It’s Nuts!

Food and Nutrition Magazine (Jan/Feb 2013) reports that Tree Nuts have a mountain of evidence showing that they are nutritious and that they are recommended as part of a healthy diet. The US Food & Drug Administration has approved a “Qualified Health” claim that states: 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. To get health benefits from nuts (fiber, protein, healthy fat, vitamins, mineral, and antioxidants), remember portion size! There are 160-200 calories per ounce. Substitute nuts for other foods in the diet (especially those that are high in saturated fat). Do it with one or 2 ounces daily.

Their benefits are NOT all in one nutshell. Each type is unique in terms of nutrients, taste, texture, origin, and culinary uses.

Here we are cracking open the good information per ounce….

• Almonds:  Eat 23 each for Vitamin E & Folate, Calcium & Magnesium…. They’re versatile:  eat whole, sliced, blanched, process to make flour/paste/butter….  California provides 80% of the world’s supply! ….Enjoy in savory dishes globally.
• Brazil Nuts:  Eat 6 each for Poly & Mono- (unsaturated) Fats & a full day supply of Selenium….  They’re a rich & creamy texture….  They grow wild on trees in the Amazon Rain Forests…..  Great for snacks:  raw or roasted.  Used for sweet recipes.
• Cashews:  Eat 18 each for an excellent source of Copper & Magnesium….  They’re sweet, soft, & delicate….  Native to South America, but introduced by colonists to Africa & India…. Great snacks:  raw or roasted.  Used in Asian recipes to make rich, creamy nut butter or vegan cheese.
• Hazelnuts:  Eat 21 each (aka “filberts”) for Vitamin E, Copper, Manganese, & Monounsaturated Fats….  They’re available in-shell, whole, diced, sliced…..  They originate from Turkey, Italy, & Greece.  They pair well with savory, citrus, & sweet flavors (chocolate).  They are used in sweet recipes.
• Macadamias:  Eat 10-12 each for an excellent source of Manganese.  17 of their 22grams of fat are Monounsaturated….  Rich & buttery with a smooth texture:  snack raw or roasted….  Native to subtropical rain forests of Australia…. Bake into cookies or coat with chocolate.
• Pecans:  Eat 19 halves for Antioxidants & Monounsaturated Fats….   They are sweet and mellow in flavor with a meaty texture….. They are native to south-central North America…. Put them in salads, on fish to coat, in pralines & pecan pie.
• Pine Nuts:  Eat 49 each for a good source of Vitamin E & Phosphorus…  they’re soft…. They grow everywhere from Asia to Europe to North America….  They’re found in Italian Cuisine (pesto), salads, sautes, breads, and baked goods.
• Pistachios:  Eat 49 each for a Antioxidants (lutein & zeaxanthin)… They’re bright-colored… They originate from the Middle East…..  Put them in salads, grain dishes, coat meats with them, make baklava, halvah or ma’amoul.
• Walnuts:  Eat 14 halves for Antioxidants and an excellent source of Alpha-Linolenic Acid (plant Omega 3)….. they’re groovy….  they’re Mediterranean….  Stir fry them, put them in salads, oatmeal, season sweet or hot.