Nuts and Seeds - Compared (and which ones are best for athletes)!

You’ve probably heard the chatter about nuts and seeds being powerhouses of the nutrition world.  Their status has been further enhanced of late with the trend towards plant-based eating.  No doubt about it, seeds and nuts certainly deserve their reputation for packing a decent nutritional punch, and if you aren’t eating them already, here is some info that might get you interested!

So which nuts and seeds are top of the table when it comes to nutrition?  There are so many different options you could include in your snack bowl or tub.  Not all nuts are equal - most nuts are seeds of a fruit (peanuts are seeds of a legume)- but they all have their own unique nutrition make-up and benefits. 

In the past, almonds were always considered right at the top of the tree when it came to best choice of nut – mostly due to their low fat content, at a time when fat was falsely seen as the enemy!  Cashews contain almost identical fat grams to almonds and interestingly the humble peanut is in fact lower fat and higher protein than both almonds and cashews!  These days, however, we tend to focus on more than just the fat and protein content, and look a little more closely at the vitamin and mineral content and associated benefits. 

I was interested to do some comparisons, so I got onto Foodworks (and USDA for hemp seeds) to put together a summary table below that lists the key macro- and micro-nutrient values for common nuts and seeds.  The amounts listed are per 30g of nuts, which is the recommended serving size – around a small handful for an adult.  The nut or seed with the highest amount for each nutrient is highlighted in yellow in that column.

Depending on your specific nutrition needs you may prioritise different types of nuts or seeds.  For example, if iron is a nutrient of focus for you, then cashews, chia seeds and pumpkin seeds are a great choice.  Walnuts, chia seeds and flaxseeds are the highest for  omega-3 and chia, almonds and flaxseeds highest in calcium.

The most interesting thing I noted was that the winners for each nutrient category seemed to mostly come from different nuts or seeds – there wasn’t one that was king of the castle for all nutrients (other than one exception - let’s talk about hemp seeds). The stats appear to say it all – amazing nutrition capabilities but unfortunately hemp seeds are a no-go for elite athletes.  Although hemp seeds are now legal for sale in Australia, there is a potential risk that they may contain trace amounts of THC that could be detectable via WADA/ASADA testing – a banned substance in competition.  

Interestingly, seeds overall fare strongly when it comes to vitamins and minerals compared to nuts, but are often easily overlooked. Why not try adding a few more seeds to your day:

-        Add to porridge, home-made muesli

-        Roast and add to salads - like sunflower seeds in Roasted Carrot and Kale Salad with Grilled Chicken and Lemon Dressing.

-        Make some snack balls or slices – try my Almond Balls recipe which is packed with sunflower and sesame seeds

-        Add to smoothies (eg. almonds in my Recovery Smoothie recipe)

Don’t feel you need to always choose raw with your nuts and seeds – a little roasting and salting is fine (depending on overall salt intake) and for some athletes salt can be helpful for hydration (speak to an Accredited Sports Dietitian for more info).

And don’t worry about activating them either – your body has the digestive equipment to devour and conquer all manner of nuts and seeds – although some people may have intolerances to certain varieties, and nuts and seeds can cause bloating and stomach upset if you over-do it. 

Nuts and seeds can sometimes seem expensive, but if you stick to small serves and choose a combination of different types they can play an important role in keeping you healthy and well, and need not break the bank.  For example, sunflower seeds, flaxseeds and peanuts are on the less expensive side, so use these as a base and add smaller amounts of the others that may be more pricey.

If I really had to pick my favourites for athletes, here they are below:

Almonds  - Protein, Fat, Fibre, Vitamin E, Calcium

Cashews – Protein, Fat, Iron, Zinc

Walnuts – Omega-3 and decent vitamin/mineral content across the board

Peanuts – special mention – highest protein and lowest fat of all nuts!

Chia – Fat, omega-3, fibre, calcium, iron

Flaxseed - Omega-3, fibre, potassium, magnesium, calcium

Pumpkin seeds – Protein, potassium, magnesium, iron, zinc

If you are an athlete not subject to drug testing, then hemp seeds are also a useful addition for their nutritional value and benefits.

Overall, different nuts and seeds are rich in different nutrients.  So the real key is to mix up your intake for a great variety of nutrients, as well as flavours, texture and enjoyment.

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Almond Butter Balls

I tried a few different combinations of these balls but this mix seemed to work well for taste and texture, without needing to add extra sugar (the dates provide plenty of sweetness!).

