Back in September I drastically changed my eating habits and embraced a vegetarian lifestyle with strong vegan tendencies. The choice is motivated by health and ethical reasons (not the subject of this blog post). I do want to highlight, however, that I find myself eating a much more varied diet and trying so many more new foods than I ever did as an omnivore. Because of this, I am constantly discovering new favorite foods. This post will be about one such category of food: nuts and seeds. I eat nuts and seeds every day. They are calorically concentrated and a great source of healthy fats and protein. Eat them in their whole food state to get the best benefit and see if you can't incorporate them into all three of your meals! While not a comprehensive list, here are some of my favorites, as well as how I commonly eat them. Go nuts!
Pine Nuts
Perhaps one of my favorite nuts, these little guys are harvested from pine cones and come encased in a hard coat, which is then split open to reveal nut meats. Harvesting pine nuts is very labor intensive, which unfortunately makes them pretty expensive (I pay $28/lb). They have a delicious, piney, rich taste and I enjoy adding them to pasta dishes, roasted vegetables and sauteed greens. They are also delicious in cookies, although the cost per pound may be a deterrent. Pesto recipes traditionally call for pine nuts. They are about 190 calories per ounce.
Walnuts
A great source of omega-3 fatty acids, as well as protein, walnuts are 185 calories per ounce, are rich in flavor with a slight bitterness. I like to use them in baked goods such as cookies, muffins and quick breads. I often add them to a lunch salad or mix them in with my oatmeal. You can toast them in your toaster very easily, it takes less than five minutes.
Pecans
Not just for pies, I find pecans to be a sweeter, less savory nut. I like to toast them and add them to my oatmeal, and I often bake with them. They are a great addition to any salad, and compliment fresh berries, balsamic vinegar, spinach or baby greens. Pecans ring in at 195 calories per ounce.
Almonds
Almonds are probably the most versatile nut (to me). They can be used in savory dishes, such as couscous with raisins, and are also a staple when it comes to baking. Finely ground almonds can be substituted in part with flour to give baked goods a delicious nutty flavor. Furthermore, almonds are great in anything from cookies to bars, brownies, breads and pies. Don't forget that marzipan is a paste made from ground almonds and sugar! When I'm not having them in a dessert, I like to add almonds to oatmeal, salads and pasta dishes. A breakfast favorite for me is almond butter on toast. Relatively low calorie for the nut world, these guys are 165 calories per ounce.
Cashews
Cashews aren't actually a nut, but rather a legume, but I added it here because most of us think of these guys as part of the nut family. I love adding cashews to a vegetable stir-fry dish and find they pair well with a drizzle of soy sauce. Just like with almonds, I thoroughly enjoy cashew butter on toast for breakfast. I buy freshly ground nut butters in bulk, but the MaraNatha brand is another good option. I have several recipes for cashew cream that I intend to try out, but haven't had the opportunity yet. This faux-nut packs 155 calories per ounce.
Sunflower Seeds
Enough about nuts, on to the seeds! Of all the seeds, sunflower are probably the most delicious to me. I add these to my salad nearly every day and buy them in bulk, pre-roasted and salted. I also like sunflower seed bread, but I buy that in the store and have not attempted to make it myself (yet). They are about 165 calories per ounce.
Flax Seeds
I use ground flax seeds a lot because of their healthful and useful properties. Flax seeds are the most concentrated source of omega-3 fatty acids anywhere, so I make a point of adding a tablespoon of ground flax meal to my oatmeal. It also adds a rich, nutty flavor. You can also add finely ground flax to smoothies, soups or salads and shouldn't notice much of a change in taste. Ground flax whipped with water also makes an excellent egg replacer in baking, without the cholesterol. I use it for breads and cookies, and recently made a successful and delicious batch of latkes. Ground flax is about 35 calories per tablespoon.
Pepita (pumpkin) Seeds
I use pepita or pumpkin seeds in similar ways to sunflower seeds. I like to add them to my salads, and I have also mixed them with sauteed greens and vegetables for a delicious effect. It is easy to make your own, especially in the fall and winter, when squashes are abundant. Just scoop the seeds from the gourd's center, wash in cold water and roast with salt and some oil in a hot oven. They are about 170 calories per ounce.
Perhaps one of my favorite nuts, these little guys are harvested from pine cones and come encased in a hard coat, which is then split open to reveal nut meats. Harvesting pine nuts is very labor intensive, which unfortunately makes them pretty expensive (I pay $28/lb). They have a delicious, piney, rich taste and I enjoy adding them to pasta dishes, roasted vegetables and sauteed greens. They are also delicious in cookies, although the cost per pound may be a deterrent. Pesto recipes traditionally call for pine nuts. They are about 190 calories per ounce.
Walnuts
I use ground flax seeds a lot because of their healthful and useful properties. Flax seeds are the most concentrated source of omega-3 fatty acids anywhere, so I make a point of adding a tablespoon of ground flax meal to my oatmeal. It also adds a rich, nutty flavor. You can also add finely ground flax to smoothies, soups or salads and shouldn't notice much of a change in taste. Ground flax whipped with water also makes an excellent egg replacer in baking, without the cholesterol. I use it for breads and cookies, and recently made a successful and delicious batch of latkes. Ground flax is about 35 calories per tablespoon.
