Going a Bit Nutty - What's Everyone's Favourite Nut?

Lduckygun on 25/01/2021 - 22:26
Last edited 26/01/2021 - 04:40 by 1 other user

Long time listener but first time caller.

Mild rant: was on the way home and the partner asked me to pick up some health snacks as part of our new year's resolution to be less fat and was surprised at how much nuts costs! $30 for a 750g bag of cashews and same size bag of almonds!

Was almost tempted to get two packs of Tim Tams instead, as they satisfy a earthly and spiritual hunger that nuts can never do.

How can everyone afford to be so healthy?!

Question: where does everyone buy their nuts from? Can't be from the supermarkets..

Bonus: what's everyone's favourite nut? I love macadamia, except its always a hit and miss with the salt. Most of the time it's over salted.

Poll Options

  • 14
    Walnuts
  • 117
    Cashews
  • 94
    Macadamia
  • 24
    Peanuts
  • 8
    Brazil
  • 137
    Pistachio
  • 12
    Hazelnuts
  • 14
    Other
  • 57
    Deez nuts
Food & Grocery Nuts

Comments

  • soan papdi on 25/01/2021 - 22:33
    +7

    Which supermarket are you getting these from? Coles and woolies are about $15-$20/kg for them at the most. Aldi has 1.2kg cashew for $19: https://www.aldi.com.au/en/special-buys/special-buys-wed-27-…

    • duckygun on 25/01/2021 - 23:05
      +2

      Apologies, that's poor wording on my part. I was trying to say that I paid $30 combined for both bags.

      I think its a mix of naivety and ignorance for me thinking these nuts would be less than $10 a kilo and the premium nuts would be in the $15-20 a kilo price range. I guess I'll have to readjust my baseline to these prices, thanks!

  • Hybroid on 25/01/2021 - 22:36
    +7

    $30 for a 750g bag of cashews

    What? 800g is $10.

    https://shop.coles.com.au/a/national/product/coles-roasted-s…

    https://shop.coles.com.au/a/national/everything/search/cashe…

    Think you got ripped off from a local convenience store.

    Also, nuts aren't really low fat. Might be better fats but still generally quite high in fat.

    • SlowCarSlow on 25/01/2021 - 22:41
      +15

      They want to be less fat, not consume less fat.

      • trex on 25/01/2021 - 22:45
        +2

        The wallet will be less fat for sure.

      • Scrooge McDuck on 26/01/2021 - 00:19
        +33

        It's disappointing that people are still misled about dietary fat. Eating fat doesn't specifically cause one's body to store fat. Fat storage comes about generally when excess nutrition is consumed. That can come from any source. Sugar is much more fattening than fat since it is rapidly absorbed and spikes insulin.

        The demonisation of fat was largely orchestrated by the American grain farming lobby. Low fat products often substitute fat for thickening agents and sugar, and so can be more fattening in a diet.

        • Kangal on 26/01/2021 - 23:04
          +2

          Exactly this.
          There was a long-standing conspiracy theory about American corn farmers pushing for the anti-fat marketing ploy. I was stumped when I found out the looneys weren't crazy and it was true, they had been pumping corn syrup in everything and promoting a high-sugar and carbs diet. Naturally, men's testosterone levels crashed and massive obesity in children and women spiked out of control.

          Fats aren't evil, they're essential. Like Thanos, everything in balance. High-processed carbs are hidden danger, and are to an extent "evil" if anything.

  • bazingaa on 25/01/2021 - 22:53

    $30 for a 750g bag of cashews

    Wasn't it around $12/kg when in special ? You can also look at nut shops. Also be vigilant on macro nutrients as they are high in calories/fat

  • WreckTangle on 25/01/2021 - 22:54
    +4

    But a peanut’s not a nut…

  • cookietime on 25/01/2021 - 22:55
    +5

    Nuts about life for almond.

    They used to have great deals for cashew. Free shipping when you spend over $100 with code FREESHIP.

    • duckygun on 25/01/2021 - 23:08

      I think you're on to a winner. This is great, thanks heaps.

      Do you have a science for choosing an online store? Is there a significant difference in quality or do you just see who's having a sale?

