March is National Nutrition Month at Sansum Clinic. The Cancer Center of Santa Barbara with Sansum Clinic’s Registered Dietitian, Sarah Washburn, shares with us the important role nuts play in an athlete’s diet.
BROCCOLI SALAD RECIPE:
Broccoli, a power-packed vegetable, contains selenium, has
more vitamin C than an orange, and is a good source of bio-
available calcium.
INGREDIENTS:
1 teaspoon sea salt
3-4 stalks broccoli (1½ to 1¾ lbs)
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
(or, you can replace olive oil and vinegar
with your favorite vinaigrette salad dressing)
¼ teaspoon sea salt
1 large carrot, grated (½ cup)
¼ cup chopped walnuts, toasted
½ cup craisins, raisins or currents
PREPARATION:
Boil water in a large pot. Add 1 teaspoon sea salt and
broccoli stems. After a few seconds, add broccoli crowns.
Blanch 30 seconds or until color is bright and somewhat translucent.
Remove from boiling water and plunge into ice cold water. Drain well.In a large bowl, combine olive oil, vinegar, and ¼ teaspoon sea salt.
Add grated carrot and raisins; toss to combine. Cut broccoli
into florets and peel and dice the stems. Add to bowl;
mix thoroughly. Add walnuts immediately before servings.
Nuts of any kind are chock full of healthy unsaturated fats, fiber, protein, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. When paired with lean proteins and complex carbohydrates, healthy fats such as nuts play an important role in an athlete’s diet, providing sustainable fuel for optimal performance.
A recent report from a large observation study published in the New England Journal of Medicine concluded that eating a handful of any type of nuts each day, or about 1 oz or 3 tablespoons, can help reduce your risk of dying from the most common causes of death, such as heart disease and cancer.
|
Type |
# nut = 1 oz |
Calories per 1 oz |
|
Almonds |
22 |
164 |
|
Brazil |
6 |
186 |
|
Cashew |
16 |
157 |
|
Peanuts |
28 |
166 |
|
Pistachios in shell |
40 |
158 |
|
Walnut halves |
14 |
190 |
Although nutrient dense, nuts are also full of calories. So if you typically buy a large bag of nuts from your favorite store and nibble on them throughout the day, you may be sabotaging your efforts to lose weight or to maintain a healthy body weight. You may need to count out your daily handful of nuts to help increase your awareness of your habits or simply use them as condiments on your favorite vegetables.
By Sarah Washburn, MS, RD, CSO
Oncology Dietitian, Cancer Center of Santa Barbara with Sansum Clinic
More Sansum Nutritional Information for Athletes
