It's called “brain food” for a reason.

We’ve all been there: it’s the middle of the afternoon energy-slump, when your lunch fuel has worn off and you’ve still got two or more hours before it’s quitting time. Sure, you could grab a cup of coffee, but at this hour? Good luck getting to sleep before midnight!

There’s a better energy boost — it’s good for your heart and it won’t leave you with the jitters. A quick snack high in good fats, plant-based protein, and fiber-rich carbohydrates will kick up your energy and productivity — and we’re happy to report that our premium nuts fit the bill perfectly.

A handful of our healthy candied nuts is a perfect way to treat yourself without wrecking the rest of your day with a major sugar crash. Take our delicious Cocoa Almonds, for example: not only do they have WAY less sugar than a cafe mocha (4 grams of cane sugar versus 35 grams of sugar in a 16-oz mocha). Even a plain-old 16-oz cappuccino with 2% milk has four times as much sugar as our candied walnuts.

But wait, there’s more: according to a study published in The FASEB Journal, nuts are a smart choice that can make you even smarter — eating nuts can improve brain function by strengthening your actual brain waves.

“This study provides significant beneficial findings by demonstrating that nuts are as good for your brain as they are for the rest of your body,” wrote the study’s lead scientist, Dr. Lee Berk.

The study showed that eating antioxidant-rich pecans and walnuts resulted in the highest Gamma brain wave band frequencies (those observed when the brain is in a state of concentration and problem-solving). Multiple other studies have shown that a nut-rich diet is associated with lower rates of cognitive decline as we age, and that individuals at higher risk of dementia and Altzheimer’s disease can even stave off mental decline by adding nuts to their diet.

Thanks to their high polyphenol levels, walnuts were found to have the strongest effects, and not just in older folks; a review of data published in Advances in Nutrition found evidence that eating walnuts improved brain function in adults of all ages.

So if you’re looking for an energy boost to improve your productivity, that’s as good for your brain as it is your heart — and best of all, that tastes like a treat! — there’s no better pick-me-up than nuts.