    • duckygun on 25/01/2021 - 23:14
      +3

      Thanks, what would you recommend as an alternative? I understand nuts are high fat but we're trying a low carb, high fat diet and are using nuts as one source of energy.

      We also don't just eat the nuts raw, she makes balls, smoothies etc with then.

      • 7ekn00 on 26/01/2021 - 00:41
        +3

        Check the Keto Australia group on Reddit, always many people that actually understand what "healthy" means ;)

      • Kangal on 26/01/2021 - 23:16

        Just try to have your current diet.
        Then increase your water intake to a good level. Try to wipe out sources of sugar (soft-drinks, snacks, etc). Then add in more protein (meats, veggies). Then top the rest up with some supplements (fish oil, protein shakes, etc). It can literally be that simple. Go at it one step at a time if that helps.

        All of this will lead you slowly to a Mediterranean diet which has been proven to work, and is superior to other "diets". Transitions take a month to adjust (mental and microbial), and 6-months to turn it into a habit, you'll see huge/some benefits within the first year depending on how fit you already were. Fad diets like keto and Atkins go out of fashion and come back every couple years, has been so for the past 30 years, it's basically a marketing trap at this point.

    • Ghost47 on 25/01/2021 - 23:31
      +7

      Uhh, that depends totally on the nut. Walnuts for example are very healthy and contain Omega 3s and magnesium (which is important for DNA repair).

      The whole "fats are bad" thing is from the 80s, there are good and bad fats.

    • Scrooge McDuck on 26/01/2021 - 00:03
      +8

      Nuts aren't healthy, they're worse than junk food. They're very fatty. Eg peanuts are about half fat gram for gram. Chips are only a third fat gram for gram.

      Fats are essential nutrients. Various nuts are good sources of protein, omega 6 fats and omega 3 fats.

      Chips don't contain much protein, contain simple carbohydrates which most people don't need and commonly contain unhealthy fats. Other junk foods are high in sugar too which stresses the pancreas and shuttles nutrients into fat storage. Nuts, on the other hand, are low in sugar.

    • [Deactivated] on 26/01/2021 - 00:14
      +2

      Wrong, wrong. True.

      https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/Nut…

    • whitelie on 26/01/2021 - 01:45
      +14

      Just because they have a high fat content doesn't make them unhealthy. But if you were to "compare the pair"….

      100g of Smith's chips
      547cals - 6.7g P / 50.6g C / 34.8g F / 0g Fibre

      100g unsalted peanuts
      568cals - 24.7g P / 8.9g C / 47.1g F / 8.5g Fibre

      So on the surface, looks like you'll get slightly more calories from the peanuts, but the bulk of these calories come from fat and protein meaning it will keep you feeling fuller for longer. Most people wouldn't chomp thru 100g of nuts and still be hungry. Compared to potato chips where people will eat a large bag with no issue and be hungry again shortly after. The fibre content will also help this. There won't be a huge blood sugar spike eating the peanuts compared to the 50g of carbs coming from the chips….and then there's the issue of the sodium content eating a bag of chips.

      Technically you can eat either and still lose weight if overall calories are in a deficit.

    • bargain huntress on 26/01/2021 - 11:37
      +2

      @quantumcat and @mspaint

      not having a crack at you - generally curious - and obviously don't answer if you don't want to:

      how would you describe your health? and your weight/size?

      • D6C1 on 27/01/2021 - 06:38
        +1

        Highly doubt you will get an answer

      • bargain huntress on 27/01/2021 - 09:06

        also actually same question @scrrogemcduck @7ekn00 and others on both sides of the discussion

        Basically I'd like to know how embracing fat VS fearing fat actually works out

        • Scrooge McDuck on 27/01/2021 - 18:13
          +1

          I'm a hobbyist bodybuilder, so by manipulating my diet over months, I'm able to shift between growing muscle and strength, and getting lean to look nice on the beach. I'm quite flexible with my diet and generally eat what I want. My main dietary modulation is with carbohydrates which I adjust based on how I see my body composition changing.

