Sometimes it’s hard finding a snack that’s satisfying on a low carb diet, but nuts seem to do the trick. They’re tasty, salty, and are super healthy. They’re high in healthy fats and protein while being low in carbs. Depending on how many carbs are eaten per day (on the keto diet, for example, it’s good to keep carbs low), a low carb dieter may want to stick to lower-carb nuts. Not only can nuts help with successful dieting, but they’re filling and make the perfect snack. We discuss many of these nuts in the Body Reboot book, and below we give you a glimpse of some of these nuts by naming 5 nuts that are perfect for eating while on keto (a low carb, high fat diet).

1. Pecans

Like most nuts, pecans have many nutritional benefits. Healthline also discusses how many carbs exist per pecan serving and how eating pecans may reduce sugar cravings.

Though often associated with sweets, pecans are healthy nuts that provide a host of nutritional benefits.

They’re not only low in carbs and high in fiber but also loaded with important nutrients like thiamine (vitamin B1), magnesium, phosphorus and zinc.

Total carbs per 1-ounce (28-gram) serving: 4 grams

Net carbs per 1-ounce (28-gram) serving: 1 gram

Percent of calories from carbs: 8%

Carbs per 100 grams: 14 grams

Pecans are very low in carbs, delivering a little over 1 gram of net carbs per 1-ounce (28-gram) serving.

Often referred to as digestible carbs, net carbs refer to the number of carbs in whole food minus the fiber content.

Because your body doesn’t easily absorb naturally occurring fiber in whole foods, it’s often subtracted from a food’s total carb content to reveal the number of net or absorbable carbs.

Fiber — especially the soluble fiber found in nuts like pecans — has been shown to reduce blood sugar and improve other blood markers linked to heart disease, including “bad” LDL cholesterol.

Adding 1.5 ounces (42 grams) of pecans per day to an unhealthy diet has been found to significantly reduce heart disease risk factors in overweight adults, including triglycerides, very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) cholesterol and blood sugar.

According to a review of 12 studies, diets that include at least 2 ounces (56 grams) of tree nuts — including pecans — per day provide significant reductions in fasting blood sugar and HbA1c, a marker of long-term blood sugar control.

2. Macadamia Nuts

According to Perfect Keto, macadamia nuts are another type of nut that not only are perfect for eating on a low carb diet, but these nuts also can prevent heart disease and gaining more weight! Sounds pretty great to us.

Why is macadamia the king of keto nuts?

Because with 21g of fat per 1 oz. serving, macadamias are 75% fat.

They also have just 2g of net carbs, so it’s no surprising they get all the glory when it comes to the best nuts on keto.

What makes that fat so special is the 17g of monounsaturated fats specifically.

Monounsaturated fat is the kind that reduces insulin resistance and cholesterol levels while also preventing the accumulation belly fat and heart disease.

You’ll also find magnesium, manganese, potassium and selenium in that serving, which, when combined with those macros, delivers these A+ health benefits:

Decreased risk of stroke

Reduced blood pressure

Anti-inflammatory effects and decreased inflammation

Feeling satiated, which can aid weight loss

Strengthened nervous system

Reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer

Stronger bones and teeth

Decreased risk for diabetes

3. Brazil Nuts

Healthline says to go for brazil nuts, which also have tons of great nutrients and are also high in selenium. If you’re not familiar with selenium, it is a powerful antioxidant that fights oxidative stress. It also helps protect a body from various diseases, such as cancer and heart disease.

Brazil nuts are large, low-carb nuts that are loaded with important nutrients.

They’re renowned for their high concentration of selenium. Just one Brazil nut delivers over 100% of the Reference Daily Intake (RDI).

Total carbs per 1-ounce (28-gram) serving: 3 grams

Net carbs per 1-ounce (28-gram) serving: 1 gram

Percent of calories from carbs: 8%

Carbs per 100 grams: 12 grams

Selenium is a mineral involved in many critical bodily functions like metabolism, DNA production and immune response.

It’s also essential for thyroid health and acts as a potent antioxidant, protecting your cells against free radical damage.

Studies have shown that eating Brazil nuts is effective in reducing multiple markers of inflammation and improving cholesterol levels.

Because Brazil nuts are extremely high in selenium, it’s recommended that adults keep intake to under four nuts per day to avoid surpassing the upper limit of 400 mcg.

