WASHINGTON -- Federal officials are letting some kinds of nut packages claim that the products can be good for your heart.

The claims are being allowed under the Food and Drug Administration's looser restrictions on evidence required for a health claim. The new "qualified health claims" replace a standard of strict scientific proof.

SURVEY Do you eat nuts? Yes, all the time Yes, now and then No, never Results  |  Disclaimer

The first application of those rules affects almonds, hazelnuts, pecans, pistachios, walnuts and peanuts.

Packages can say: "Scientific evidence suggests but does not prove that eating 1.5 ounces per day of most nuts as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol may reduce the risk of heart disease." A handful is about 1.5 ounces.

The authorization may come as a surprise to some people who believe nuts are too fatty to have significant health benefits, but the FDA stopped short of approving the packaging for the fattiest nuts, such as macadamias.

Recent studies have found that substituting foods high in fat with those containing unsaturated fats -- such as in some types of nuts -- promotes heart health. The American Heart Association supports the findings.

However, critics at some consumer groups said it's not clear that people will understand that the heart benefits are not proved.