          I rarely see a doctor, but whenever I've had a general checkup, all my blood test results were in the healthy range. And I don't take any medications.

          • bargain huntress on 28/01/2021 - 17:22

            @Scrooge McDuck: do you manage your diet on instinct or with a complicated diary & plan or an app or?

            • Scrooge McDuck on 28/01/2021 - 19:02
              +1

              @bargain huntress: I'm just mindful of what I eat over a day and from day to day. I do like sweets but I see food as fuel rather than a source of enjoyment, comfort or reward. So I guess I think about what fuel I need for the day and week.

    • Jalif on 27/01/2021 - 13:16
      +1

      Nuts are healthy in moderation, but are high calorie.

      Peanuts are slightly different as nutrition is slightly better, but are still high fat.

  • BeamMeUp on 25/01/2021 - 23:18
    +1

    Try the Nutgrocer.com.au have bought a few times from here. Melbourne based business pretty good value, fast service, reliable. Spend enough and you get free delivery or you can pick up.

  • domo653q on 25/01/2021 - 23:24
    -1

    Nuts are pretty tasteless

    • GnarlyKnuckles on 26/01/2021 - 01:20
      +5

      Nuts are pretty tasteless

      Mine aren't. They're attractive, and delicious.

  • Ghost47 on 25/01/2021 - 23:33
    +4

    Walnuts are very good for you (do some Googling and you'll see) but they taste pretty bad on their own. I usually buy bags from Aldi, I think they're 1kg bags or something, and are under $10. Walnuts are considered to be very good for your brain, I've noticed after eating a handful of walnuts that my mood improves quite noticeably, it's pretty amazing actually, highly recommended for everyone if they're having a bad day (but not limited to that).

    • Hybroid on 25/01/2021 - 23:37
      +2

      Completely agree. Soak walnuts overnight in a cup of water and try them the next day. Particularly with white feta cheese. Magical.

    • slacker on 26/01/2021 - 07:56
      +3

      I like walnuts, but only when bought in the shell. All the shelled walnuts I have bought have a bitter taste. Walnuts only last about a month when shelled before they go rancid.

    • Jalif on 27/01/2021 - 13:17
      +1

      Walnuts go rancid quickly, if they're really bitter they are rancid.

      • Ghost47 on 27/01/2021 - 13:34

        I see. They're not usually bitter, just bland af so it's like eating cardboard haha.

  • Eeples on 26/01/2021 - 01:12
    +1

    ‘Health snacks’ try raw veggies first. Carrot, cucumber, celery, snow peas.

    Of course there are others but you might need practice eating them raw.

    Maybe little tins of baked beans? Check the dietary info though.

    You could then try fruit; apples, banana (there are less sugary ones…use google).

    But, your snacking right, so even fruit should be okay.

    With the raw veggies though… snack until you are stuffed.

    Nuts? Dried fruit?…not every day, only a few, not salted…. not a great snack imo. ( better getting a Kibble mix made at a health food shop; ask the assistant if they can include flax/linseed).

    • GnarlyKnuckles on 26/01/2021 - 01:28
      +9

      … better getting a Kibble mix made at a health food shop; ask the assistant if they can include flax/linseed

      Mmmyeah, except I'm guessing that the OP is asking about actual food/palatable stuff to snack on. Something virtually identical to 'kibble mix' can be obtained for free by sourcing a large cardboard box from Bunnings, and cutting it into tiny peices with a robust pair of scissors.

    • cannedhams on 28/01/2021 - 06:59

      You should absolutely eat nuts everyday - they are probably the only food that deserve the "superfood" designation. None of that other crap, kale, quinoa whatever, has the effect of reducing mortality risk like nuts:-

      https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/314550#:~:text=A%2….

  • Willco88 on 26/01/2021 - 01:24
    +4

    NUTS ARE FINE, just don't eat 750g in one day LoL

    • s1Lence on 27/01/2021 - 12:25

      or what

  • endotherm on 26/01/2021 - 04:06
    +1

    I think TimTams came in Peanut Butter flavour a while ago…

    • terrys on 26/01/2021 - 10:29
      +2

      The "peanut butter" flavour was [revolting] caramel and tumeric, possibly because Arnotts didn't want to be forking out " go away" money for retards who bought them then sued because they suffered a reaction as they were allergic to peanuts.

