The Best Time To Eat Almonds for Energy and Metabolism

Almonds are packed with protein, healthy fats, fiber, magnesium, and vitamin E. You can eat almonds any time of the day. They may support blood sugar levels, satiety, cholesterol levels, and heart health when consumed as part of a healthy diet.

You can eat almonds any time of the day. However, eating them at certain times can help you better achieve specific health goals, like energy, satiety, and stable blood sugar. For example:

• Breakfast: Adding almonds to breakfast can help you feel full longer. They’re easy to add to cereal, yogurt, smoothies and pancakes, or serve with eggs.
• Mid-morning or late afternoon snack: Many people experience a drop in energy mid-morning or late afternoon, between meals. Replacing ultra-processed or sugary snacks with almonds can help control blood sugar and reduce total calorie intake.
• With meals: Adding almonds to meals can increase intake of protein, fiber and healthy fats. They make an ideal addition to salads, grain bowls or vegetable dishes.
• Before or after exercise: Eating almonds about an hour before exercising can give you lasting energy to support your performance. They are also rich in magnesium, necessary for muscle functioning. You can also add them to a meal after exercise to increase protein intake.

A 1-ounce serving (about 23 almonds) provides:

• Calories: 164 calories
• Protein: 6.01 grams (g)
• Fat: 14.1g
• Carbohydrates: 6.12g
• Fiber: 3.54g
• Vitamin E: 7.26 milligrams (mg), 48% of the daily value (DV)
• Magnesium: 76.5 mg, 18% of DV
• Phosphorus: 136 mg, 11% of DV

Almonds are high in protein, healthy fats and fiber. They also provide 48% of the daily value of vitamin E, an antioxidant that helps prevent cell damage and supports heart health and the immune system.

Almonds also provide 18% of your daily magnesium needs. Your body needs magnesium for more than 300 enzymes to function properly. It is necessary for many processes, including insulin production, blood pressure regulation, muscle function, and brain health.

All of these nutrients combined make almonds a great snack to support blood sugar levels, satiety, blood lipid levels and heart health.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend consuming four to six servings of unsalted nuts per week as part of a healthy diet. Here are some ideas for adding more almonds to your diet:

• Sprinkle sliced ​​or chopped almonds over oatmeal, cereal or yogurt parfaits.
• Blend almonds into smoothies to get more protein, fiber and healthy fats.
• Add almonds to salads, grain bowls or stir-fries.
• Make almond butter at home to spread on toast, fruit slices or crackers.
• Use almond butter in sauces, marinades or salad dressings.
• Substitute part of the regular flour for almond flour in baked goods.
• Use almonds when making homemade granola or energy bars.
• Add almonds to trail mix for a quick on-the-go snack.