February 6, 2009

Numbers Game: Answer

One ounce of dry roasted almonds contains 5 more calories than one ounce of raw almonds.

Remember, the dry roasting process does not add any fat.

The additional five calories are
most likely due to slight changes in nutrient composition as a result of exposure to heat.

Vitamin and mineral contents are also identical, so the "raw versus roasted" question has a very simple answer: eat whichever type you enjoy most.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

It's possible that the heating process breaks down certain components that would have been indigestible in their raw state. I've never studied the problem, but it's a guess. Personally I prefer them raw, but almonds are fantastic in any form.

Andy Bellatti said...

Luise,

I have seen some (although very little) research showing that certain nuts are better when they are lightly roasted as it allows for better digestion.

Almonds, however, offer the exact same properties whether raw or roasted.

I prefer them raw as well (i.e: in yogurt or even just snacked on).

The issue with some roasted almonds is that they add on lots of empty calories in the form of sugar or syrups.

Anonymous said...

do you think that the 5 cal. difference could be due to a loss of water, so that the ounce of dry roasted contains more almonds than the ounce of raw?

Andy Bellatti said...

Christine,

Absolutely.