October 26, 2010 | 2 minute read

How can a high-fat food be part of a healthy diet? When it’s a nut. Nuts have unsaturated fats that are high in calories but healthy for your heart. Today’s Health-e-Recipe for Almond Fig Bars was devised to give you maximum taste and nutrition in each bite so you’re satisfied without eating too many.

That’s a tall order, but the orange zest and almond extract give these chewy bars rich flavor, while the dried figs provide natural sweetness. The figs and whole-wheat flour provide more dietary fiber than you’d usually get in a small serving of most baked goods, while the almonds offer crunch, protein and vitamin E.

Although they are high in fat, almonds and other nuts are nutritious foods. The omega-3 fats in walnuts made headlines for possible cancer prevention. With nuts, just rein in your serving size. For almonds, 23 whole nuts equal a 1-ounce serving and have 163 calories and 14 grams of fat.

Chopped or slivered nuts can be toasted to bring out their flavor so you only need to add a small amount to a recipe: place a tablespoon-full in a dry skillet over medium-high heat and stir constantly for 2 minutes until they are fragrant and golden — then toss them into salad, cereal, smoothies, soups, whole grains and steamed vegetables. Test your nut knowledge by taking our quiz. Click here to subscribe to weekly Health-e-Recipes from AICR’s Test Kitchen.