      We and other community/welfare centers were getting cartons of them free from Foodbank for far longer than the other flavours.

      • bargain huntress on 27/01/2021 - 03:39

        Did anybody eat them?

        • terrys on 29/01/2021 - 19:49
          +1

          You have to ask? - they are still chocolate…

          • bargain huntress on 29/01/2021 - 19:50

            @terrys: LOL

            so basically people will eat almost anything as long as it is dipped in chocolate

            good to know for future reference

  • ilikeradiohead on 26/01/2021 - 05:20
    +2

    I tend to eat peanuts the most because they're cheap, but my fav is probably cashews.

    However I used my vote on a more noble cause.

    • buckster on 26/01/2021 - 22:02

      Got Im!!!

  • DamonT on 26/01/2021 - 07:27
    +11

    How are you missing almonds from the poll, esp after you bought some?

  • Belistic on 26/01/2021 - 07:40
    +4

    Aussie pecans

  • kiitos on 26/01/2021 - 08:07
    +2

    Does anyone pimp their own nuts, so to speak?

    Eg roasting and salting raw nuts to control the salt level, or making your own wasabi or spicy nuts?

    • Scrooge McDuck on 26/01/2021 - 17:56

      Does anyone pimp their own nuts, so to speak?

      Not personally, but other countries do offer remuneration for such donations.

  • jjjaar on 26/01/2021 - 09:48
    +2

    No love for almonds in the poll?

  • terrys on 26/01/2021 - 10:33
    +1

    I see the "peanuts aren't nuts" has been done, however neither are cashews [ a seed on the bottom of the fruit] or Brazils [ A scrumtious fatty protein filled seed from the inside of a skull-breaking "berry"]

    The macademia needs futher clarification tho. Those I meet who don't rate this Australian wonder have only tried them raw. They need to be roasted and salted, preferably within 5 minutes of eating.

  • SF3 on 26/01/2021 - 10:39
    +2

    I read somewhere, it’s not just what you eat, but portion size is important. It’s still not good pigging out on “healthy” foods.

  • Mikeer on 26/01/2021 - 12:08

    part of our new year's resolution to be less fat

    Although eating nuts has health benefits, if you intend to lose weight, you should be eating very small amounts:
    - 53g Mars bar = 244 calories
    - 53g of almonds = 333 calories (roughly 2 small handfuls or a heaped handful)

    So if your current snack is a chocolate bar a day, just replacing it with the same amount of nuts by weight will be actually causing you to gain weight.

    Calories are important, despite what some dieters claim. If your goal is to lose weight, no matter what your diet is, you will have to have fewer Calories In than Calories Out. This usually means restricting your energy intake, and you will need to set a reasonable goal for weight loss and a reasonable caloric deficit.

    There is a plenty of TDEE calculators online, but you will aim for roughly 1500-2000 calories every day, and you will usually want to spend that budget on foods that are nutritious and low in calories, but most importantly pick something you can stick with for a long period of time.

    • Mikeer on 26/01/2021 - 15:36
      -1

      Just realised you mentioned Tim Tam in your post, to add to the comparison:

      • 55g of Tim Tam Original = 287 calories (3 biscuits)
    • Scrooge McDuck on 26/01/2021 - 18:50
      +3

      When assessing the healthiness of a particular food as in the case of nuts versus a Mars bar, food energy (that is measured in units of Calories) is important, but macronutrients are more important. A kJ from protein, for example, does not have the same health effects as a kJ from sugar.

      People's eating habits are governed much more by satiety than aiming to consume a specific mass of food. Nuts contain protein, fat and fibre which are satiating. A Mars bar is very high in sugar which is not satiating and can even increase hunger after the quick sugar rush crashes.

      • bargain huntress on 27/01/2021 - 03:48

        Don't forget micronutrients either. Various nuts can be great sources of several of those.

        • [Deactivated] on 27/01/2021 - 14:13

          Comparing only the calories of Almonds and Mars bar is quite literally one of the stoopidest things I've ever read.

