Hazelnuts are one of the many nuts that you should think about incorporating into your diet, if you’re looking for a one stop shop in a snack. Not only are hazelnuts a nutritional powerhouse with valuable sources of vitamin E, manganese, and healthy fats, but they are also super easy to weave into our diets through baked goods, or even spreads like Nutella. One of the easiest ways to fit hazelnuts into our diets regularly is by scooping up one of Nature’s Garden’s healthy mixes like their Heart Healthy Mix, Immune Snack Packs, or Probiotic Immune Booster. Nature’s Garden also conveniently has Roasted Hazelnuts to help power your daily snacking, or to change up on of your go-to recipes!
Why Are Hazelnuts a Good Snack?
Hazelnuts, like many other nuts that are available to us as smart shoppers and people who try their best to eat healthy, are very compact. What we mean by this is that they offer a combination of things. They taste good, they offer very solid daily nutritional benefits, they provide long-term health benefits when eaten regularly, and they are extremely convenient which takes a lot of the guess work and thought to choose a less healthy snack out of the equation.
Daily serving of hazelnuts
A typical daily serving size of hazelnuts is about 1 ounce, which is approximately 28 grams or around 20 whole hazelnuts. This serving size provides a balanced number of calories (4.73g), healthy fats, protein (4.24g), and essential nutrients, making it an appropriate and nutritious addition to your daily diet. Consuming this amount can help you reap the health benefits of hazelnuts without overconsuming calories or fats. It's also important to consider this serving size within the context of your overall diet and nutritional needs. Depending on your health goals, this number might fluctuate a bit, but overall, this is a good benchmark for hazelnut intake. As always, it is important to consult with your physician or health professional before making any noteworthy changes to your diet.
What are the Health Benefits of Hazelnuts?
We will breakdown the specific nutrition facts of a daily serving of hazelnuts in this section, and we wanted to give you a broader overview of the health benefits of hazelnuts and why they’re one of our top choices for a go-to snack. Some of the high-level health benefits of hazelnuts are:
- Nutrient density: Hazelnuts are rich in essential nutrients, including vitamins (such as Vitamin E and B vitamins), minerals (like magnesium, copper, and manganese), healthy fats, protein, and dietary fiber.
- Protein content: Hazelnuts are a viable source of plant-based protein, which is a solid, unprocessed method of receiving your daily protein intake. Protein aids in our muscle growth and repair process. These serve as a satisfying protein-packed snack that will help keep you full.
- High Antioxidant Presence: Hazelnuts are plentiful in antioxidants, namely vitamin E as well as phenolic compounds. These both alone and in combination with vitamin E can serve to protect various tissues in the body from oxidative stress while also reducing inflammation.
- Presence of Healthy Fats: Monosaturated fats are beneficial for heart health, and hazelnuts have a high amount of them. These fats work to lower LDL, or bad cholesterol levels, and increase HDL, or good cholesterol, levels.
- Contain Key Dietary Fiber: The fiber presence in hazelnuts helps with our digestion, helps us to feel full, and promotes a healthy gut.
- Low Glycemic Index: A low glycemic index directly means that they have a miniscule impact on your blood sugar levels. This makes hazelnuts a prime choice for anyone managing their blood sugar and looking to combat the progression of cardiovascular risks.
Hazelnuts and skin health
Aside from hazelnuts having a positive impact on the above aspects of your health, they can also directly affect the health and quality of your skin. They have been known to:
- Help in skin repair and regeneration
- Aid in keeping skin moist
- Have anti-aging effects
- Improve skin tone while also helping control the skin’s oil production
- Have anti-inflammatory effects
Many of these positive properties are due to the presence of vitamins E, B, C, and oleic acid in hazelnuts.
How Can you Incorporate Hazelnuts Into your Diet and Routine?
Hazelnuts are incredibly versatile and convenient which is why finding ways to work them into your diet is super easy, once you have an idea of how to navigate it. Hazelnuts are portable and have a long shelf life, making them a convenient snack option for on-the-go situations. They can be enjoyed on their own, roasted, or added to various dishes, including salads, yogurt, oatmeal, and baked goods, providing a delicious and nutritious addition to your diet. Also, incorporating hazelnuts into your diet or using hazelnut oil in your skincare routine can help you achieve healthier, more radiant skin. With hazelnuts being one of the most resourceful and versatile choices out there, help make them part of your daily routine, by checking out what Nature’s Garden has to offer!
