Fuel up on pistachios this summer

The summer holidays have started and you may be getting ready for an adventure somewhere either here in the UK or abroad.

Whether you're going to be hiking, biking, boating, beaching or just strolling around the shops, chances are you're going to be using a lot of energy - and probably more than you realise!

To keep your energy levels up, you may want to give pistachio nuts a try.

They already have a good reputation as a health food, being packed full of antioxidants that keep the risk of heart disease down.

But you maybe didn't know that they also contain a lot of protein, carbohydrate and vitamin B, making them idea for refuelling.

Here's why nutrition expert Dr Keri Glassman thinks you should be eating more of them this summer:

Pump up the protein – Use pistachios as body fuel. One half ounce of pistachios counts as one serving of protein, according to MyPlate. With a mix of protein, carbs and healthy fats, pistachios are the perfect pre- and post-workout snack.

Vacation in a nutshell –Stress can often deflate your energy. Give yourself some downtime and grab a handful of pistachios. Promising research suggests that eating pistachios may help lower stress, by lowering blood pressure.

No more guilty guessing – Save your shells and count them to make sure you're eating the right amount. What's the right serving size, you ask? You can snack on 49 pistachios – more than any other snack nut.

Filling your fuel tank – Pistachios are so delicious and packed with energy that you may want to eat the whole bag. Luckily, nature packages pistachios in their shell, which naturally slows down your consumption, helping to prevent you from overeating.

Orange you glad – Pistachios pack as much of a nutritious power punch as some of your favourite fruits and veggies. Pistachios have as much potassium (300mg, 8%) as an orange (250mg, 7%) and as much fiber (2.9g, 12%) as half a cup of cooked broccoli (2.5g, 10%).