Simple Ways to Add Nuts and Legumes to Your Diet
Practical tips for incorporating more nuts, seeds, beans, and lentils into everyday meals - including for people who think they don't like beans.
Summary
Aim for a handful of nuts daily (about 1 ounce) and 3+ servings of legumes per week. Easy additions: almonds or walnuts as snacks, nut butter on toast or in smoothies, canned chickpeas in salads, black beans in tacos, and hummus as a dip. Even small amounts provide significant protein, fiber, and minerals.
What are the best nuts and legumes to eat regularly?
Top nuts and seeds
- Almonds: 6g protein, 3.5g fiber per ounce. Rich in vitamin E and magnesium.
- Walnuts: Highest omega-3 content of any nut (2,500mg ALA per ounce).
- Pistachios: 6g protein per ounce with the most potassium of any nut.
- Pumpkin seeds: Excellent source of zinc, magnesium, and iron.
- Chia and flax seeds: Packed with fiber and omega-3s. Easy to add to almost anything.
Top legumes
- Lentils: Cook in 20 minutes (no soaking needed). 18g protein, 15g fiber per cup cooked.
- Chickpeas: Incredibly versatile - salads, hummus, roasted snacks, curries. 14g protein per cup.
- Black beans: Perfect in tacos, bowls, soups. 15g protein, 15g fiber per cup.
- Edamame: 17g protein per cup. Great as a snack or in stir-fries.
Easy ways to eat more nuts and legumes every day
- Keep nuts visible: A jar of mixed nuts on your desk or counter makes snacking easy
- Add nut butter to breakfast: Swirl into oatmeal, spread on toast, or blend into smoothies
- Toss chickpeas into any salad: Canned chickpeas (rinsed) add protein and texture to any salad in seconds
- Use hummus as your default dip: Replace ranch or cheese dips with hummus for vegetables and crackers
- Try lentil soup once a week: Red lentil soup takes 25 minutes and makes great leftovers
- Add beans to tacos and bowls: Black beans or pinto beans bulk up any Mexican-inspired meal
- Blend white beans into sauces: Pureed white beans make pasta sauces creamy while adding protein and fiber
Studies show that eating just one ounce of nuts daily (about 23 almonds or 14 walnut halves) is associated with a 20% reduction in heart disease risk and improved cholesterol levels.
Can nuts and legumes help with weight loss?
Despite being calorie-dense, nuts are consistently associated with lower body weight in research. This is because their combination of protein, fiber, and healthy fats promotes strong satiety - you feel full longer and eat less overall.
Legumes are especially effective for weight management. A cup of lentils provides 230 calories with 18g of protein and 15g of fiber, making them one of the most filling foods per calorie.
The key is portion awareness with nuts (stick to about one ounce as a serving) and making legumes a regular part of meals rather than relying solely on meat for protein.
How Alma Helps
Alma recognizes nuts, seeds, and legumes in your meals and shows how they contribute to your protein, fiber, magnesium, and omega-3 targets - making it easy to see their impact.