4 Good Reasons to Add Nuts to Your Weight-Loss Plan

When you think of weight-loss foods, nuts may not be the first to come to mind. After all, they're relatively high in fat and calories per serving. But for a variety of reasons, adding nuts to your diet may make it easier to shed pounds.

Case in point: A September 2019 study published in ​BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health​ found that eating nuts regularly may actually help prevent us from gaining weight over the years and decrease our risk of having obesity.

What's interesting is that the researchers saw this effect when people ate just a half serving (half an ounce) of nuts per day — equal to 24 pistachios, 12 almonds or seven walnut halves. The bad news? The results didn't hold true for peanut butter.

Here's four more reasons why nuts are great for your waistline, and why you'll want to make sure they're part of your weight-loss plan.

​Read more:​ 9 Healthy Nuts That May Help You Live Longer

In general, we know that if you're filling up on foods like whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts and lean proteins, it doesn't leave much room for unhealthy choices like ultra-processed foods that are filled with refined grains, added sugars and saturated fats.

And indeed, in the September 2019 ​BMJ​ study, researchers found that people who swapped processed meats, refined grains or desserts for a half serving of nuts were less likely to gain weight over a four-year period. This is important when you consider that U.S. adults gain an average of a pound per year after the age of 30.

Another theory from the researchers of this study is that nuts require a lot of chewing, or "considerable oral processing effort" — so much so that you'll have less time, energy or appetite to eat more food.

While this might not sound like it would amount to much, research shows that those who eat more quickly usually end up weighing more. A November 2015 meta-analysis published in the ​International Journal of Obesity,​ for example, found a positive association between eating rate and body weight. So nuts aside, it's best to slow down and chew your food.

​Read more:​ 4 Things That Happen When You Eat Too Fast — and How to Slow Down

Nuts have a tough, fibrous structure — so tough, in fact, that our bodies don't fully break them down during digestion.

How do we know? Two 2012 studies, one published January in the ​British Journal of Nutrition​ and the other in the ​American Journal of Clinical Nutrition​ in August, followed the full digestion of pistachios and almonds, respectively, from start to finish. Researchers found that the amount of metabolizable energy we glean from these foods is actually 5 percent less for pistachios and 32 percent less for almonds than we previously thought.

All nuts are a source of fiber and fat, and both of these nutrients have been shown to promote satiety, aka a feeling of fullness.

A November 2013 study published in the ​European Journal of Clinical Nutrition​ found that snacking on almonds reduced the rise in glucose we typically see after eating a meal. When blood sugars rise and fall quickly, that can mess with your energy and appetite, leaving you feeling hungry even after you've eaten. Eating almonds, though, seems to reduce overall hunger and the desire to eat.

​Read more:​ The Best Tips for Every Stage of Your Weight-Loss Journey