nutrient profile that makes them a leader among snack foods.
4. They are delicious!
A single serving of pistachios (1/2 cup with shells on):
Calories –170
Total Fat – 14 g
Saturated Fat – 1.5 g
Polyunsaturated Fat – 4 g
Monounsaturated Fat – 7 g
Trans Fat – 0 g
Cholesterol – 0 mg
Sodium – 160 mg
Potassium – 310 mg
Total Carbohydrate – 8 g
Dietary Fiber – 3 g
Sugar - 2 g
Protein – 6 g
Pistachios are a rich source of protein, healthy fats, antioxidants, minerals and vitamin B6.
Eating a protein and fat rich food like pistachios helps you to feel satiated (full), reducing your cravings for unhealthy foods.
Don’t panic at the idea of fat. Pistachios have a low saturated fat profile, while having higher polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats, which actually protect your heart.
If you’re training then you need protein to support muscle repair.
Are you training hard? Then the cells in your body are accumulating oxidative damage. Even if you’re not training hard, as we grow older our cells become damaged. According to this study, pistachios are an excellent source of antioxidants, like lutein, beta-carotene, and gamma-tocopherol, which are believed to help rid the body of free radicals and reverse some cellular damage in the body.
Pistachios help your brain! They are full of phosphorus, which is essential for our brains to have proper psychological functioning. Additionally, phosphorus helps cells produce energy and contributes to strong bones.
Vitamin B6 intake has been linked to cardiovascular health, cancer, and cognitive health. If you’re not getting enough Vitamin B6 you’re running the risk of having poor cardiovascular health and cognitive decline. Just a small serving of pistachios each day can fortify your body with all the vitamin B6 you need.
Get yourself this lean green snack machine next time you are at the grocery store and know that you are doing something good for your body each time you eat some pistachios.
Sources:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22458696