Get Loose Manager Justine chats to her husband Chris Cheyette, a diabetes dietitian and best selling author, about the evidence for the nutritional benefits of nuts and seeds.

What’s so great about nuts and seeds from your professional perspective?

Nature is amazing at providing what our bodies need in a neatly unpackaged parcel. Nuts and seeds are high in beneficial fats, and other micronutrients, seeds contain everything a plant would have needed to grow.

Different nuts and seeds have different profiles of nutrients so it's great to get a wide variety of them in your diet. For example 2 brazil nuts give you all the selenium you need in a day.

Some people avoid nuts because of the fat. What are your thoughts?

They do contain fat but most have a very beneficial fat profile of poly and monounsaturated fats which are linked with heart health. Walnuts, linseeds and chia are good plant sources of omega 3, especially if you don’t eat fish.

What other macro / micro nutrients are especially prevalent?

Almonds are a good source of calcium, especially if you don’t eat dairy.
All nuts are a good source of iron and protein.
They are all a good source of fibre which has been shown to help your gut microbes work more effectively. Especially sunflower and peanuts.

Do nuts make a good mid morning or afternoon snack?

They make an excellent snack, and can help to keep you full due to containing protein, fat and fibre., The recommended portion is 30g which is a small handful. It is best to get as wide a variety if possible and try to stick to unsalted nuts.

Get Loose sells a wide range of nuts, seeds, nut and seed butters.

Nuts

Almond (whole, blanched, ground, chocolate coated and honey roasted)
Brazil
Cashew (broken and whole)
Hazel
Nut mix
Peanuts
Pecan
Walnut

Nut butters

Almond (white)
Hazel
Peanut (crunchy & smooth)

Seeds

Chia
Linseed (flaxseed)
Poppy
Pumpkin
Sesame
Sunflower

Seed butters

Pumpkin
Tahini (light & dark)

Find out more about our nut and seed butter producer, Carley’s, in our recent Producer Spotlight
Find out more about our cashew nut producer, Zanty, in this Producer Spotlight