We test three nutty snacks and cereals which claim to put a spring in your step

EATING a handful of nuts daily is linked to a 17 per cent lower risk of depression, says a new study.

Phytochemicals they contain are associated with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, which are also linked to improved mental health.

This tastes delightful and you can really pick up the apple pieces and the cinnamon.[/caption]

In the study, 13,000 people ate 30g of assorted nuts a day and it found they were less likely to get depression.

Jane Atkinson looks at food crammed with nuts that could lift your mood.

Nutty cereal

IF you want a cereal that is going to put a spring in your step on a morning, this is great.

Bio & Me is a company that focuses on gut health and its Apple and Cinnamon, Super Seedy & Nutty granola does just that.

It contains 13 plant-based foods and prebiotics including carrot, chicory root, dates, linseeds, extra virgin olive oil, brown rice, pumpkin and sunflower seeds, quinoa and oats. The nuts are skin-on almonds, which contain protein, magnesium, and vitamin E.

This tastes delightful and you can really pick up the apple pieces and the cinnamon.

I also love munching on it as a snack without milk.

£3.95, Sainsbury’s.

Nutty butter

THERE are hundreds of nut butters on the market but a lot of them also have added oil, sugar, salt and preservatives.

If you want one that doesn’t, try Meridian. Its plain, smooth peanut butter is 100 per cent nuts.

It roasts the whole peanut in their skins and either crush or grind them depending on how smooth they are to be.

They are 30 per cent protein and 46 per cent fat. But it is a “good” fat and mainly something called oleic acid, which maintains good cholesterol, blood sugar and blood pressure.

Combined, this can lower heart-disease risk.

You have got to mix the oil back into the butter when you open it but it is worth the hassle.

This tastes great. It is so pure that I even give this to my dog as a treat. I will keep buying it.

£10.79 for a 1kg tub, shop.meridianfoods.co.uk.

Nutty snack

Handout

KIND Snacks has just launched its chocolate chip cashew bar – a combination of cashews, almonds and peanuts, topped with chocolate chips.

This tastes amazing, with dark chocolate and richness running through it.

But I was pleasantly surprised to discover it is made with a whopping 81 per cent nuts. If you look at the label, the main ingredients are cashews – at 30 per cent – then almonds at 22 per cent and peanuts at 29 per cent.

There are plant-based sugars, honey, glucose syrup and chocolate too.

But as snack bars go, this is healthy and has 226 calories per 40g bar.

£1.40, waitrose.com.