New Australian research has found snacking on nuts causes a proportionate reduction in daily energy (kilojoule) intake – in some cases, completely offsetting the ‘snack’ kilojoules from the nuts (1).

Despite nuts being an energy-dense food, thanks to their heart-healthy fats, consistent evidence shows that regular nut consumption is not linked with weight gain (2).

And according to the newly-published study, nut ‘energy compensation’ could be part of the reason why.

Energy compensation is defined as ‘the reduction in energy (kilojoule) intake that is provoked by the previous ingestion of a food or beverage’.

What did the research find?

The University of Wollongong systematic literature review and meta-analysis examined 27 studies, which included a variety of nut types (almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, chestnuts, hazelnuts, peanuts, pistachios, walnuts and mixed nuts).

It found that eating nuts as a snack reduced the kilojoules consumed at the next meal, compared with eating a ‘control’ food or no food at all. In other words, they found a reduction in daily energy (kilojoule) intake which was proportionate to the energy provided by the nuts.

Snacking on nuts reduces kilojoule intake at the next meal.

And the energy compensation effect was stronger with whole nuts (because chewing these helps to trigger satiety hormones), than chopped nuts. Whole nuts were also more likely to be eaten as a snack, whereas chopped nuts were more often used as part of a meal.

Interestingly, only one study within the review showed energy compensation benefits when nuts were incorporated into a meal.  

The degree of ‘nut kilojoule compensation’ seems to depend on whether nuts are eaten alone as a snack or as part of a meal, with stronger ‘compensation’ when nuts are eaten as a snack.

Understanding nut kilojoule compensation: A case study

Sally’s usual daily energy intake is 8,000kJ. She doesn’t usually have anything at morning tea, but decides to add a handful of nuts to her day as a mid-morning snack. The nuts provide 700kJ.

This suggests her daily energy intake would now be 8,700kJ. But this is where energy compensation comes in.

An energy compensation value of 100% (that is, ‘complete compensation’) means all the energy provided by the nuts (700kJ) is compensated for throughout the day.

So, while 700kJ was added to Sally’s diet, at later meals she was consuming 700kJ less than usual – meaning that her total daily energy intake remains the same as her usual intake (8,000kJ). This explains ‘complete’ compensation.

Other forms of ‘compensations’ from the research:  

• ‘Partial compensation’ (0-100% compensation) – where only some of the energy provided by the nuts is compensated, so in Sally’s case, her daily energy intake would be somewhere between 8,000-8,700kJ), and
• ‘Over-compensation’ (>100% compensation) – where more than the energy provided by the nuts is compensated for, bringing her daily energy intake to less than 8,000kJ.   

In summary, most studies within the review found some degree of energy compensation – either complete, partial or over-compensation, after nut consumption.  

How do nuts impact energy compensation?

According to the researchers, the nutrient profile of nuts (especially their unique mix of fibre, plant protein and healthy fats) makes them a filling snack. And this, in turn, helps to reduce the kilojoules consumed at the next meal.  

The bottom line

If ever you needed a reason to snack on a daily handful of nuts, here it is!

This fascinating research, suggesting a ‘nut kilojoule compensation’ benefit of snacking on nuts, is another step towards better understanding why regular nut consumption is not linked with weight gain.

Did you know? Australian research suggests the actual kilojoules our bodies absorb from nuts is far less (up to 26% less!) than the kilojoules stated on food labels (3).