Mauna Loa Dry Roasted Macadamia Nuts with Sea Salt

I didn’t always like macadamia nuts. Actually, I didn’t like them because I had never tried them. This was before I became a low carb dieter. Macadamias have changed my life – for the BETTER! They are now my favorite low carb snack.

I knew they were exotic. I knew they were from Hawaii. I knew they were expensive. And I knew they were full of fat. That was before I knew fat was good for us.

The first time I associated macadamia nuts with the low carb lifestyle was when I read Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution. If I remember correctly, macadamia nuts were his favorite low carb snack. He loved the taste, he loved the texture, he loved the fat (especially the healthy saturated fat). And now I do too.

I finally tried them in 1999 and I was hooked. I was on my first trip to Hawaii (Waikiki to be exact) and I bought the smallest bag I could find in the ABC Store. Being in Hawaii, of course they were from Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Corp. I took the bag of macadamias, water and magazines I had bought and headed for the beach.

The photo on the Mauna Loa bag showed large macadamia nuts – some whole, some half, and of course palm trees and the ocean in the background. I think I started to crave them. I mean REALLY crave them. I knew it was a little tough to find a low carb snack in Hawaii so I was thrilled to find them so easily. Once I got comfortable I tore into the bag. They were Dry Roasted Macadamias with Sea Salt and they were awesome. Maybe a little salty but such a distinct flavor. Dr. Atkins was right, I was in love with macadamia nuts and I had a new favorite low carb snack.

I know I ate too many that day (and for the rest of the trip) so I knew I had to be careful. All nuts like peanuts, almonds, and pecans are trigger foods for me – foods I can’t control my craving for so even though they were low carb friendly, I needed to ration them from now on. This high fat low carb snack was going to make a great vacation even better.

Now, I don’t always eat macadamia nuts, but when I do, I have Mauna Loa Dry Roasted Macadamias with Sea Salt, and I portion control them with the EatSmart Precision Pro – Multifunction Digital Kitchen Scale.

Mauna Loa Dry Roasted Macadamias with Sea Salt
Nutrition Facts

• Serving Size 1/4 cup (28 g)
• Servings Per Container (varies)
• Calories 230
•   Calories from Fat 200
• Total Fat 24g
•   Saturated Fat 3.5g
•   Trans Fat 0g
• Cholesterol 0mg
• Sodium 105mg
• Total Carbohydrate 4g**
•   Dietary Fiber 2g**
•   Sugars 1g
• Protein 2g

Ingredients: Macadamia nuts, salt.

**Net carbs as listed by the manufacturer on the package = 2g per serving.

Kosher