Are Baked Almonds With Sea Salt Good for You?

Consuming almonds as part of a balanced diet promotes life-long health and lowers your cholesterol, notes Harvard Health Publications, released by Harvard Medical School. While sea salt adds little to the nutritional value of your snack -- it's nutritionally equivalent to table salt, according to the University of Missouri Extension -- baked almonds with sea salt provide essential nutrients and benefit your health. Enjoy them on their own, or add baked almonds with sea salt to leafy green salads or vegetable wraps.

A 1-ounce serving of baked almonds with sea salt contains 169 calories and 15 grams of fat. This fat, made up of unsaturated fatty acids, help lower your cholesterol levels, benefiting your cardiovascular health. Each ounce of baked almonds also contains 6 grams of protein, which nourishes your muscles, bones and skin, and 3.1 grams of dietary fiber, a type of carbohydrate that promotes digestive health. The beneficial fiber in baked almonds also aids in weight control, fights Type 2 diabetes and lowers your risk of heart disease.

Baked almonds with sea salt benefit your health because of their vitamin content. They provide a particularly rich source of vitamin E, with each ounce containing 45 percent of the recommended daily intake, according to the Institute of Medicine. Vitamin E aids in red blood cell production and also acts as an antioxidant, preventing damage to your tissues caused by free radicals. Baked almonds and sea salt also provide a small amount of choline -- a nutrient important for cognitive functioning -- as well as several B-complex vitamins that you need to fuel your metabolism.

You'll also boost your intake of essential minerals -- particularly magnesium and copper -- by consuming baked almonds with sea salt. Magnesium contributes to healthy bone tissue and both magnesium and copper help your cells produce energy. Copper also maintains your immune system and contributes to healthy nerve function. A serving of baked almonds contains 80 milligrams of magnesium and 315 micrograms of copper. This makes up 19 percent of the daily magnesium requirements for men and 25 percent for women, as well as 35 percent of the daily recommended copper intake for both men and women, according to the Institute of Medicine.

Baked almonds with sea salt contain a moderate amount of sodium -- 186 milligrams, or 12 percent of your daily sodium allowance, set by the Institute of Medicine. You can further limit your salt intake without reducing your intake of other nutrients by simply foregoing the sea salt. In its place, try seasoning your baked almonds with a mix of cocoa powder and cinnamon, or make spicy almonds by adding cayenne pepper and lime juice.