A healthy handful of nuts has a place in almost every eating pattern and diet. In fact, many diets feature nuts as a great way to get lots of essential nutrients. 

Nuts are gluten free, contain healthy fats, plus a broad range of essential vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals making them an important component of many dietary patterns.

Mediterranean diet

The Mediterranean diet is often termed one of the healthiest eating plans. While there is no single definition of the Mediterranean diet, it is typically plant based, being high in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans, nut and seeds, and olive oil. 

The main components of the Mediterranean diet include:

• Daily consumption of vegetables, fruits, whole grains and healthy fats, including nuts and olive oil – with olive oil being the primary source
• Weekly intake of fish, poultry, beans and eggs
• Moderate portions of dairy products
• Limited intake of red meat.

Nuts make an important addition to the Mediterranean diet, being one of the sources of the healthy unsaturated fats, along with olive oil (monounsaturated) and fatty fish (polyunsaturated). 

Vegetarian/vegan

Vegetarians typically consume a range of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, grains, and pulses, as well as “meat substitutes” that derive from these food types.

Vegetarianism is generally less strict than veganism, with some variations including:

• Lacto-ovo-vegetarian – People who follow this diet avoid all types of meat and fish but do consume dairy products and eggs.
• Lacto-vegetarian – People on this diet do not eat any meat, fish, or eggs but do consume dairy products.
• Ovo-vegetarian – Individuals following this diet do not eat any meat, fish, or dairy products but do consume eggs.
• Pescatarian – Those who follow this diet avoid all meats except fish and other types of seafood. However, this does not meet the traditional definition of vegetarianism, and many people refer to the pescatarian diet as being semi-vegetarian or flexitarian.

Veganism is a stricter form of vegetarianism, meaning that vegans avoid consuming or using any animal products or by-products.  

Nuts make an important addition to both vegetarian and vegan diets, providing essential fatty acids, iron, protein and vitamins and minerals

Paleo

The Paleolithic or ‘paleo’ diet is based on the principle that the human body should eat the same diet as our hunter gatherer ancestors. This includes meat, fish, birds, roots, wild fruits and vegetables, and nuts. It claims that the introduction of agriculture around 10,000 years ago works against human genetic makeup and leads to the development of obesity and chronic diseases. Foods therefore, that are the products of agriculture such as grains, legumes, all dairy products, oils, salt and sugar are all excluded. 

The keto diet

Whilst we do not advocate the ketogenic diet, it is clearly a popular choice with consumers at the moment, looking for the magic bullet solution for weight loss.  Keto is defined predominantly by macronutrient composition. While there’s not one standard format, the macronutrient breakout as a percent of total calories is generally as follows:

• Carbohydrates: 5 – 10%
• Fat: 70 – 85%
• Protein: 10 – 20%

It works on the basis of when our bodies lack adequate carbohydrates for energy use, stored fat is broken down for fuel instead of using glucose like usual. In the absence of glucose, ketones are created to provide energy for the brain and central nervous system. The role of the ketogenic diet in the long-term management of body weight is not well established. Ketosis is also potentially dangerous causing problems like kidney damage, micronutrient deficiencies and other issues.

Containing an average of 63% fat, nuts provide a unique combination of healthy fats, plus a broad range of vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals. 

Gluten Free

Gluten free foods are rising in popularity, but only those with medically diagnosed coeliac disease, or gluten sensitivity require gluten free foods. 

The good news is that raw and roasted nuts are gluten free provided they don’t have any other flavourings added. Always check the ingredients list for any gluten containing additives such as thickeners or maltodextrins. Nut meals such as almond, hazelnut and chestnut meals are a great alternative to traditional wheat flours. Adding nuts to a gluten free diet can also help boost the nutrient content of the diet, particularly fibre. 

Atkins

This diet was very popular in the 1990’s and is based on eating as much protein and fat as you like and restricting carbohydrate.  Nuts are rich in healthy unsaturated fats and provide around 15g of protein per 100g. They are also rich in essential vitamins, minerals and other health promoting phytonutrients.