Like most people, we like snacks. They may not be excellent for the waistline, but when you’re hungry between meals, you reach for things. The important thing is to reach for healthy foods. Cookies and chips can be harmful to your health — including your heart health. If you’re peckish, go for something better, almonds can be delicious, satiating and good for your heart!

We have written about the health benefits of walnuts before. But, today, we are looking at another heart-healthy nut: almonds. Almonds can help protect you against heart disease by keeping blood vessels healthy. They improve blood flow, lower blood pressure and increase antioxidant levels in the blood. Those antioxidants can prevent blood vessel damage from free radicals. Multiple studies with people of various ages, health level and backgrounds have shown that almonds may help people across the board. Almonds have been proven in other studies to lower “bad” cholesterol levels and belly fat. Additional studies have found that almonds reduce the risk of blood clots.

Almonds, and indeed all nuts, are quite a calorific snack, so it’s essential to pay attention to serving sizes. One ounce — around 24 nuts — has 161 calories, 6.1 grams of carbs, 3.4 grams of fiber, 13.8 grams of fat, 5.9 grams of protein and 19 percent of your daily magnesium and 32 percent of your manganese. The fat is monounsaturated — the kind doctors believe is good for heart health.

Almonds are much higher in calcium than more nuts. They have 75 milligrams per ounce. Making them an excellent treat for people seeking healthy bones. Additionally, the fat can aid sleep, helping your health overall.

Because of the fact that they pack fiber, protein and fat into one small package, they are highly satiating and can keep you going for a long time between meals. This may be why studies have found that people who enjoyed nuts regularly were less likely to gain weight than people who passed them over.

If you want to try almonds in a different way, you may wish to soak them overnight. Some (but not all) nutritionists believe that soaking them may increase their healthiness. After they have been soaked, it’s easy to remove the skin of the almond. That makes them easier for your body to digest and absorb all the nutrients. They also become much softer, so if you worry about your teeth or like trying new textures, you might enjoy them more.

We’re not big fans of soaking almonds because we like the crunch, but we are all for you trying out new ways to enjoy the nut today! Working almonds into your diet can be a tasty way to boost heart health.