The Pistachio Principle: Fool Yourself Full – Healthy Snacking Tips

You can enjoy about 30 pistachio kernels for 100 calories.¹

This April, play a prank on your appetite and fool yourself full with pistachios!

With key messages provided by Pistachio Health Institute, I’m sharing four tips and inspiration for healthful snacking ideas using pistachios either solo or paired with fruit.

TIP 1: For entertaining or social gatherings, portion out pistachios and dried fruit (like dried cranberries, sour cherries, etc.) in cupcake/muffin paper liners and display as you would baked good treats. The paper liners make it easy for guests to transport and enjoy their own individual servings. Extra added bonus for you and your guests…about 30 pistachios equals a mere 100 calories.¹

Eat This (pistachios), Not That (chips and other fattening alternatives) for a smart snack paired with complimentary fruit.

TIP 2: Who doesn’t enjoy a snack while watching their favorite television show or movie? Opt for pistachios paired with fresh mandarins, tangerines or oranges. That salty sweet combination is irresistible! The pistachios offer a good source of protein and fiber.¹

• Pistachios are one of the lowest calorie snack nuts. For every one-ounce serving, pistachios offer about 49 nuts per serving; peanuts offer just 28, cashews offer just 18, and walnuts, 14 halves and 23 almonds in the same 30g serving. Pistachios are known as the “Skinny Nut™” for a reason!¹
• Eat pistachios, not chips for a smart snack. Unlike potato chips, pistachios offer a good source of protein and fiber, with over three times as many pieces per serving. Pistachios give you 49 nuts per serving; compare that to just 15 potato chips per serving (and who eats just 15 potato chips?)¹
• You can enjoy about 30 pistachio kernels for only 100 calories!¹

Snackers who left discarded pistachio shells on their desk throughout the day cut calorie consumption of pistachios by 18% compared to those who routinely cleared away the shells.

TIP 3: While studying or enjoying your new or favorite book, enjoy a serving of pistachios. Fool yourself full with visual cues of discarded pistachio shells on your desk while eating to possibly slow eating and reducing calorie intake.^2,3

• The “Pistachio Principle” is a simple mindful eating concept that may help you “fool yourself full” – without feelings of deprivation. Dr. James Painter completed two preliminary behavioral studies that suggest that individuals could reduce their overall calorie consumption without consciously restricting their diets. ^{2, 3}
• The premise is that consumption of in-shell pistachios encourages slower eating while the leftover shells offer an important visual cue about the amount consumed; thereby, helping to reduce calorie intake.^{2, 3} The technique is further enhanced by the fact that pistachios are one of the lowest calorie and among the highest fiber snack nuts.¹
  • Illustrating the “Pistachio Principle,” Dr. Painter’s research found that participants who consumed in-shell pistachios ate 41 percent fewer calories compared to those who consumed shelled pistachios. Those who chose shelled pistachios consumed an average of 211 calories, while those who chose in-shell pistachios consumed an average of 125 calories.^{2, 3}
  • In a second preliminary study – Dr. Painter found that snackers who left discarded pistachio shells on their desk throughout the day cut their calorie consumption of pistachios by 18 percent compared to those who routinely cleared away their nut shells.
  • In-Shell Snacks Provide Visual Cues and may Slow Consumption: The premise is that consumption of in-shell pistachios may help to slow eating when compared to shelled pistachios because the leftover shells may offer an important visual cue about the amount consumed; thereby potentially reducing calorie intake.^{2, 3}

Pistachios are one of the lowest calorie and among the highest fiber snack nuts. Serve Pistachios in Nut and Party Cups for portion control!

TIP 4: Setting out nibbles? Portion control it using nut and candy cups. Nut and candy cups can be found in a myriad of colors and designs to fit most any occasion or just use plain white ones (pictured here).

Pistachios are a low calorie snack nut. For every 1-ounce serving, pistachios offer about 49 nuts per serving; peanuts offer just 28, cashews offer just 18, and walnuts, 14 halves and 23 almonds in the same 30g serving.¹ A reason why pistachios are known as the “Skinny Nut!™”

• REDUCE THE SIZE OF PLATES, BOWLS AND GLASSES
  Eat from smaller bowls, which may help you eat less and still feel satisfied. Additionally, drink from tall, slender glasses rather than short, wide glasses which may make you feel fuller on fewer calories.
• BUY SMALLER PORTIONS
  Purchase single-serving chips and small-size candy bars in place of family-size bags. A study suggests that the large package size increases caloric consumption by an average of 22 percent.
• CONSIDER ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS
  According to Dr. Painter, bright lighting and fast music may encourage you to eat faster and consume more calories. One study suggests that when participants were instructed to eat at a fast or slow rate, consuming food at the slow rate helped participants achieve satiation quicker with less food. This suggests that slow eating may prevent excessive food consumption.

• TIP 1: For entertaining or social gatherings, portion out pistachios and dried fruit (like dried cranberries, sour cherries, etc.) in cupcake/muffin paper liners and display as you would baked good treats. The paper liners make it easy for guests to transport and enjoy their own individual servings. Extra added bonus for you and your guests…about 30 pistachios equals a mere 100 calories.¹
• TIP 2: Who doesn’t enjoy a snack while watching their favorite television show or movie? Opt for pistachios paired with fresh mandarins, tangerines or oranges. That salty sweet combination is irresistible! The pistachios offer a good source of protein and fiber.¹
• TIP 3: While studying or enjoying your new or favorite book, enjoy a serving of pistachios. Fool yourself full with visual cues of discarded pistachio shells on your desk while eating to possibly slow eating and reducing calorie intake.^2,3
• TIP 4: Setting out nibbles? Portion control it using nut and candy cups. Nut and candy cups can be found in a myriad of colors and designs to fit most any occasion or just use plain white ones (pictured here). Pistachios are a low calorie snack nut. For every 1-ounce serving, pistachios offer about 49 nuts per serving; peanuts offer just 28, cashews offer just 18, and walnuts, 14 halves and 23 almonds in the same 30g serving.¹ A reason why pistachios are known as the “Skinny Nut!™”

See footnotes for sources.

→ Enter to win a year’s supply of Pistachios from the Pistachio Health Institute’s sweepstakes on their Facebook page

No purchase or payment of any kind necessary to participate!

• Citrus-EVOO Spring Salad Mix w/Kale Sprouts, Ojai Pixies & Sugared Pistachios
• Chocolate covered frozen Banana Bon-Bons with Pistachios
• Fig, Goat Cheese, Pistachios w/Honey Crostinis
• Ricotta Stuffed Fresh Figs with Pistachios and Honey
• Cranberry, Pistachio Biscotti (Cantuccini)
• Pistachio Raspberry Tea Cakes
• Cherry-Pistachio Tea Cakes
• Chai-Spiced, Pistachio Marshmallows
• Peach and Pistachio Cobbler
• Homemade Cannoli

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.