          Might as well replace your 1 apple a day with 10grams of sugar on a spoon whilst you are at it, because that's how much sugar is in an apple.

          Show me 1 study where nuts are linked to weight gain in an otherwise healthy diet.

          https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27807041/

          • Mikeer on 28/01/2021 - 14:43

            @[Deactivated]:

            Comparing only the calories of Almonds and Mars bar is quite literally one of the stoopidest things I've ever read.

            Interesting, I don't think it is stupid at all. It's simply showing that health foods can be as energy-dense as sugary snacks, and one should be careful not to overindulge in them, if their goal is to lose or maintain weight. Is there something wrong with this statement?

            Show me 1 study where nuts are linked to weight gain in an otherwise healthy diet.

            To be clear, I said that "just replacing it with the same amount of nuts by weight will be actually causing you to gain weight" - if the person changes nothing else in their lifestyle to increase their energy expenditure or decrease energy intake to maintain an isocaloric or a hypocaloric diet, then the extra 89 calories consumed from nuts will cause weight gain.

            I can see how that could have been easy to misinterpret, but I am not claiming that a healthy diet that includes nuts would be linked to weight gain - such a diet would not be healthy by definition, and of course there are no studies that would show that link. In fact, there are many studies that show the opposite - a link between nut consumption and lower BMI. The problem is that these are epidemological studies, and while they show correlation, that does not necessarily mean causation - it could simply mean that people who consume nuts are more health-conscious, they watch what they eat and exercise more, and as result maintain a healthy BMI. It could mean that nuts are more satiating. It could mean they have some hormonal effect. It could mean nuts are commonly eaten with something else that promotes a healthy BMI. It could mean any number of things.

            So once correlation is found, we can run a controlled trial to look for causation. You cited one such RCT that had some surprising findings. One such finding is despite both groups targeting the same 500-calorie deficit, the Almond-Enriched Diet lead to greater fat loss. In fact, if you look at the data, you can see that the Almond-Enriched Diet group on average consumed 59 kcal more energy than the Nut-Free group, and lost 1.1 kg more fat mass! How can you explain this result? Well, the simplest explanation is if you read the methodology of this study, you can see that the energy intake data was self-reported by the participants, and self-reported data can be notoriously unreliable. Nonetheless, the AED group did indeed lose more fat, which would have to be due to greater energy deficit by definition, but the study does not explain what caused the energy deficit. This study found that there were no differences between the AED and NFD groups when it came to hunger and fullness, no difference to serum insulin and glucose, slightly different fat/carb levels, but no difference in protein intake, so we still don't have a mechanistic understanding of what effect almonds had to promote weight loss.

            On the flipside, I can also show you an RCT that found no effect, and even inverse effect (at 6 months only, not at 12 months and not at 18 months) of AED on weight loss. I can show you not one, but two meta-analyses showing no effect of nut consumption on weight loss. Ultimately this just highlights that our nutrition research is often not that great, often relying on epidemological data or self-reported data, leading to studies showing contradicting conclusions.

            Luckily, there are more stringent studies that are either done in a metabolic ward, or controlled feeding studies where all the food was provided to the subjects. A meta-analysis of such studies showed that when calories and protein are equated between diets, there is very little difference in fat loss by varying the carbohydrate vs fat ratio. If anything, higher-carb diets lead to slightly higher energy expenditure than high-fat diets to the tune of 26 calories per day. Thus, it is perfectly fine to compare the energy content of high-carb foods (like sugary sweets) and high-fat foods (like nuts).

