The Nuttiest Nut

Whether it’s in the mall to do some last-minute Christmas shopping, at home stringing up lights, wrapping gifts by the fireplace or watching a favorite holiday flick with family and friends, I invariably hear a big band or old-time crooner strike up Mel Torme’s “The Christmas Song” wherever I go. And every time I hear Nat King Cole or The Boston Pops belt out those first few lines – Chestnuts roastin’ on an open fire – I wonder to myself, “How nutritionally sound are chestnuts? Do they rank among other nuts when it comes to nutritional soundness?” In short, should the roasting of chestnuts be relegated to an occasional indulgence, or are chestnuts great for eating beyond the most wonderful time of year?

Based on my research chestnuts are a fine snacking choice any time of year, but if you’re looking for a nut that has a similar “nut”ritional profile to its peers, you won’t find it in the chestnut.

As anyone who’s familiar with my articles, I’m nuts about nuts. Whether it’s pistachios, almonds, macadamias, nuts are a great, every day source of quality protein and healthy fats. And high fat content, as a general rule, seems to be one of the things all nuts have in common. One noted exception to that general rule? Chestnuts. Chestnuts are quite low in fat, actually, both the saturated and the unsaturated fat kind. This is good news for those looking to cut down on their fat intake and looking for a nut that’s a bit more diet-friendly. A four ounce serving of chestnuts has just under two grams of fat (one gram of which is either monounsaturated or polyunsaturated); by comparison, almonds have 13 grams of fat in one ounce. And chestnuts are low in calories, too – another noteworthy distinction from its nutty neighbors. Pistachios have about 170 calories in an ounce. Macadamias have about 210 calories in an ounce. Chestnuts? Just 54 calories.

So we know that chestnuts are great for those looking to cut back on calories and fat, but what about from a perspective of nutrient density? Do they pack as much of a nutritional wallop as almonds or pistachios? Well, as far as antioxidants are concerned, they absolutely do…and then some! According to The British Journal of Nutrition, chestnuts – along with walnuts and pecans – are the nut that gets the nod. They have more antioxidants than any of the other tree nuts (If you’re unfamiliar with antioxidants, find out why they’re so important to health by clicking on “Antioxidants” in the A to Z Health section).

Something else that makes the chestnut the nuttiest nut besides the fact that it’s low in fat and calories is that it’s high in carbohydrates. There’s little to no carbohydrates in most nuts, but in just one ounce of chestnuts, there’s about 22 grams of carbs. Some suggest using chestnuts as an alternative to traditional side dishes high in carbohydrates, like potatoes or brown rice. Nut, er bad idea.

So, while I wouldn’t rank chestnuts as the cream of the crop in nuts from a nutritional perspective (almonds wins out there), from the standpoint of those looking to cut back on calories while still enjoying the health benefits of nuts, nothing beats chestnuts. What they lack in overall nutrient density, they make up for in calorie friendliness. And at a time of year where calories are everywhere, it’s nice to know that one can enjoy seasonal favorites while being calorie conscious at the same time.