4 Reasons Pistachios Belong in Your Pantry

I received free pistachio samples from the Pistachio Health Institute mentioned in this post. By posting this pairing I am entering a contest sponsored by Pistachio Health Institute and am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. I was not compensated for my time.

Here’s the response I got from my son the day I opened the in-shell pistachio bag: “Mom, where have these been all my life?”. Now, “all my life” equals 10 years, but I had to laugh when he said this because I too had not had them in my 35 years! But that has now changed forever. In-shell pistachios are a new favorite snack in our kitchen.

Here are four reasons why they will have a permanent place in my pantry:

1. I love salty snacks in a smart way. There are a few people in our house who will remain nameless (i.e. me) that can’t seem to get enough salty snacks. I’ve also passed that gene onto my daughter. But we now have a way to have a satisfying snack that not only contains heart-healthy fats but also satisfying protein.
2. A serving is 49 nuts! What food can you eat 49 of and call it a serving? In-shell pistachios. And they boast 3 grams of fiber and 6 grams of protein in that same serving. (Plus a good boost of potassium).
3. In-shell pistachios mean there are shells on the pistachios. Don’t let that deter you – it’s actually been studied to show that when you see those empty shells it serves as a visual cue of how many you’ve eaten. Great for my son who just LOVES them.
4. By eating in-shell pistachios, we are supporting American farmers. A pistachio orchard takes 5-7 years to produce a crop, and the trees have a very long lifespan. What this means is that each orchard is planted with future farmers in mind – a living legacy. California produces 98% of the pistachio crop for our nation.

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So what’s my perfect kid-friendly, in-shell pistachio pairing?

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In-shell pistachios + strawberries + dark chocolate = a perfect snack. And the perfect beverage? Milk (here’s why).

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And it’s what we ate after our first time cross-country skiing today as a family (for 3 hours!). We needed a power-up that included protein, fruit and a little sweet carbohydrate to replenish our muscles, and our in-shell pistachios perfect pairing was seriously the best.

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What’s your favorite way to pair in-shell pistachios?  Here are some fun ways from other registered dietitians:

And visit www.pistachiohealthinstitute.org and www.americanpistachios.org for pistachio information, recipes and ideas.

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