Well, that's the beauty of it. You get to choose what you eat
I loooove nuts, and am always sure to measure out a serving on my kitchen scale so I know the calorie count before I eat them - because yes, they are very calorie-dense. I think I ate almonds almost every day for the first year of my weight loss. They are really filling and if I eat them slowly, they last a long time.
I adore nuts, especially roasted at home with spices and a little butter. But trailmix is eeeevil! The sweet/salty combo of nuts and fruit causes me to overeat to ridiculous amounts. The fruit is far worse for me than the nuts, but I don't blame you for saying NO!
I measure the nuts out at home and eat them in controlled portions, nuts on the go tend to be less satisfying for me for some reason. Maybe it is the calories for lack of bulk, but nuts are one thing I have to eat reeeeaaaally slowly and savor, or they just disappear and it feels like a waste of 200 calories.
I love them but I feel the same way you do - I don't get to eat very many for the number of calories I'm consuming and I typically overeat so I don't bother. =/
I completely understand! I used to eat almonds and just count the calories but they are so dense in calories and don't fill me up that it's just not something I have as part of my regular rotation. What I do to fill my craving is eat PB2Choclate. It's basically peanuts that have been processed to have less calories. It comes in a powder and I add as much water as I see fit (the directions ask for too little, in my opinion) and I eat it with some celery and find it very satisfying. I don't think it has any chemicals in it at all, btw. Just an idea!
I love nuts, and can eat them in moderation as long as I eat them alone or with a protein. In a sweet/salty combination, I can't eat enough to be satisfied.
So I never eat them in a trail mix, or if they're covered in butter toffee (which I used to love). Really all fats are like that for me. Paired with protein or on their own and I can be satisfied with a very small portion, but mix fat with sugar and salt and I can't eat enough to ever be satisfied. Even when my stomach is full to bursting, I still feel compelled to keep eating.
I wasn't really aware of this pattern until I read David Kessler's book, The End of Overeating. Aparently all creatures (or at least the omnivorous lab animals studied) tend to overeat foods with the infamously addictive fat, salt, and sugar combination.
It's amazing how much I've been able to keep my hunger in control just by avoiding the sweet/salty/fatty flavor combinations.
I love almonds, pecans, walnuts, cashews, macadamias- all of them, YUM! I used to eat them by the container full, but am now extremely careful with how much I eat. I'll have 1/8 of a cup of sliced almonds (85 calories) in my oatmeal or count out 100 calories worth of cocoa almonds to snack on.
It's so easy to go overboard on nuts, at least for me, so I need to be very mindful of how frequent I eat them and carefully measure out portions.
I can eat cashews like candy! I have to be careful. I like eating hot peanuts occassionaly for a snack. It replaces snacks like chips for me. It is rare that I eat them but when I do I have to be very careful to count out a true serving.
I used to like nuts... but for some reason I don't anymore. Their high calorie content may or may not be a factor, I'm not sure. They're good when mixed in with other stuff, but meh, not so much alone.
I'm with you. Say NO to nuts! I know they're healthy, and I miss nuts, trail mix, peanut butter, avocados and other healthy fats, but they are calorie dense and portion small. Plus the salt on some of them, like pistachios.
When it comes to calories in-calories out, I'd rather spend my calories elsewhere. I do, occasionally weigh out an ounce or two for snacking, but I tend avoid them most of the time.
I put a half cup of pistachios into my lunch box every weekday. 100 calories, my healthy fats, and a tasty mid-lecture snack. I find it has to be a measured out portion and ONLY as a school/work snack. Cause I could eat the whole bag if I ate them at home.
A small amount of walnuts go into my morning smoothie, and I top a small amount on my salads. I also make little peanut butter cups with melted sugar-free chocolate chips and natural, no-sugar-added peanut butter.
Hence, I eat walnuts every day and peanut butter several times a week. But that's just me.
I put a half cup of pistachios into my lunch box every weekday. 100 calories, my healthy fats, and a tasty mid-lecture snack. I find it has to be a measured out portion and ONLY as a school/work snack. Cause I could eat the whole bag if I ate them at home.
Do you measure them with the shells on? Just curious.
Oooh I couldn't give up nuts easily. I have however had to give up nut butters, even the purest healthiest of them. I just lose all control when they are in that form.
My biggest concern is the amount of salt in the ones i buy *sigh* i really need to buy them raw in bulk and roast them myself
I don't care if it contains your "healthy" fats- I WON'T waste my calories on NUTS!
