^{by Sharon Quercioli}

Low in Calories but High in Nutrients

Pistachios are great because they are not filled with calories (like other snacks you might mindlessly munch on) but are instead filled with nutrients like healthy fats, magnesium, potassium, fiber, Vitamin B-6, phosphorus and thiamin. In fact, just a single serving of pistachios is almost 40% of your recommended daily intake of Vitamin B-6 (which is important for cognitive development and protein metabolism).

As I had mentioned, they are also low in calories. They are actually one of the nuts with the lowest calories per serving. For example, an ounce of macadamia nuts is 204 calories while an ounce of pistachios is only 159 calories.

Stuffed Full of Antioxidants

Antioxidants are important to help prevent damage to your body and can help reduce your risk of getting cancer (and other types of diseases as well). There are plenty of seeds and nuts that are high in antioxidants, and pistachios are one of the nuts containing the highest levels of antioxidants. Most specifically, they contain high levels of lutein, a-carotene and b-carotene.

Great for Your Eyes and Your Gut

Pistachios are great for your eyes. The lutein and zeaxanthin found in pistachios are great for helping keep your eyes healthy. They especially help keep you from macular degeneration (which is often age-related) and cataracts. In fact, both are the leading causes of blindness when it comes to eye health in the United States. 

Pistachios are great for your gut as well since they are filled with fiber. While all nuts are high in fiber (which helps your digestive system by keeping it all moving in the right direction, and can keep you from being constipated), pistachios are especially great as shown by a 2012 study found here: https://www.fasebj.org/doi/abs/10.1096/fasebj.26.1_supplement.830.6 The study provides strong evidence that pistachios help your body increase the amount of beneficial bacteria in your gut. In this study, researchers found that the volunteers who ate up to three ounces of pistachios every day increased their gut bacteria more than those who opted for almonds instead.

Great for People Who Eat Little-to-No Meat

It can be hard to squeeze in enough protein when you’re not eating meat, eggs or bi-products (like dairy). Protein should make up anywhere from 15 to 20 percent of your diet (or at least the calories that you eat each day) because protein helps your body maintain a good level of energy and growth. Most of the protein you have in your body is stored in your muscles, which is why athletes must have high protein diets. When it comes to nuts, pistachios have a higher ration of amino acids, which are the building blocks of proteins. 

Important Addition to Your Heart Healthy Diet

Cardiovascular disease is dangerous for both men and women. Women are more likely to develop a cardiovascular disease, however. Along with eating a well-balanced diet and staying active, a 12-year study also suggested that women eat nuts (like pistachios) to help reduce your risk of death from cardiovascular disease. Pistachios can reduce the levels of bad cholesterol in your system, as well as protect your heart from high blood pressure.

Helps Balance Your Blood Sugar

Pistachios have a low glycemic index. What does that mean? That means that when you eat them, they don’t cause a spike in your blood sugar, which is bad for people who have diabetes or are in danger of diabetes. In fact, in a small study (found here https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21364607), pistachios have reduced high blood sugar. Not only does it help with blood sugar, pistachios also help with blood pressure, inflammation and obesity.

Pistachios are nutritious and offer a bunch of benefits for your health, especially your heart, weight, and your gut.

My Favorite Pistachio Recipe

Normally, my favorite pistachio recipe is “straight out of the bin” but if we’re talking about actual recipes, I have a wonderful quinoa and squash recipe to share with you. 

Quinoa with Squash and Pistachios

What you’re going to need:

• 3 cups chopped acorn squash (unpeeled)
• 2 teaspoons of fresh thyme leaves (chopped, plus more for serving)
• 5 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ cup of pistachios (shelled)
• 4 ½ cups of water
• 2 cups of quinoa (rinsed and drained)
• 1 tablespoon of white balsamic vinegar
• Pomegranate seeds (optional)

What you’re going to do:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. 
• Line a jelly roll pan with heavy duty foil. Toss the unpeeled and chopped squash on the baking sheet. Top with the thyme, three of the five tablespoons of the oil, a teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper until the squash looks as if it is coated and covered well. 
• Roast until very tender. This will take about a half an hour, depending on your oven. Set a timer for fifteen minutes, then pull them out of the oven so you can stir it to (1) check how they are progressing, (2) evenly heat the squash, and (3) to make them less likely to stick to the foil.
• Meanwhile, put the pistachios on a small baking sheet and toast in the oven until fragrant, about 5 minutes. 
• Pull out the pistachios and set them aside so they can cool. 
• Bring four and a half cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan and stir in the quinoa. Simmer, uncovered, until the quinoa is tender. This should take about ten minutes.
• Drain the quinoa and then move them to a medium sized bowl. 
• Add the remaining oil, the toasted pistachios, roasted squash and vinegar, toss well and adjust the seasoning with additional salt and pepper. Sprinkle with thyme leaves. Serve warm or at room temperature. 
• Toss with pomegranate seeds for added flavor and texture.