By Lori Skurbe, MPH, CDE, Prime Surgicare Bariatric Dietitian
We encourage our weight loss surgery patients to eat more plant-based foods.
One highly nutritious plant-based food which is often overlooked are nuts/nut butters.
But a few go a long way, so enjoy with a little caution.
While nuts and seeds offer outstanding health benefits, they are also naturally high in fat and calories.
With this in mind, people who have undergone bariatric surgery should be particularly mindful of portion sizes.
The charts below provide serving sizes and basic nutrition information for your favorite nuts and nut butters.
Keep in mind, while you may only enjoy a small portion, these nuts are surprisingly filling and satisfying.
Small but Satisfying Nut Serving Sizes
Nut Nutrition | |||
Nut | Nuts per 1 Ounce Serving | Calories | Protein |
Almonds | 23 | 160 | 6 grams |
Hazelnuts | 21 | 180 | 4 grams |
Macadamia | 11 | 200 | 2 grams |
Peanuts | 28 | 160 | 7 grams |
Pecans (halves) | 19 | 200 | 3 grams |
Pistachios | 49 | 160 | 6 grams |
Walnuts (halves) | 14 | 185 | 4 grams |
A serving of nut butter is two tablespoons:
Calories and Protein of Nut Butters per 2 Tablespoons | ||
Nut butter | Calories per serving | Protein per serving |
Almond butter | 196 | 7 grams protein |
Cashew butter | 190 | 5.6 grams protein |
Peanut butter | 190 | 8 grams protein |
Soy nut butter | 170 | 8 grams protein |
Take care to measure your portion sizes to ensure you are eating (only) a single serving as a snack or part of a meal.
You can purchase 100-calorie pre-measured packs to carry with you and know in advance how many calories to journal.
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Nut butters also come in single-serving containers for a quick grab and go snack.
A single serving of nuts can satisfy that crunch you are looking for and get you through a busy afternoon at work or running errands. Partner them with apple slices, half of a banana or add the butter to a celery stalk enjoy creamy and crunchy together!
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Play the Nut Card with Caution
Nuts and nut butters do provide protein, healthy fats, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. The high nutritional value of nuts and nut butters, make them an important part of a healthy diet.
Nuts and nut butters are not something you want to graze or snack on because it’s easy to eat a lot of calories very quickly.
WLS patients must be aware of the calories they eat and drink each day so they stay on track.
Every Prime Surgicare weight loss surgery patient has exclusive access to our Bariatric Success Program, which includes private nutritional visits with a bariatric dietitian before and after your bariatric operation.
We also encourage you to check in with us at least once a year after your reach your goal weight.
Enjoy nuts and seeds as a regular part of your nutrition plan—but police your portion sizes as you do with any other food.
Questions? Call our bariatric specialists anytime at (732) 982-2002.