Why you should eat more nuts and seeds

This is day 4 of Well's Mediterranean Diet Week. Start at it starts here.

It's time to add a little more crunch to your diet, so let's talk nuts and seeds.

These nutritional powerhouses are rich in essential vitamins and minerals, as well as protein and gut-healthy fiber. For example, just a handful of almonds provides about six grams of protein and three grams of fiber, about the amount you'd get from eating an egg and three-quarters of a cup of blueberries.

Nuts and seeds are also impressive sources of heart-healthy fats, which have been linked to improved cholesterol levels and protection against cardiovascular disease.

One recent one overview of more than three dozen studiesFor example, people who ate just over a handful of nuts and seeds each day were found to have an approximately 20 percent lower risk of developing cardiovascular disease than those who ate little to nothing.

The Mediterranean diet traditionally includes a generous amount of nuts and seeds. Guidelines range from three servings per week to one to two servings per day.

Whatever your goal, it's easy to achieve: whether you dip apple slices in almond butter, sprinkle walnuts over oatmeal or yogurt, or sprinkle sunflower seeds on your salad. Keep in mind that nuts and seeds are relatively high in calories; a one-ounce serving of almonds contains 170 calories and two tablespoons of peanut butter contains 204 calories. That can add up quickly.

What to keep in your pantry

Try to have at least a few different types of nuts and seeds on hand so you can nibble on them and use them in recipes:

Raw or roasted nuts such as almonds, walnuts, pecans and cashews; as well as peanuts (peanuts are technically legumes, but their nutritional profile is more similar to nuts)
Seeds such as flax, chia, sesame and pumpkin; and pine nuts (which, despite their name, are not nuts)
Peanut and other nut butters

How to incorporate nuts and seeds into meals

For each day of our Mediterranean diet series, we and our colleagues have NYT Cooking have selected a few recipes that include the ingredients we highlight. This isn't meant to be a one-day meal plan, but rather inspiration for how you can incorporate more of these healthy foods into your week.

For breakfast you can add a tablespoon of chia or flax seeds your smoothie, or spread almond butter on a whole-wheat English muffin. With a little planning, Genevieve Ko's overnight oats are a perfect vehicle for any nuts or seeds your heart desires.

For lunch, I'm not above a peanut butter and banana sandwich on whole wheat bread with a side of carrot and celery sticks. But if I have a few minutes, I'll make Sue Li's cucumber salad with roasted peanuts and chili. The 'velvety peanut sauce' and crunchy peanut topping complement the 'spicy' cucumbers used in this recipe. Or I try Melissa Clark's Lemony asparagus salad with shaved cheese and nuts.

For dinner, a sprinkle of nuts or seeds will make almost any cooked vegetable more interesting, as in Martha Rose Shulman's Chard with currants and pine nuts or Colu Henry's roasted cauliflower with feta, almonds and olives.

For a main course, look no further than Jocelyn Ramirez's mole verde, an “earthy sauce” that combines generous amounts of sesame seeds, pepitas (pumpkin seeds) and almonds with seared chiles and fresh tomatillos, romaine lettuce and herbs. Serve with fried mushrooms and a protein of your choice, for example tofu steaks or salmon.

Try this for a light dessert (or tomorrow's breakfast). chia seed pudding garnished with almonds. It's a nutritious treat with “a tapioca-like texture and a mildly sweet flavor.”