Almonds are really popular, and it’s not hard to see why. They make a great snack all on their own, but they’re also used in lots of different ways in cooking. You can find them in things like almond flour, almond milk, and even some dairy-free cheeses.
And the best part? Almonds are good for you and can make your diet better overall.
Almonds have a lot of magnesium.
A 1-ounce serving (28.35 grams) of raw almonds gives you 18 percent of the Daily Value (DV) for magnesium, which is a mineral your body needs.
Your body uses magnesium for a bunch of things like:
- regulating blood sugar and blood pressure
- making energy
- building DNA
- activating and using vitamin D
- protecting against stress. Unfortunately, many people don’t get enough magnesium in their diet. Chronic stress, certain medications, and high blood sugar levels can lower magnesium levels.
So, eating more foods with magnesium, like almonds, can help you keep enough of it in your body.
Almonds have a lot of fiber.
Most people in the U.S. don’t eat enough fiber every day. (Women under 50 should have 25 grams, and men under 50 should have 38 grams.)
That’s because many foods we eat today are highly processed, like chips, white bread, and candy. These foods don’t have a lot of fiber. But we should be eating more foods with fiber, like beans, veggies, fruits, and nuts.
Studies show that not eating enough fiber can be bad for your health. Fiber helps the good bacteria in your gut, keeps you regular, and might protect against some health problems.
Research also says that not eating enough fiber might make you more likely to have colon cancer, chronic inflammation, depression, heart disease, and other problems.
That’s why it’s important to get enough fiber from foods like almonds. A 1-ounce (28.35 gram) serving of almonds has 3.5 grams of fiber. So, try eating almonds as a snack or adding them to salads and oatmeal to get more fiber in your diet.
Vitamin E
Full of vitamin E Almonds have lots of vitamin E, which is a nutrient that dissolves in fat. It works as an antioxidant in your body, protecting your cells from harm. Vitamin E is also important for:
- helping your immune system work well
- making your blood vessels get bigger
- keeping the platelets in your blood from sticking together Almonds are one of the best sources of vitamin E. Eating 1 ounce (about 28.35 grams) of almonds gives you 45 percent of the Daily Value (DV) for vitamin E.
Packed with minerals that help your bones
Almonds have a lot of minerals that keep your bones strong. These minerals include magnesium, manganese, calcium, copper, zinc, and phosphorus.
Eating just 1 ounce (about 28.35 grams) of roasted almonds gives you:
- Magnesium: 18% of DV
- Manganese: 6% of DV
- Calcium: 32% of DV
- Copper: 34% of DV
- Zinc: 8% of DV
- Phosphorus: 10% of DV All these minerals help keep your bones healthy. Plus, almonds have plant-based protein, which is important for your bones too.
Might lower your risk of heart disease
Eating nuts is linked to having a healthier heart. Adding almonds to your diet might help lower your risk of heart disease by:
- reducing high LDL cholesterol
- lowering high blood pressure
- improving how well your blood vessels work A study in 2019 looked at 15 studies and found that eating almonds lowered the risk of heart disease and helped people lose weight. Another study in 2020 looked at 16 studies and found that eating almonds might help lower diastolic blood pressure (that’s the bottom number when you get your blood pressure checked). Other studies also show that eating almonds might help lower blood pressure and triglyceride levels. Eating almonds as part of a healthy diet and getting regular exercise is a great way to take care of your heart.
Full of plant-based protein
If you want to eat more protein, try having almonds or almond butter as a snack.
Eating 1 ounce (about 28.35 grams) of almonds or 2 tablespoons (about 32 grams) of almond butter gives you about 6 grams of protein.
This amount of protein is good to add to snacks like fruits and veggies to make them more filling.
Almonds also have a lot of an amino acid (building blocks of protein) called arginine. Your body needs arginine to make nitric oxide, a compound that’s important for keeping your heart and blood vessels healthy.
A good source of healthy fat
Some fats are actually good for you, despite what you might hear. Fat makes food taste good and can make you feel satisfied. Plus, fats are important for your diet, and some fats, like the ones in almonds, can help keep you healthy.
Almonds are about 50 percent fat by weight. Most of that fat is the good kind. (60 percent of it is monounsaturated fat and 30 percent is polyunsaturated fat.)
Eating more unsaturated fats from things like nuts, fish, avocados, and olive oil and less of the fats in things like fries and pastries might help lower your risk of health problems like heart disease.
Helps you feel full
Almonds have protein, fat, and fiber. All of these things help you feel full and satisfied after eating.
Whole almonds and almond butter aren’t just filling, they’re also very versatile. You can add them to lots of foods like smoothies, salads, grains, oatmeal, chia pudding, and more.
Try adding a handful of almonds or a spoonful of almond butter to your snacks of veggies or fruits each day. You could even put some sliced almonds on your salad for extra crunch and nutrition.
Has antioxidants
Almonds have lots of plant compounds called polyphenols. These have antioxidants and can help reduce inflammation. But most of these polyphenols are in the skin of almonds, so you have to eat the whole almond, skin and all, to get the most antioxidants.
Eating foods with antioxidants like almonds might help improve your body’s defenses against damage to your cells.
Can improve your diet
Eating almonds often might make your overall diet better. One study showed this by giving a Healthy Eating Index score to people’s diets. They found that people who ate almonds every day had better scores.
Eating almonds a few times a week can help you get important nutrients like fiber, protein, magnesium, manganese, vitamin E, copper, and more.
Instead of just focusing on one food, it’s best to focus on having a healthy diet overall. But trying to choose healthy foods like almonds every day can help you build good habits that are good for your health.
Tasty and can be used in many ways
The great thing about almonds is that they have a mild, nutty flavor that goes with almost anything.
Here are some ways to enjoy almonds:
- Spread almond butter between apple slices for a tasty snack.
- Make a homemade trail mix with almonds, raisins, goji berries, unsweetened coconut, and dark chocolate chips.
- Use almond flour to make bread, muffins, and cakes that have fewer carbs and more fiber.
- Add almond butter to oatmeal, chia pudding, and smoothies.
- Have a handful of roasted almonds with a piece of fruit for a quick, filling snack.
- Crush almonds to use as breading for chicken and fish.
- Fill dates with almond butter for a sweet, healthy treat.
There are many reasons to like almonds. They’re full of good stuff like healthy fats, fiber, plant-based protein, vitamins, and minerals.
And they might help your heart and make your meals and snacks more filling. There are lots of ways to eat more almonds, like having almond butter or making your own trail mix.
