| Health Benefits of Walnuts and Almonds (Plus Recipes) |
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| by Charles Stuart Platkin | |
| Monday, 03 March 2008 | |
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[ DietDetective.com Podcast: Listen to the podcast here and subscribe here free if you have iTunes ] [ To Download This Podcast as an MP3 file Right Click Here. Select "Save Target As" and Save on Your Desktop. ] Walnuts
Nutrients: Walnuts contain many essential vitamins and minerals. A 1-ounce serving is a good source of phosphorus and magnesium and an excellent source of copper. There are also 2 grams of fiber and a decent percentage of niacin, thiamine, vitamin B6, vitamin E, zinc and potassium.
Purchasing: Fresh walnuts taste — and smell — sweet and mildly nutty. They are most readily available during the fall and winter months. Storage: When walnuts are harvested, they are kept in cool, dry storage until they are shipped to retail stores. They are rich in polyunsaturated fat, which, when exposed to heat, oxidizes quickly, so shelled or chopped walnuts should be stored in a sealed container away from sunlight and in a cool, dry place. Refrigerator storage is good, but if you have larger quantities, freezer storage is best. Walnuts from opened packages keep well for up to six months when they are refrigerated in sealed containers, or for up to a year in the freezer.
- 2 heads butter, Boston or bibb lettuce - 1/2 pound green beans, ends trimmed - 2 shallots, minced - 1/8 teaspoon each dried rosemary and thyme - 1/8 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper - 12 shiitake (or any large domestic) mushrooms, stems removed - 1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded fat-free Cheddar cheese, loosely packed - 1/2 cup coarsely chopped California walnuts - 1 lemon, cut into wedges - 2 small tomatoes, quartered (Roma preferred) - 1/2 cup fat-free dressing
- Clean, core and carefully separate leaves of lettuce. Place in a large mixing bowl, cover with a damp cloth and chill. - Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Fill a large bowl with ice water. Cut green beans into 1/2-inch diagonals and blanch in boiling water for 30 seconds. Using tongs or a slotted spoon, transfer green beans from boiling water to ice water. Drain; set aside. (OR combine green beans with 2 tablespoons water on a microwave-safe platter; cover with vented plastic wrap. Microwave on high 3 to 4 minutes, stirring once.) - Combine shallots, herbs and pepper in a small bowl. Add mushrooms; let marinate for 5-10 minutes. - Grill mushrooms over a hot grill, 2 minutes on each side. (Mushrooms may be broiled if no grill is accessible.) Remove from heat. Let cool 2-3 minutes. - Arrange bibb lettuce "cups" on four plates. Place grilled mushrooms in each lettuce cup; add green beans. - Top with shredded cheese and chopped walnuts. Garnish each salad with a lemon wedge and 2 tomato quarters. - Serve with fat-free dressing. Nutrition Information: (per serving) 237 calories, 10.5g fat, 32g carbs, 9g protein, 6g fiber, 588mg sodium (Recipe Source: California Walnut Commission)
Why: Almonds are available in more forms than any other nut. For any course and ethnic cuisine, there’s bound to be an appropriate form or culinary technique. Actually the seeds of the almond tree, they are delicious whether you eat them alone as a snack or sliced as a tasty accent in your food. Nutrients: A handful (about 1 ounce) is an excellent source of vitamin E and magnesium, a good source of protein, riboflavin and fiber, and also offers significant quantities of potassium, calcium, phosphorous, iron and monounsaturated fat. Health Perks: An analysis of seven clinical studies found that eating 1 ounce of almonds daily as part of a healthy lifestyle lowers LDL cholesterol, thereby reducing the risk of heart disease. Additionally, other studies have shown that higher intakes of magnesium-rich foods like almonds may help maintain blood sugar and insulin levels, particularly after eating a carbohydrate-rich meal. Nutrition Stats: (1 ounce, 23 whole almonds) 164 calories, 14.36g fat, 5.6g carbs, 6g protein, 3.3g fiber Purchasing: If you want long-lasting almonds, buy those that are still in the shell or in a sealed container (and make sure they don’t contain any added ingredients). Keep in mind that there are bitter and sweet almonds. Those typically found in stores are from California and are almost always sweet. Storage: Store under cool and dry conditions in an airtight container. Avoid exposure to strong odors as almonds can absorb odors from other materials if exposed for prolonged periods. Almonds can stored be for about two years with no significant loss in quality.
- ¼ cup whole almonds - 1 cup sliced, skinless chicken breast, cooked without salt - ½ cup dried apricot quarters - 1 celery stalk, chopped - ½ cup fat-free plain yogurt - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro - 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard - 1 teaspoon honey - 2 whole-wheat pitas, cut in half
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. - Place almonds on a baking sheet and roast for 7-8 minutes. - Remove from oven and let cool. In a bowl, mix almonds and all remaining ingredients except pitas. - Spoon ½ cup chicken salad into each whole-wheat pita half. - May be served with mixed greens.
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written by Peggy, March 17, 2008
I use chopped walnuts and toasted whole almonds every day. I buy a smaller bag of the chopped walnuts on the baking isle and raw shelled almonds in the produce area of the grocery store. I toast my own almonds, I toast mine a 300 degrees for 30 minutes. I cool the almonds and mix with the chopped walnuts and store in the large saved yogurt containers. These nuts go on my steel ground oatmeal in the morning, on my pear and cottage cheese salad at lunch and on a snack of yogurt and fruit in the evening.
... written by Sheila, March 05, 2008
For optimal health value, eat all nuts and seeds RAW, thereby not adding unhealthful roasting fat and/or sodium to your intake.
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| Last Updated ( Monday, 17 March 2008 ) |
This is part of a continuing series exploring nuts as nutrition powerhouses. Here we explore walnuts and almonds. 
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what foods lower cholesterol and do not impact the thyroid?