Losing weight and getting healthy with the pistachio diet could be a good option for some people. Pistachios often make the list of top ten healthiest nuts, but they are in fact a seed. These delicious seeds are ancient, and were eaten by the Romans. Archaeology tells us that pistachio seeds were a common food as early as seven thousand years before the birth of Christ.
There are many health properties that pistachios contain that mean that they are a great health food. They are a nutritionally dense food, and are a power-source of many vitamins and minerals including:
- protein
- dietary fibre
- thiamin
- vitamins B5 and B6
- calcium
- riboflavin
- folate
- vitamin E
- vitamin K
Pistachios and their health properties
Something else that is interesting about pistachios is that their “fat profile” is quite complex. Raw pistachios contain saturated fats, monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats. Despite this, pistachios are actually lower in calories than many popular nuts and seeds. They’re also packed with antioxidants and pistachios are good for eye health.
Pistachios are a terrific food for people who are vegan or vegetarian. “Pistachios are a good source of vegetable protein (about 21% of total weight), with an essential amino acid ratio higher than most other commonly consumed nuts (i.e., almonds, walnuts, pecans, and hazelnuts), and they have a high percentage of branched chain amino acids,” according to the scientific study Pistachios for Health What Do We Know About This Multifaceted Nut?
How to lose weight with pistachios
The great news for people who want to get healthier and perhaps lose a little weight is that pistachios are a generally safe food to include in your diet. My husband The Boyf is actually allergic to nuts, but he can still eat certain seeds like sesame seeds and pistachios. I am not a doctor, or a nutritionist, just a normal dieter like you, who wants to try new things for optimal health. Use common sense, and if you have a health condition, seek advice from your medical professional before embarking on any eating plan.
The pistachio diet – sample 1 day pistachio menu
DAY 1 = around 1470 calories
(note, add a dessert of Baklava for around 250 – 300 calories if you wish)
Breakfast = total 288 calories
- 80 grams Greek yoghurt (around 90 calories, check your packet)
- 30 grams of pistachios – crushed (167 calories)
- 1 teaspoon of honey (21 calories)
- Black coffee or tea (skim milk if you like) (10 calories)
Snack = 167 calories
- 30 grams of pistachios (167 calories)
Lunch = 290 calories
- Green salad, made with cucumber, tomato, lettuce and rocket, Spanish onion (50 calories)
- 25 grams of feta cheese (65 calories)
- 5 black olives (25 calories)
- 100 grams of chicken, diced, on a skewer with lemon to taste (150 calories)
Snack = 1 ball is about 120 calories
Chocolate and pistachio energy balls
(recipe makes 12 energy balls)
- 1/4 cup pistachios
- 1/4 cup walnut and almond blend
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1/4 cup cocoa
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 10 Medjool dates pitted and mashed
- 5 dried apricots pitted and mashed
- 1/2 cup shredded coconut and sesame seed mix
Method: Soak dates and apricots in warm water overnight. Blend all ingredients together in a food processor, except coconut and sesame seed mix, and combine well. Roll in shredded coconut and sesame seed mix, refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Dinner = 612 calories
Pistachio crusted beef
- 150 lean beef, crusted with 20 grams of pistachios (375 + 112 = 487 calories)
- 1 cup wilted spinach (10 calories)
- 1 small baked potato (90 calories)
- Beef or vegetable jus to taste (25 calories)
Main image photo credit Rudolf Vlček and crusted beef image by Montana Carswell Meats. Many thanks.
