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Crunchy nuts are petite powerhouses of taste and nutrition.

They’re portable and delicious — both whole and in nut butter form, spread on apple slices, celery sticks and bananas.

Healthier choices are:

• Almonds
• Hazelnuts
• Peanuts
• Pecans
• Pistachios
• Walnuts

Nuts have:

• Protein
• Fats
• Fiber
• Vitamins
• Minerals
• Antioxidants

Walnuts are especially high in omega-3 fatty acids, similar to the heart-healthy fat found in oily fish, but they are a lot easier to stash in your pocket or purse.

A serving size is a small handful or 1 ounce of whole nuts or 2 tablespoons of nut butter.  

Compare nutrition labels and choose nut butters with the lowest amounts of sodium and preferably no added tropical oils (palm, coconut) or sugars.

All nuts will go bad (rancid) in time, so keep them in the fridge. The same goes for nut oils and nut butters in jars after you’ve opened them. Rancid nuts have an unpleasant smell and bitter taste. If you’re using nuts in a recipe, taste one to make sure it’s still fresh or you could ruin the whole dish.

Heart-Healthy Recipes with Nuts