These are the least fattening nuts (and how many you can eat per day)

Nuts are healthy. They are full of nutrients and antioxidants, but we always have the same question when we are trying to lose weight: are they fattening or not? How many can I eat if I want to lose weight?

We mustn't forget that healthy is not always 'light', and with nuts and dried fruit it's a bit like that: as well as being healthy, they are full of calories and fat. The good thing? They are not as fattening as we think they are. However, they are not all the same: there are some that are better than others for losing weight. Read on, and we'll tell you all about it.

Nuts are good for slimming down

Numerous studies have found that eating nuts and dried fruit is not linked to weight gain and may even help prevent weight gain. 

For example, research analysed the diets of 8,865 men and women over 28 months and found that those who ate two or more servings of nuts a week had a 31% lower risk of gaining weight compared to those who never or rarely ate nuts.

Numerous studies have found that eating nuts is not linked to weight gain and may even help prevent weight gain.

Another review of 36 studies also concluded that regular nut consumption was not linked to weight gain or increased BMI (Body Mass Index). This other study found the same thing after telling the subjects in the experiment that they could eat as many nuts as they wanted - none of them gained weight.

Note that there is also other research that has linked consumption of these foods to weight gain. Some people did put on weight, but it tended to be negligible in the long term. In fact, numerous studies have concluded that regular nut consumption is associated with lower body weight.

[Seven reasons why you're putting on weight, and it's not your diet.]

Why they're not fattening even if they're high in fat

As we said at the beginning of this topic, nuts and dried fruit are high in fat, but there's a trick to this, as the fat is not 100% absorbed by the body. The fibre in these foods means that most of it passes through the gut undigested. As a result, some of the nutrients, such as fat, will not be absorbed and will be lost in the faeces.

[The only fruit that makes you lose weight].

In this regard, some studies have found that after eating nuts, the amount of fat lost through the faeces increased by 5-20%. This suggests that much of the fat in nuts is not even absorbed by the body.

The more we chew the nuts, the more likely it is that all the fat and calories will be absorbed by the body.

The least fattening nuts
Cashew nuts

Cashew nuts are in fourth place. A small handful is enough:

Calories: 155
Fat: 12 grams
Protein: 5 grams
Carbohydrates: 9 grams
Fibre: 1 gram

In addition to being good for your figure, cashews are excellent for reducing high blood pressure and increasing good cholesterol.