Almost 60% of Americans regularly eat cookies and chips for snacks. In fact, they eat something like 2 billion cookies — 300 per person — and around 1.85 billion pounds of potato chips, or about 6.6 pounds per person, every year.

No wonder we have a diabetes and obesity epidemic.

Let me introduce you to a really tasty snack that will make you healthier one handful at a time: the almond.

A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition looked at the impact of eating ground or whole almonds on the gut health of people who didn't get much dietary fiber and ate lots of chips and other snack foods. Some participants ate 2 ounces of whole almonds a day, some ate 2 ounces of ground almonds, and the control group ate a muffin.

It turns out the fiber, fatty acids, potassium, and other nutrients in almonds increase the level of a short-chain fatty acid called butyrate in your gut. Butyrate's job is to provide fuel to cells lining your colon.

And when those cells are happy, your gut microbiome is healthier, you absorb more nutrients, and you have less intestinal inflammation. That's good for your immune system, glucose management, and even emotional health.

The almond eaters also had 1.5 more bowel movements weekly -- indicating almonds may ease constipation.

Sprinkle ground almonds over your stir-fried veggies and chicken, eat a handful for an afternoon snack, or add them to your salads.

Walnuts and other tree nuts are also great choices.