Food and Entertaining
Do Almonds Have Fewer Calories Than The Food Label Shows?
By
Dec 3, 2007, 01:30

(NAPSI)-What if one of your favorite snacks contains fewer calories than you think? A study published recently in the British Journal of Nutrition found that women who were instructed to eat 344 calories worth of almonds--about two one-ounce servings--each day over the course of 10 weeks did not gain weight.

In considering why, the researchers determined that the women felt satisfied by the almonds and thus substituted them for other food in their daily diet, limiting their total calorie intake.

In addition, the women in the study met their daily dietary recommendations for vitamin E and magnesium. A one-ounce serving of almonds--about 23--is high in both of these nutrients, of which most Americans don't consume enough. Plus, it offers protein, fiber, potassium, calcium, phosphorous, iron and monounsaturated fat, all in 160 calories.

But perhaps most surprising, the researchers found that the fiber in almonds appears to block some of the fat they contain. So, in reality, almonds may provide fewer calories to the body than the amount the food label states. This raises broader questions about the availability of energy from foods, indicating that many may not actually deliver the amount listed on the nutrition facts label.

Here's a recipe that uses almonds in a delicious dinner salad.


Steak Fajita Salad With Seasoned Almonds


Ingredients:

1/2 packet dry Italian dressing mix

1 tablespoon cumin

1 tablespoon hot sauce

1 pound lean steak

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup frozen white corn, thawed

1 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained

1/2 cup seasoned almonds from the snack aisle

1 (10-ounce) bag ready-to-eat lettuce

Salsa and shredded cheddar cheese to garnish


Directions:

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together Italian dressing mix, cumin and hot sauce to make a marinade. Combine in a large, zippered plastic bag with steak and marinate in refrigerator for 15 minutes. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in skillet on high heat and add steak. Cook steak to preference or about 5 minutes per side. Remove from heat and allow steak to rest for 5 minutes. Slice steak into strips and toss in a large mixing bowl with corn, black beans and almonds. Spoon mixture onto lettuce and serve with salsa and cheese.

Almonds may have fewer calories than you think while adding important nutrients to your diet.

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