The number one question I’ve been asked by my buddies is, “Should I eat nuts on Atkins Phase 1?
I’m not going to lie here folks, I love nuts. I love the way they taste, the texture, the crunch. What’s not to love? They’re packed with vitamins, minerals, heart-healthy oils, and protein. Nuts and seeds are supposed to reduce health risks and lower your cholesterol.
A bit of warning here. If you suffer from Irritable Bowel Syndrome or Diverticulitis, Crohn’s Disease, or any other intestinal tract disorder, you may want to tread lightly on the nuts and seeds, as they do have an adverse effect on your digestive system.
The great thing about being on the Atkins plan is you can eat nuts; however, do not…and I repeat…do not eat them during the first two weeks on the program. If you eat them, the world as we know it won’t be coming to an end, but for some, it may cause a rapid halt on getting into ketosis.
The whole purpose of getting your body into ketosis is to lose weight, so why chance it right from the get-go?
Nuts are pretty low in the carb count; however, when was the last time you were able to eat only 7 nuts? Let’s be real, you know you can’t just have 7. Sure, you may start off with just a few, but odds are you’ll eat your daily allotment of carbs in just a few minutes.
Maybe you’re one of those folks who like to walk on the wild side. If that’s you, then go for it, but for those of you who aren’t so wild, hang tight and eat your nuts after the first two weeks.
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Remember, it’s all about controlling your carb intake and eating those foods that are nutrient-dense. Different nuts and seeds have different percentages of fat, protein, and carbohydrates.
Here is a little list of the best nuts to eat while on the Atkins diet at any phase:
The listing below denotes 1oz.
- Almonds – 6 net carbs
- Brazil Nuts – 3.4 net carbs
- Cashews – 0.9 net carbs
- Chestnuts – 1.4 net carbs
- Chia Seeds – 10.7 net carbs – totally not worth it in my humble opinion
- Flax Seeds – 7.6 net carbs
- Hazelnuts – 2.7 net carbs
- Macadamia Nuts – 2.4 net carbs
- Peanuts – 2.3 net carbs
- Pecans – 2.7 net carbs
- Pine Nuts – 1 net carb
- Pistachios – 2.9 net carbs
- Pumpkin Seeds – 1.8 net carbs
- Sesame Seeds – 4.8 net carbs
- Sunflower Seeds – 3.1 net carbs
- Walnuts – 1.9 net carbs
My favorite go-to nuts are walnuts and macadamia nuts. They’re very filling and pretty low in carb count. What’s your go-to? Let me know in the comment area below.
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Carb count obtained from the USDA National Nutrient Database