As hazelnuts have 180 calories per serving, consuming too many can make you fat. But, eating a handful of hazelnuts a day is actually good for weight loss. Fiber and protein in hazelnuts promote satiety, while minerals and antioxidant compounds help burn belly fat, as they’re involved in energy metabolism and increase thermogenesis.
Hazelnuts can make you fat, as they have many calories
Certainly, overconsumption of hazelnuts can make you gain weight as they have many calories. Hazelnuts have 643 calories per 100g. A handful of hazelnuts has 180 calories, or 9% of the Daily Value on a 2,000-calorie diet. 10 hazelnuts have approximately 94 calories.[1]
We gain weight when we consume more calories than we burn. Hence, we should eat hazelnuts and other nuts in moderation if we want to lose weight. Favorite nuts such as peanuts, almonds, cashews, and walnuts are high in calories as well.
Certainly, you should avoid consuming hazelnut spread. Especially, if you want to lose weight. A serving has almost 200 calories. Commercial hazelnut spreads are high in fat and added sugar! You should be very cautious with portion sizes.
In fact, you could eat Nutella or any other chocolate hazelnut spread only at certain times of the day if you want to lose weight. Nutella may be particularly beneficial as a post-workout snack.
Benefits of eating hazelnuts for weight loss
Eating reasonable amounts (less than a handful) of hazelnuts as a part of a healthy, well-balanced diet is good for weight loss because they:
- manage appetite for a long time
- fight oxidative stress, which is a common cause of obesity
- increase energy metabolism
- have healthy fats which aren’t completely absorbed by the body
Keep you full for hours!
Above all, hazelnuts are good for weight loss because they are super filling. They promote satiety because they’re rich in fiber and have a decent amount of protein. A handful has 4.2 grams of protein and 2.7 grams of fiber. Foods high in water, fiber, and protein are the most filling ones.[2]
Moreover, hazelnuts are keto-friendly. They’re pretty low in net-carbs. They have only 1.2 grams of sugar per serving. People with diabetes can consume them as well.
Increase the antioxidant status of the body
Actually, consuming moderate amounts of hazelnuts every day, as part of a well-balanced diet, won’t make you fat. According to a study, participants who ate 40 gram of hazelnuts every day for 6 weeks, didn’t gain any weight. Researchers believe that hazelnuts prevent weight gaining by increasing the antioxidant capacity of the body![3]
Antioxidant compounds in hazelnuts help the body fight chronic oxidative stress, which can lead to metabolic disorders and obesity!
Actually, hazelnuts have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. They’re high in various nutrients and bioactive substances, such as stearic, oleic, linoleic fatty acids, vitamin E, phytosterols, phenolic compounds, magnesium, copper, and selenium.
In fact, obese people have a higher risk of developing oxidative stress. Actually, high levels of visceral adiposity tissue are extremely dangerous for health. They’re a strong indication of inflammation.
Healthy fats
In addition, hazelnuts are among the richest foods in monounsaturated fat. When consumed in moderation, monounsaturated fat protects the heart and promotes weight loss!
Furthermore, many minerals and healthy fats in hazelnuts are involved in energy metabolism.
Also, hazelnuts seem to increase thermogenesis. During thermogenesis, the body increases its own temperature to burn excess calories!
Last, but not least, hazelnuts are good for weight loss because we don’t absorb all the fat. Only a percentage of fat is absorbed. A high percentage of hazelnut fat is excreted with feces! Therefore, we consume only a fraction of the calories of hazelnuts.
How many hazelnuts can I eat a day to lose weight?
As a rule of thumb, try to eat a handful of hazelnuts a day as part of a healthy, low-calorie diet in order to lose weight. A handful has approximately 20 hazelnuts and 180 calories.[4]
10 hazelnuts is the equivalent of half a handful of hazelnuts. This small amount has fewer than 100 calories!
If you want to lose weight, don’t consume more hazelnuts, though. Too many can make you fat. Only active people, fitness enthusiasts, endurance athletes, athletes of bodybuilding in the bulking phase, and people with normal body weight can eat much higher amounts.
What’s the best time to eat hazelnuts for weight loss?
Actually, hazelnuts can be a great snack between meals. They can regulate hunger, helping consume fewer total calories in a day. Furthermore, we can eat them on an empty stomach. They don’t spike blood sugar levels, as they’re mainly protein, fat, and fiber.