Nuts deal with hunger very efficiently, are packed with protein and fibre, are healthy, have numerous health benefits and taste fantastic. A recent Newsletter from The Source, who we love madly for their healthy food, great service, zero waste and reasonable prices, gave a perfect summary of each of the main types of nuts.I should just say up front that we don't get paid for promotion and always promote a trader with some caution. The Source are a stand out for a simple, well executed eco business model that's growing quickly for good reason and we are happy to promote both them and the messages they send out. (They actually don't even know we've nicked their Newsletter content and sent it to you.)Studies suggest that eating between 30 and 50 grams of nuts a day may have valuable health benefits, especially for the heart, cholesterol and blood pressure, all without causing weight gain. In fact, because eating nuts makes you feel full, they can help curb the appetite and reduce the temptation to make bad snacking choices. The trick is to eat a variety of nuts and choose the ones that you enjoy that also have the benefits you need.
Naturally cholesterol free, cashews contain a good amount of healthy unsaturated fats and are rich in vitamin E, zinc & magnesium. Whilst called nuts, they're actually a seed with a creamy texture making them perfect for dairy-free alternatives such as cashew cheese & cream.
Even though macadamias are high in calories, it's actually these monounsaturated fats that are valuable for the cardiovascular system. They are also high in fibre which gets the bowel moving and are a source of important trace elements, especially manganese & thiamine.
Just a small handful of almonds contains around one eighth of our daily protein needs and studies suggest they help lower cholesterol and manage blood sugars. They are rich in good fats, fibre, vitamin E & magnesium so their health benefits are extensive.
Pistachios are one of the lowest in calories, are low GI and packed with minerals. They contain carotenoid antioxidants which are essential for eye health & their high copper content helps the iron absorption from other foods. Their saturated fats even help with dry skin.
It's no wonder walnuts are known as a superfood. They are high in LCP fats which are crucial to optimise fat metabolism so are valuable for those with high cholesterol. They are also high in Omega 3 which has anti-inflammatory properties and assists with good heart health.
Pecans contain more antioxidants than any other tree nut, are full of fibre so great for digestion, and are a rich source of several B-group vitamins which help to increase the metabolism. They also benefit skin & hair because they are high in vitamins A and E, zinc, folate & phosphorous.
Brazil nuts are known for being the richest known food source of selenium which is needed for a healthy immune system and thyroid function, as well as a mood lifter. The benefits of selenium are enormous but it can be hard to get in the diet yet it takes just two Brazil nuts a day to maintain healthy levels.
Not just for sprinkling over salads, pine nuts have good amounts of vitamins E & K for heart health, manganese for hormone balance, and zinc for the immune system. They are fairly high in calories, however they're still worthwhile including because of their excellent source of vitamins and minerals. The Source says that they often get asked if there is a nutritional difference between eating raw or roasted nuts. There's not really, and what difference there is turns out to be quite small. Roasting nuts brings out their flavour and usually makes them a bit crunchier, which many people prefer. Choosing dry roasted nuts means that there are no added oils and if you skip the salt, you can keep the sodium levels down as well. Roasted nuts have less water in them which concentrates the nutrients, however they do have less of some of the B group vitamins as these are not heat stable. Now that summer is approaching, The Source recommends that nuts are kept in an airtight jar in the fridge because they have a naturally high oil content which can cause their flavour to change after a few hot days in the pantry. In fact, they also freeze very well for up to a year and can be eaten straight from the fridge or freezer which makes them a really refreshing summer snack.The Source have zero waste stores all over Australia and you can find a list of the stores here on ekko.world.