While they are sometimes tricky to find in your favored supermarket – check the bulk-bins section – seeds and nuts should not be overlooked when shopping for a balanced and nutritious diet.
They are the go-to snacks of Bonnie Jortberg, PhD, RDN, CDCES, an expert in human nutrition and professor of family medicine at the University of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine. During a recent interview, Jortberg holds up an almond – unsalted – to underscore her fondness for munching on the plant-based snacks.
The takeaway:
Seeds and nuts are small-but-mighty additions to a healthy diet. These plant-based foods are rich in fiber, protein and antioxidants – plus they’re indisputably versatile. By upping a person’s fiber and antioxidants, they’ve been shown to help balance diets and reduce risk for some diseases, including cardiovascular disease.
She said seeds and nuts offer a variety of health benefits, plus hard-to-beat versatility. “If you’re snacking on nuts and seeds, or including them in some of your salads, yogurt, cereal or whatever it might be, it’s another good way to get some fiber,” Jortberg said. “And they add a nice texture to foods, too, which I really like.”
In the following Q&A, Jortberg explains how these superfoods are nutritious and rich in antioxidants, why they can pose problems for people with food allergies, and whether they can play a role in reducing risk for certain diseases.