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Going Nuts
Going Nuts
For many years, nuts were considered a bad food choice. They were unhealthy people said: high in fat and high in calories. If you ate nuts, you were nuts!
How times change. Research now shows that not only are nuts a safe addition to everyone’s diet, but they’re actually good for you. Health and dietary organisations around the world now recommend nuts as a well-balanced source of essential nutrients, protein and fibre. And as for fat, yes, nuts are high in fat. But it’s the good kind, polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats, so nuts can reduce the risk of heart disease. Best of all, the latest research shows that nuts, as part of a balanced diet, can help weight loss because they’re the ideal snack to replace high sugar foods like cakes, sweets and pastries. Nuts are high in protein and fibre, so a snack or meal containing nuts will help you feel fuller for longer.
What’s so good about a nut?
Nuts are little nuggets of nutrition. Next time you feel like a snack, reach for a handful – you’ll be doing your health and your figure a favour. Nuts are full of:
Vitamin E
Essential in developing and maintaining strong cells, plays a major role in lowering the incidence of heart disease and certain cancers, great for glowing skin, healthy hair and is an extremely powerful anti-oxidant. A serving of mixed nuts provides more than 20 per cent of the recommended daily intake.
Potassium
Controls body fluid balance, muscle contraction and nerve impulse, regulates proper function of heart and kidneys. Pistachios, almonds and hazelnuts are highest in potassium.
Magnesium
Plays an important role in regulating heart activity, provides structure for the bones and functions in many enzyme systems. A serving* of Brazil nuts, almonds or cashews provides more than 75 per cent of the recommended daily intake for magnesium.
Phosphorus
A partner to calcium in the mineral structure of bones and teeth; combines with many B vitamins to form energy release factors.
Zinc
Heals wounds and cuts, provides hard structure of the bones, essential for normal taste, smell and sight, needed for sexual maturation and important during pregnancy. A third of a cup of cashews, almonds or pecans provides more than 15 per cent of the recommended daily intake.
Selenium (Brazil nuts)
Major antioxidant, protects cell membranes from oxidation, helps slow down ageing and hardening of tissues through oxidation and maintains a healthy heart. Selenium comes to us from the soil via plants, but soil in New Zealand and to a lesser extent, Australia is naturally low in this micronutrient. One Brazil nut contains the recommended daily intake of selenium, a great way to make sure you get enough of this nutrient in your diet.
Fibre
Dietary fibre helps to lower cholesterol and is essential for healthy bowel function. All nuts contribute fibre to the diet and eating foods rich in fibre helps to satisfy hunger for longer.
Omega-3s
Fatty acids that help protect against heart disease and diabetes. They are also important in the development of brain and visual function and are a potent anti-inflammatory. Walnuts and pistachios have the highest levels of omega-3s.
Arginine
An amino acid that helps to keep blood flowing smoothly through the blood vessels. It can slow the formation of blood clots and reduce the clogging of arteries that can reduce the risk of developing heart disease. Rich sources include almonds, Brazil nuts, walnuts, hazelnuts, pine nuts and pistachios.
Plant Sterols
Substances that reduce cholesterol absorption, which can lower risk of developing heart disease. Choose pistachios, cashews, almonds and pecans.
A serving of nuts is a small handful, approximately 1/3 of a cup.
Nuts to include in your healthy eating plan:
- Almonds
- Brazil Nuts
- Cashewss
- Hazelnuts
- Macadamias
- Pecans
- Pine nuts
- Pistachios
- Walnuts
- Chestnuts
- Mixed tree nuts
- Peanuts
Did you know?
A peanut is really a legume and grows underground like a potato. All other nuts grow on trees.
A daily nibble will help fight the war against:
- Arthritis
- Cancer
- Cholesterol
- Heart Disease
- Diabetes
Tips for including nuts in your diet
Raw nuts are healthy, but there are other ways to include the power of nuts in your diet. As kids, we all loved peanut butter and today there are many different kinds of nut spreads available, and they’re ideal for grown-ups. Nut spreads are delicious and convenient, but you don’t just have to use them on sandwiches, toast and biscuits. Try some of these options. Consider:
- Pistachio spread served on bruschetta or biscuits as an appetiser, or mixed with a little light sour cream or yoghurt as a dip
- Cashew spread stirred through a vegetarian or meat curry – this gives an authentic Indian flavour and naturally thickens the curry
- Macadamia spread blended with olive oil, basil and grated parmesan cheese, then stirred through spaghetti as an easy pesto pasta sauce
- Snack on plain, unsalted nuts throughout the day (look for raw or dry roasted nuts to avoid adding extra fat)
More ways you can enjoy nuts
- Sprinkle pine nuts or halved walnuts through a stir fry
- Roast hazelnuts or chestnuts and toss them through a salad
- Sprinkle crushed roasted hazelnuts onto a warming soup for winter
- Crush almonds over low fat yoghurt and fruit
- Sprinkle a handful of chopped macadamias or Brazil nuts over a wholegrain breakfast cereal
- Mix crushed pecans or pistachios with breadcrumbs and herbs for a tasty chicken stuffing
- Add slivered almonds to fresh Asian roll ups or rice paper rolls
Recipes using Nuts
Moroccan Almond Vegetables
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
- 75g (or ¾ cup) Blanched Almonds
- 1 Red Onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- 2 ¾ cups sweet potato, peeled and cut into chunks
- 415g (or similar weight can) chopped tomatoes
- 2 cups vegetable stock
- 3 ½ cups green beans, trimmed and cut in half
- 10-15 spinach leaves rinsed
- Salt, freshly ground pepper or chilli flakes
Directions
Heat one Tbsp oil in a large pan, stir fry almonds until golden. Remove, drain on paper towel.
Add remaining oil to pan, add next five ingredients, fry over moderate hear, stirring occasionally for five minutes.
Add tomatoes, stock and beans. Bring to boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 10-15 minutes until vegetables are tender. Stir through spinach, cook until just wilted. Add almonds, season to taste. Serve with cooked couscous or rice, tossed with chopped coriander and whole pitted black olives.
Serves four.
Handy tips:
Alternate the vegetables, e.g. diced eggplant, pumpkin, zucchini or capsicum
Nutritional Information
Energy 1294kj/308cals
Protein 9.6g
Fat – Total 20.2g
- Saturated 2g
- Monounsaturated 13.4g
- Polyunsaturated 3.3g
Carbohydrates – Total 22.8g
- Sugars 12.4g
Sodium 558mg
Dietary Fibre 10.8g
Hazelnut, Chilli & Garlic Pasta
Ingredients
- 400g spaghetti pasta
- 1 ½ Tbsp olive oil
- 100g chopped hazelnuts
- 1 long red chilli, seeded and finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 1/3 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- Salt and cracked black pepper
Directions
Cook the spaghetti in a large saucepan of boiling water until al dente. Drain return to pan and keep warm.
Heat the oil in a non stick pan over medium heat. Add the hazelnuts, chilli and garlic and cook for three to four minutes, stirring regularly. Remove from heat, stir through parsley, lemon juice and season with salt and pepper taste. Toss the hazelnut mixture through the pasta and serve.
Serves four.
Nutritional Information
Energy 1425kj/340cals
Protein 8g
Fat – Total 23g
- Saturated 2g
- Monounsaturated 17g
- Polyunsaturated 3g
Carbohydrates 26g
Dietary Fibre 5g