The recipe combines ingredients in a food processor, however you can also grate ingredients finely then combine if you want a bit more texture and crunch. Totally up to you.

This makes a good base recipe that you could then adapt and adjust with different nuts/seeds/nut butters to suit your tastes.

With all of the nuts, seeds and nut butter, these treats contain healthy fats, as well as fibre, vitamins and minerals from the raw ingredients. They are lower in sugar than some other ‘bliss ball’ recipes, however any snacks that are packed with nuts/seeds/dried fruit will be nutrient-dense, but also energy-dense. Great as a small snack at the end of a meal, or something to go with a cup of tea (as an alternative to a sweet biscuit perhaps), but not necessarily suggested as a handful as a snack on their own. If you are an athlete with high energy needs however, enjoy liberally.

Another thing to note - don’t be fooled by similar recipes out there for ‘protein balls’ - the shear size of these snacks means that even though the ingredients contain protein, consuming 1 or 2 serves is unlikely to provide significant protein and the quality of protein is likely to be low (you would have to add a lot of protein powder otherwise, and this is usually not possible). Check ingredients and portion sizes carefully. There will usually be more efficient ways to get your high quality protein in. So although this recipe contains plenty of nuts and seeds, there is no way they could be referred to as protein balls! But nutritious and tasty all the same, and nice for something different!

If you are looking for some pre-workout snack ideas, you will find some in my blog article Best Snacks for Before Exercise to Perform at Your Best.

Almond Butter Balls

Makes ~20

Ingredients:

¼ cup sunflower seeds

¼ cup sesame seeds

½ cup dates

¼ cup coconut

½ cup oats

½ cup almond butter

Method:

Combine sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, dates, coconut and oats in a food processer until well combined.  Mix through nut butter.  Using a teaspoon, roll into small balls and place on a lined tray.  Allow to firm up in the fridge, then store refrigerated in an airtight container.

Banana, strawberry and yoghurt muffins

Image above is ‘Banana Muffins’ - the recipe below but minus the strawberries!

Recipe makes ~18 medium size muffins

Ingredients:

1 cup wholemeal SR flour

1 cup SR flour

1/3 cup brown sugar

½ teaspoon cinammon

¾ cup natural yoghurt

½ cup milk

1 egg

1/3 cup olive oil

2 medium ripe bananas, mashed

½ cup chopped strawberries 

 Method:       

Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees C.  Line muffin pans with patty cases or grease with some oil or butter.

In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients, flours, sugar and cinammon and whisk to remove any lumps.  Combine yoghurt, milk, egg, olive oil and bananas in a separate bowl then add to the dry ingredients. Combine gently until just mixed through, then fold through the strawberries.  Spoon mixture into muffin pans to 2/3 full.

Bake for 20-25 minutes at 180 degrees C. Leave in the pan for 5 minutes before cooling on a wire rack

Banana bread

This recipe is not really my own, it’s kind of a mix of a few different ones I have used over time – the great thing is that it seems to work out ok every time – no need to weigh your flour for this one, get it about right and it should be fine! 

Quick and easy to make, with staple ingredients from the fridge and cupboard, so as soon as you have a couple of brown looking bananas you can whip one up.

Yes, it has a bit of sugar, but still on the low side.  I make it often for my active kids and they love it as a snack.  At least it’s home-made, which means none of the additives that many of the store-bought varieties contain. 

Nice on it’s own, fresh from the oven, and also lasts a couple of days in an airtight container.  It might last longer but we never have any left to know!

Feel free to adjust recipe to suit tastes – you could add sultanas or change the topping to any sort of nuts or seeds.

Ingredients:

2-3 ripe bananas, mashed

2 eggs, lightly beaten

¼ cup brown sugar

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

1 cup wholemeal plain flour

¾ cup white plain flour

½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

½ tsp ground cinnamon

Chopped walnuts (optional)

Method:

Preheat oven to 170 degrees C.  Line a loaf tin with baking paper. 

In a large bowl, combine mashed banana, eggs, brown sugar and olive oil.  In another bowl, sift flours (if you have time, mostly I don’t bother!) and mix well with bicarb of soda and cinnamon.  Add wet ingredients to dry and mix well.  Pour into prepared loaf tin. Top with chopped walnuts if desired.  Bake for ~45 minutes until golden brown and a cake skewer inserted into the middle of the loaf comes out clean

Remove from tin and cool on a wire rack.  Serve warm or cold.