Good! In addition to walnuts and pecans I also like almonds (which I'd read somewhere are 'especially healthy'... although at the moment I have no idea if that's true, and if it is on what criteria.) For a special treat I love salted pistachio nuts, though try to minimize them. Anyway, as you noted nuts are categorically dense but have healthy unsaturated fats - which if memory serves we need ~10 to 25% of the calories in our daily diet - though living in America it's all too easy to blow away that guideline ;-)
ReplyDeleteAlmonds are one of the healthiest nuts and packed with vitamins and minerals. Do you want to buy almonds online? You can order almonds at Allnuts! Almonds are among the best known types of nuts that exist. These nuts are used in pastries, cookies and of course also in sugar. Most people are therefore able to recognize these notes by their color and their shape. In addition to whole fruits, almond powder and almond flakes are often used. Amandelen
ReplyDeleteCashew nuts are packed with antioxidants and stimulate the immune system. Want to buy jecashew nuts online? Order cashew nuts at Allnuts of course! Everyone knows these wonderfully healthy nuts. They stand out because of their specific kidney shape and have long been used as "cocktail nuts". When we buy cashew nuts, these are usually peeled. In the natural form, the nuts are covered by a woody peel. This has a brown-gray color and feels smooth. Cashew nuts grow on the cashmere tree, which some people also call acajuu tree or elephant lock tree. This tree originally only grew in the Caribbean, Central America and in the North of Brazil. This distribution area was later extended to India, Brazil, Nigeria, Mozambique, Indonesia and Tanzania. Cashewnoten
ReplyDeleteWalnuts compete with unhealthy fats and protect blood vessels and the heart Do you want to buy walnut online? You can order walnuts at Allnuts! We do not have to present walnuts to the average consumer. Almost everyone grew up with these brain-shaped fruits with a very recognizable shell. If you would ask most people which walnut trees they know, the walnut tree would certainly come first. For many consumers this note is also known as the walnut. Walnoten
ReplyDeleteHazelnuts ensure a healthy heart and limit cholesterol levels in the body. Do you want to buy hazelnuts online? You can order hazelnuts naturally with allnuts. Everyone knows the hazelnut. This nut grows on a shrub native to Belgium and the Netherlands that we know as the hazel. The well-known shrub is found in all areas with a temperate climate. Perhaps less well known is that, according to some scientists, the hazelnut is related to the birch. Others prefer to treat the hazel as a separate plant family. Whatever the case, the hazelnut is in any case a nut from us. Just like the birch, the hazel bears the characteristic catkins in the spring. Hazelnoten
ReplyDeleteBrazil nuts are a blessing for your line and rich in proteins, vitamins and selenium. Do you want to buy Brazil nuts online? You can order Brazil nuts at Allnuts! The extremely healthy Brazil nuts are also known as Amazonian nuts or Brazil nuts. The name Brazil nut is derived from the Brazilian province of Para. This way we immediately know where these nuts come from. The trees on which these fruits grow are mainly found in Suriname, Guyana, Venezuela, Brazil, Colombia, Peru and Bolivia. In addition, it is important to know that the trees stand mainly along the major rivers that flow through these countries: Amazon, Rio Negro, Rio Vaupés and the Orinoco. In addition, it is necessary that the trees are not in a flood area and can enjoy a temperature that averages 28 ° C. Paranoten
ReplyDeletePistachio nuts are super tasty and are packed with proteins, healthy fats and minerals. Do you want to buy pistachio nuts online? You can order pistachio nuts at Allnuts! Everyone has of course heard of pistachio nuts. These nuts are the best known of the pistachio ice cream. In other cultures these nuts are then salted with the tea. The least you can say about pistachio nuts is that they are a versatile product. Pistachio nuts naturally have a greenish color and are wedged between two half-open shells. They look special that way. Pistachio nuts grow on a small tree that belongs to the wig tree family. The pistachio tree can reach a height of around 10 meters. This tree species has up to 1000 species of which the pistachio tree is only one. The cashmere tree from which we know the cashew nuts is also part of this botanical family. The pistachio tree is from Asia. The name pistachio itself also comes from Asia and more specifically from Farsi. Farsi is the language spoken in Iran. Pistachios are called 'pista' there. Although the trees are exotic, pistachio nuts are now also grown in Europe. Pistachio trees can also be planted in Europe and reach full growth. Pistachenoten
ReplyDeletePecans are very tasty and are full of vitamin E and antioxidants. Do you want to buy pecans online? Order pecans at Allnuts! Pecans are also so popular with many people. They are a bit like walnuts and that is no wonder. The pecan tree and the walnut tree belong to the same botanical family.However, unlike walnut, pecans are not native nuts. You won't find pecan trees in our region. These trees are native to the southern United States. There is a warm temperate climate to a subtropical climate and pecans are doing very well there. They can reach a height of 50 to 60 meters! It is therefore no wonder that the United States is the world's largest producer of these nuts. However, the trees can also grow in other subtropical areas.Certain varieties of pecan trees that grow in the United States can also come into their own in European countries with a similar climate. Although pecans resemble walnuts, we still see striking differences. The peels of pecans are already hard while they are still hanging on the tree.When they are ripe, the two halves of the casing spontaneously open. You do not need a nutcracker for this. Pecannoten
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