            The meta-analysis specifically accounted for protein, because it has been shown to have a greater effect, increasing energy expenditure by 142 calories per day in high-protein (30%) diets vs standard-protein diets (17.5%). You might think that the protein content in almonds would be able to reap that benefit - but no, not likely. In my scenario with 53g of almonds they would contain 11.2g of protein, which helps, but is not enough to turn a standard-protein diet into a high-protein diet, because only 13.6% of their energy comes in form of protein (72.5% is from fat), so the math is not on their side. To do some rough calcs, if we're talking about a 1550-calorie diet, the difference between high- and standard-protein diets is 116-68=48g. You would need to make more changes in your diet to consume an extra 48g of protein than just replace one snack with almonds. If you were to get that extra 48g of protein from almonds, you would have to eat 227g of them, which is a whopping 1407 calories, which leaves no room for anything else, unless all you eat is almonds and pure whey protein powder. In which case, if you were to simply replace a Mars bar with equivalent serving of pure protein powder, you would increase your energy expenditure, leading to a greater caloric deficit. So again - when accounting for energy and protein intake, it is perfectly valid to compare high-carb vs high-fat foods because equal calories from fat and carbohydrate have similar effects on energy expenditure and body fatness.

            Ultimately, as I said in my original post, once you set your target caloric deficit and established your daily calorie budged, you will usually want to spend that budget on foods that are nutritious and low in calories, but most importantly pick something you can stick with for a long period of time. I am not suggesting you should eat candy instead of nuts, I am saying if your goal is to lose weight, then your single most important metric will be your caloric deficit. If your goal is to be healthy (and it should be) then of course you should choose healthier foods and get your daily exercise.

            • [Deactivated] on 28/01/2021 - 15:51
              -2

              @Mikeer:

              To be clear, I said that "just replacing it with the same amount of nuts by weight will be actually causing you to gain weight" - if the person changes nothing else in their lifestyle to increase their energy expenditure or decrease energy intake to maintain an isocaloric or a hypocaloric diet, then the extra 89 calories consumed from nuts will cause weight gain.

              Didn't read further after your opening paragraph tried to justify this as true, which it is not.

              then the extra 89 calories consumed from nuts will cause weight gain.

              That's so utterly false, fake news.

              You need to stop just looking at the calories.

  • Nugs on 26/01/2021 - 13:17

    Almonds, surprised they are not on the poll
    .

  • Guybrush57 on 26/01/2021 - 16:19
    +6

    What's the difference between beer nuts and deer nuts?

    Beer nuts are expensive but deer nuts are under a buck.

  • JulesTLS on 26/01/2021 - 17:18

    a nut is a nut, it's not a nut. it's called a cashew nut!

  • Emerald Owl on 26/01/2021 - 18:28

    Brazil nuts but they're deadly

  • paloverde88 on 26/01/2021 - 19:02

    Almond nuts!!

    ^google says almond is a flower

  • inherentchoice on 26/01/2021 - 20:02

    How can everyone afford to be so healthy?!

    Eating less is cheaper and healthy, right?

    Maybe don't put so much focus on food that's "healthy", but just focus on eating less? E.g. I focus on no chocolate and less snacks, and water instead of soft drink.

  • Blue Cat on 26/01/2021 - 20:39
    +1

    Horny nut is my favorite. And can be free too!

  • MessyG on 26/01/2021 - 20:50
    +1

    Roasted almonds by a mile. And don't forget seeds! Pumpkin seeds are pretty delicious, this recipe is mindblowingly good:

    https://www.cooked.com.au/Andrew-McConnell/Hardie-Grant-Book…

  • Save Medicare on 26/01/2021 - 20:51
    +1

    Why no almond bro

  • [Deactivated] on 26/01/2021 - 20:57
    +1

    deez nutz all day

  • vroomkroom on 26/01/2021 - 21:44
    +1

    Dry Roasted Almonds is awesome.. so is walnuts, pistachios, cashews !! Just don't buy it from super market … it has to be fresh. If you are in melb you can pick it up from https://www.royalnutcompany.com.au or I think these days they do delivery as well. Tip- Buy a kilo and store it in freezer and they last a few months !!

  • jlogic on 26/01/2021 - 22:11

    Peanuts only the ones that come roasted in the shell.

    Namely ones from Garuda brand in Indonesia. Nothing like sitting down cracking the peanuts open while having a bevvy.

    The mess reminds me of the old school bars where these types of nuts were still being served.

  • GnarlyKnuckles on 26/01/2021 - 23:19
    +2

    No one's mentioned toasted pine nuts yet. I love those, and you can do a lot with them beyond just pesto …

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