4 powerful reasons to pop some pistachios now (slideshow)

1. Pistachios: high-protein health in a tiny package

When I was growing up, I remember going to the vending machine outside our neighborhood candy store, putting in my quarter and getting a handful of red-shelled pistachio nuts.

But pistachios are not naturally red. Their shells are white. So, what gives here?

At that time, pistachios were mostly imported from the Middle East, where harvesting methods left stains on the shells, and red dye covered those stains.

Today, most of the pistachios sold in the U.S. are grown in California, where nuts are picked, hulled and dried before the shell can become stained. No need for red dye #2!

The flavor of the pistachio is somewhere between fruity and nutty. After all, when peeled, it does resemble a small version of its cousin, the mango.

A serving of pistachio nut kernels has virtually the same amount of protein as an egg (5.7 gr compared to an egg’s 6 gr).

Pistachios are also rich in minerals that are hard to find in produce:

• Vitamin B6 – 25% RDA (recommended daily allowance)
• Copper – 20% RDV (recommended daily value)
• Phosphorous – 14% RDV
• Manganese – 17% RDV
• Potassium – 8.3% DV
• Magnesium-8.5% DV
• Iron – 6.1% DV
• Zinc – 4% DV

Read: Build muscle and lose weight with more protein