Instead of looking in the cupboard or pantry for a bag of potato chips to curb your appetite, I suggest reaching for a handful of almonds. This wonderful food may help lower risk of heart disease and it may also reduce cholesterol levels. Don’t talk yourself into passing over that handful of nuts because you think they are high in fat and calories. It would be silly to not eat almonds because they’re one of the most concentrated, easy-to-eat sources of energy and nutrients out there.

Almonds contain 13 grams of fat per ounce. But don’t get scared yet, that fat is 87 percent monounsaturated fat, which is the kind that helps lower cholesterol and that means it may protect you against heart disease. Almonds offer other heart-protecting things as well. Almonds are high in vitamin E, which helps fight artery-clogging plaque, which in turn reduces your risk of high blood pressure, heart attacks, and stroke. You can get so much vitamin E in just one day, it makes sense to eat one ounce. A few almonds also provide some protein and other nutrients. Almonds are 20 percent protein. Last but not least, almond oil is a wonderful skin soother.