California—once the destination for gold nuggets—is now celebrated as the grower of a nutritional nugget, the almond. According to the Food and Drug Administration, eating 1.5 ounces of almonds daily (about 1/3 cup or 34 almonds) may help reduce the risk of heart disease as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol.

At 246 calories and 22 grams of fat per 1.5 ounces (honey-roasted and specialty-coated nuts are higher in calories), almonds provide the antioxidant vitamin E, high-quality protein, magnesium, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, iron, folic acid, zinc, and copper. Almonds also are a good source of other plant phytochemicals, which may protect against heart disease, cancer, and other chronic diseases.

For those following American Dietetic Association exchange guidelines, a serving of almonds is six whole dry-roasted nuts, which equals 1 fat exchange, 45 calories, and 5 grams of fat. Almonds are low in saturated fat, cholesterol free, and a good source of dietary fiber.

Recent studies show that increasing levels of monounsaturated fat in the diet can help lower LDL (“bad” cholesterol) and maintain HDL (“good” cholesterol).

So now it’s time to add almonds to your diet. You need look no further than the local grocery store. Walk down any aisle, and almonds are present in one form or another—even in unlikely places. They top breads and pastries in the bakery, are in meatless burgers and ice cream in the frozen food section, and are available in bulk in the produce section. You can toss whole, toasted almonds into a vegetable stir-fry, garnish steamed fish with sliced almonds, or add slivered almonds to your favorite salad instead of croutons for a healthful crunch.

It’s worth the effort to toast almonds for extra flavor. To toast almonds, preheat the oven to 350°F. Spread the almonds in a single layer on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake 5 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally or until the nuts are lightly browned. Remove from the oven and cool.

A note: A small percentage of the population is allergic to tree nuts; this includes almonds. If you have nut allergies, avoid eating almonds.