Almonds? Am i crazy?!?!

GODiva79

Cathlete
ever since i'vebecome obsessed with getting myself in shape for the summer. i've also become obsessed with healthy snacking. I did research and learned that almonds are supposed to be good for you because it's packed with fiber and other good stuff. But i don't really like plain almonds. I found some chocolate covered almonds when i was food shopping one day and fell in love! They're delicious and good for you (only 160 calories in the whole bag). But am i short-changing myself becuz they're chocolate covered???
 
Ooh! Tough call!

What if you mixed the plain with the chocolate and slowly converted yourself to the plain ones, mixing in more plains in each week?

Just a thought, probably a bad one!:p :7
 
Well, are they dark chocolate covered, and with a good dark chocolate (not something full of crap). I wouldn't eat tons of them, but a few would actually be good. And if you eat almonds, be sure to eat the raw ones - roasting does something to them that takes away their goodness.
 
Well, raw almonds come first in the best for you. Then would come roasted almonds and then flavored sugar coated ones and then chocolate ones....then there are the ones in ice cream, even better!

Anything chocolate covered taste good! I think eating chocolate covered almonds are equivalant to eating salad with loads of dressing, regular tuna/egg salad or eating broccoli with tons of butter or chesse.

the OP above has the best suggestion.

Namita
 
I love almonds for a quick healthy snack!! I also keep some dark chocolate ones around the house for emergencies (TTOM).

I would suggest starting with slivered almonds maybe. A lot of times for a snack I will have fresh berries and vanilla yogurt, and I will throw in some slivered almonds for crunch. Maybe if you could mix them with something else you could learn to love them.
 
There's a whole line of flavored almonds that Blue Diamond makes and they're available just about everywhere. My current favorite is Wasabi & Soy Sauce, but there are many good ones to choose from. Also good are dry-roasted almonds. Sometimes I'll have six almonds and six m&m's (or chocolate chips) for a treat. It's amazing to me that I can be satisfied with six m&m's, but combined with the almonds, it's a nice little handful. Plain m&m's are only 3.4 calories each and an almond averages about 7 calories, so this is roughly 65 calories total.
 
Here is an almond filled snack that I love! I chop up my almonds really small. Then I mix them with a little bit of sweetener - I use powdered stevia,cinnamin and apple pie spice and toss the whole mix into a container of plain yogurt. It tastes good, is crunchy and satisfys my sweet tooth! Try it!

Phyllis
I have to exercise early in the morning before my brain figures out what I'm doing :)

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Blue Diamonds raw almonds are actually very tasty.

Sometimes raw almonds in other brands can taste a bit burnt or bitter, which is strange becuase they're suppose to be raw, not baked or smoked.

I recommend Blue Diamond raw almonds.

Susan L.G.
 
I found that although, I really like raw almonds, I totally LOVE oven roasted/toasted almonds. Just put them on a dry pan and put them in the oven after you turn it off from baking something (375 degrees works good). The heat brings out the flavor and you reduce the chance of burning them because the heat isn't still on.
 
>They're delicious and good for you (only
>160 calories in the whole bag).

I know you'd like to think they are 'good for you,' but even though raw almonds are healthy, and chocolate contains antioxidants, the sugar and fat that is added to candy kind of negates those benefits.

They may be tasty, and better than regular candy, but a 'healthy food' they are not.

;-)

I actually like raw nuts (but I didn't used to: it takes a bit of changing one's taste preferences. I used to like the roasted, salted nuts, but now they seem too greasy and salty). I take raw almonds (I actually have some "real" raw almonds, from before the Sept. '07 harvest when raw almonds had to be fumigated---with steam if organic, or with some toxic chemical if not) soak them overnight, drain and let dry, and they become a bit sweeter (the soaking activates enzymes and neutralizes some antinutrients that interfere with digestion). The best are soaked, then dehydrated (I have a dehydrator, but an oven at the lowest possible temperature would work as well). They become very crunchy, almost like roasted.

If you really are looking for optimum health, then it's worth getting used to the taste of raw nuts. It might help to mix some with some raisins (a few nuts + a few raisins), or chop them up fine and add them to your oatmeal in the morning.
 
<They may be tasty, and better than regular candy, but a 'healthy food' they are not.>
But food should be enjoyable, particularly a snack. Why not mix a few of your chocolate covered almonds with plain raw almonds? Life doesn't have to be an all or nothing gig!
 
Amen, Beavs! I absolutely love dark chocolate almonds. I can eat even just 2 and be satisfied, and like you said, mix them with raw almonds too. Personally, I love raw almonds and walnuts, and sometimes add some organic apricots for a sweet snack.
 
Thanks alot! I appreciate your honesty. I think deep down i knew they weren't realy good for me seeing as how chocolate is fatty. But you know how it is: If you keep telling yourself something you know isn't true, you'll eventually start believing it yourself. :)

I guess it's just the thought of eating raw almonds just makes me cringe. Lol! But i've changed my whole eating habit in the last 4 months, why stop now. I definitely want to try your "almond soaking" technique. It sounds good and it's worth a try.

Thanks again for your input.
 
>But food should be enjoyable, particularly a snack. Why not
>mix a few of your chocolate covered almonds with plain raw
>almonds? Life doesn't have to be an all or nothing gig!

But if you can adapt your tastes so that the raw almonds ARE enjoyable, why not do it? "Snacks" and "fun" food don't have to be unhealthy. Nor do healthy foods have to taste like cardboard or make you feel like you're doing penance by eating them. I want it all: healthy AND tasty!

(Another option would be to mix a handful of raw almonds with some raw cocoa nibs---chocolate as it comes from nature, with no added sugars and fats. That can help satisfy the chocolate craving. The nibs are very concentrated in flavor, so a little goes a long way.)
 
Exactly my point. By leaving a few chocolate almonds in there one may acquire a taste for the raw almonds over time, or one may not. The chocolate almonds may be the gateway drug to leaner and cleaner or simply make eating the raw almonds more palatable (which at the end of the day is still waaaay better than a candy bar). Either way, there is nothing in this world that says one must completely eliminate things they enjoy and I know very few people that would get over their enjoyment of chocolate (I could take it or leave it myself).
 

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