I have taken up swimming to lose weight and am seeing limited success. I need some advice regarding my diet. I am trying to eat sensibly. I have been eating nuts and dried fruit for snacks — is this just as bad as biscuits? –Allison
Nuts and dried fruits are a huge step forward from biscuits! Your quantity of nuts needs to stay around 2 Tbsp. To keep the total volume of your meal up so you feel full, try adding a dried cereal to your daily diet so that you have a 30/30/40 ratio of nuts, fruit and cereal. Other great snack options are soy beans, low fat popcorn, and yogurt. – Debbie J., MS, RD
Do you have a question about your diet or nutrition? Ask our dietitian by submitting your question to nutrition@lafitness.com or simply ask it in the COMMENTS section below.
To learn how to follow the “Ask Our Dietitian” Q&A CLICK HERE!
Most nuts including almonds, walnuts, pecans, cashews, Brazil nuts, chestnuts, hazelnuts, peanuts, macadamia nuts and pistachios contain mainly monounsaturated fats. However, coconut and palm nuts contain high levels of saturated fats; consumption of these should be limited.Instead of eating a biscuit or piece of cake as a snack, try having a handful of plain unroasted nuts. Combining nuts with low-energy dense foods (such as vegetables) in meals is a good way to eat them.Nuts are a healthy food and a good source of protein and healthy fats. People who are overweight or obese can eat nuts in moderation instead of high-fat processed foods.