With a keen eye out for new healthy recipes to try it seems nuts have become the new black. Regarded once as a taboo food in regards to weight loss diets due to a high-fat content, nuts are now included in breakfast, lunch, dinner and everything else in between.
Nuts have really come of age as people have discovered how versatile they really are. Vegans love nuts for their high protein content, celiacs grind them to use as flour and dairy intolerants drink the milk. Nuts are now regarded as one of the better snack foods as they help with consistent blood sugar levels and maintain satiety via protein.
I love nuts, and consider them to be one of my vice’s. Cashews rate as my favourite but as with anything if they are overeaten on a daily basis the calories will pile up. They are a top source of dietary fibre, include heaps of essential nutrients with vitamins B, E, the minerals iron, zinc, potassium and magnesium and antioxidants such as resveratrol.
Even though nuts are high in fat, they are low in saturated fat so they are considered good for your heart and arteries. A small handful (about 30gms) is the recommended daily intake and to provide you with all the health benefits
30 g of nuts corresponds to approximately:
+ 20 almonds
+ 15 cashews
+ 20 hazelnuts
+ 15 macadamias
+ 15 pecans
+ 2 tbsp pine nuts
+ 60 pistachios in shells (30 g of kernels)
+ 10 whole walnuts or 20 walnut halves
+ a small handful of mixed nuts
Unfortunately peanut butter (or Nutella;) doesn’t really count unless it is in its pure form and freshly ground without the added sugar and salt.
A few recipes that I have included nuts into are my strawberry, goji berry crumble slice, cocao date chia seed balls and muesli biscuits,
* Of course, there are also the problems associated with nut allergies, so we need to be mindful when around others or serving at parties.
What are your favourite nuts? Do you have any great recipes to share with nuts included?