4. Walnuts

Are you a fan of walnuts? They just so happen to go perfectly on a salad! Perfect Keto says that walnuts have polyunsaturated fats, which is great because you’ll also be getting your omega’s in for the day. Read on to find out how else the fatty acids in walnuts can help you stay healthy.

Walnuts are one of the richest plant sources of omega 3s.

For a 1 oz. serving of these brain-shaped nuts, you’ll find:

18.3g of total fat, most of which are polyunsaturated (13.2g)

4.3g of protein

1.9g of net carbs

Polyunsaturated fats, which contain essential omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids, are also found in avocados and sunflower seeds.

These essential fatty acids can help:

Improve testosterone levels

Reduce your risk of stroke and heart disease

Combat inflammation

Improve brain health

Walnuts are also a no-brainer if you’re trying to lose weight.

During one trial with 293 study participants, those who consumed 30g of walnuts per day (just over the 1 oz. serving) showed the biggest weight loss improvements over a three month period.

What’s even more interesting is the walnut-eating group also made better food choices and avoided poor nutritional options.

Researchers are also heavily using walnuts in cancer studies and have noticed positive results.

In animal research, scientists found walnuts reduced and prevented breast and prostate cancer growths in mice.

As for human studies, scientists say antioxidant levels are higher in those who eat walnuts, which can help prevent DNA damage and cancer from developing.

5. Almonds

Last, but certainly not least, Kiss My Keto recommends eating almonds while you’re on the keto diet. Even though most people don't consider almonds “true nuts,” they’re perfect for snacking on a low carb diet and just so happen to make your skin healthy!

Almonds are not “true nuts. “They're actually the seeds of a drupe. What we eat from the almond fruit is really the plant's seeds. Almonds are native to the Mediterranean region, have a mild taste, and are perfect addition to the keto diet.

Nutrition & Health Benefits

A 100 gram amount of almonds provides over 20% of the daily value (DV) of B vitamins, vitamin E, calcium, magnesium, iron, and zinc. They also provide up to 20% of the DV of folate, choline, and potassium. They're particularly rich in fiber as well as unsaturated fatty acids, both of which lower bad (LDL) cholesterol.

Almonds contain phytosterols one of which is beta-sitosterol. Phytosterols are types of plant cholesterol that have cholesterol-lowering properties. Almonds are also high in the antioxidant vitamin E, which is especially important for skin health.

How to Eat

You can eat almonds raw, roasted, or blanched. Most of the antioxidants in almonds are in the skin, so we don't recommend removing it. Keto dieters also love to use almond products like almond flour, milk, and butter as keto-approved food alternatives.

Ruled.me sums it all up by discussing why nuts make excellent, tasty, and healthy snacks while on a low carb diet. Even if you aren’t on a low carb diet, nuts, in moderation, are healthy and packed full of vital nutrients.

Typically raw nuts can be used to add flavorings or texture to meals. Some people choose to consume them as snacks – which can be rewarding but may work against weight loss goals. Snacking, in general, will raise insulin levels and lead to slower weight loss in the long term.

Nuts can be a great source of fats, but you always have to remember that they do have carbohydrate counts that can add up quickly. It’s also particularly important to note that they do contain protein as well. Nut flours especially can add up in protein rather fast – so be wary of the amount you use.

Nuts can also be high in omega 6 fatty acids, so it’s good to be careful with the amount you consume. For typical eating, you want to stick with fattier and lower carbohydrate nuts.

Next time you’re thinking about opening a new bag of nuts to eat, consider what’s better for you on keto from the following:

Fatty, low carbohydrate nuts. Macadamia nuts, brazil nuts, and pecans can be consumed with meals to supplement fat.

Fatty, moderate carbohydrate nuts. Walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts, and pine nuts can be used in moderation to supplement for texture or flavor.

Higher carbohydrate nuts. Pistachios and cashews should rarely be eaten or avoided as they’re very high in carbohydrates (2 handfuls of cashews is almost a full day’s allowance of carbs).

If you haven’t been eating nuts while on a low carb diet or you are thinking about going on a low carb diet but didn’t know what to snack on, nuts are the way to go! Go nut over nuts, and you won’t regret it. Learn more about the keto diet and receive a FREE copy of the Body Reboot book by visiting this page today. Head over there to see if there are any copies left!

Sources: Healthline, Perfect Keto, Kiss My Keto, Ruled.me