Without going into a long story, Denise has decided to go from vegetarian to complete Vegan like yours truly- ME! So we were having this discussion about the importance of protein, good fats and where to get her sources of protein from since she no longer will be having dairy, or eggs. I brought up the fact that Pistachios are a nut she should consider putting in her diet...
Nutrition Data is the Internet’s foremost authority on food ingredients and nutritional content and values. I mean where else can you obtain the amino acid profile of a Turkish date to the omega 3 value of a sardine?
Pistachios are the most nutrient dense nut. They contain 8 essential nutrients: thiamin, vitamin B6, copper, manganese, potassium, fiber, phosphorus, and magnesium. Lutein, an antioxidant needed to maintain eye health is also present in pistachios.
For someone with high cholesterol , pistachios contain phytosterols, a naturally occurring compound shown to help lower cholesterol absorption. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition published a study in 2008 that found eating one to two handfuls of pistachios a day resulted in a 9-12% reduction in LDL “bad” cholesterol levels.
Most people don’t think of grabbing a handful of pistachio nuts for a snack. But I have found they hit the spot in satisfying the need to snack along with Goji berries and chocolate Vegan Chips. It’s a little filling but not too heavy. You only need to eat a handful to feel full.
From my friend Harry Otto)Now I’ve been stumped throughout the years but after my stint of classes at Columbia and my proteomics (the study of how and why proteins fold) research, I’m getting harder to stump. And speaking of stumping, one of my favorite pastimes in coming up with little tid-bits of nutritional trivia that I give to my students in classes.
One of favorites, that EVERYONE has gotten wrong until recently, is my “nuts on a desert island” quiz. See if you know it cause someone (Good one Tinamarie Guaglianone!) got it so it’s being retired. Darn you Tina! LOL!
Ps. I knew this answer because of my FABULOUS teacher- Dr. Jack Barnathan Thanks Dr. jack!
Question: You’re stranded on a desert island and a ship comes by and says “I’m gonna’ drop you off one batch of nuts each month. You need to choose one type of nut and it’s important that you remember the only water obtainable is from coconuts for which you must climb trees to obtain – so you’ll need to maintain some muscle mass so the nut’s protein profile is essential!”
Choices (raw, blanched or roasted – doesn’t matter):
1. Almonds
2. Cashews
3. Pistachios
So think fast. Don’t Google it. Do you know it? What would be your second choice?
Here’s the answer…
Little further…
Keep going…
Surprisingly enough, the answer was outlined in the choice selections – but reversed.
It’s surprising to know that almonds would not be a sufficient protein source regardless of the quantity consumed. You would eventually wilt away and have the darndest time climbing those trees to get your coconuts. And although there’s really no such thing as an essential amino acid (by which I mean the body can absolutely not synthesize it), the amino acids that the Almond’s miss (in the EAA pool) are so difficult for the body to synthesize, you’d wilt away in no time.
Check out the link to each of the nuts below. If you’ve never spent time on Nutrition Data and are interested in nutrition, now you’re in the “know”.
Now go have some pistachios!
Almonds Amino Acid Score of 55: almond facts
Cashews Amino Acid Score of 100: cashew facts
Pistachios Amino Acid Score 110: Pistachio facts
Oh, and by the way, there were really 2 correct answers. If you answered anything other than Almonds, you would have been right.
SO there you have the low-down people! I schooled you so get your humps to Whole Foods and get the raw unsalted pistachios, mix with some goji berries and vegan chocolate chips and there you have a divine energy snack! BAM!
If you aren't still convinced, check out this article from a road bike racer-Pistachio diet
