At Cuisine for Healing, tree nuts have a special place in our heart. The first snack our founder Wendy Wilkie created for Cuisine was a blend of nuts and dried fruit we now call Wendy’s Snack Mix. She wanted to create something healthy people could take with them to their doctor’s appointments. That snack has evolved into healthy breakfast, lunch, and dinner options for community members battling life-threatening illnesses. National Grab Some Nuts Day is August 3rd, what a better time to remember our humble beginnings than to explore why tree nuts are some of the healthiest foods on the planet.
Nuts are nutrient dense foods that have been shown to reduce the chance of coronary heart disease, cardiovascular disease, gallstones, inflammation, and type II diabetes. Nuts used to get a bad reputation for being high in fat, but the composition of the fat is what really matters. Nuts are low in bad fats (saturated fat) and high in good fats like monounsaturated fats and unsaturated fats, the fat constitution of nuts are thought be a major component in the health benefits of the heart. Consumption of good fats lowers the LDL cholesterol in the body. Contrary to old beliefs about nuts, consuming these nutrient dense tree seeds on a regular basis can actually help you maintain a healthy weight.
Not only are nuts an excellent plant based source of protein, they are also high in vital nutrients like folate, B-vitamins, several types of antioxidants, calcium, magnesium, omega-3 fatty acids, and potassium. Preparation of the nuts can impact the health benefits so go for raw varieties that are unsalted. Bleaching nuts removes some of the antioxidants, which are found in the outer soft shell.
Unfortunately nuts are not for everyone. Tree nut allergies are among the most common types of allergies in adults and children. Symptoms can range from redness and swelling to anaphylactic shock. But for those who are lucky enough to indulge, it is recommended that adults consume about 4 servings of unsalted tree nuts per week, a serving is a roughly a small handful. The nutrient content of every nut varies, but eating any type of nut has increased health benefits. Eating 2 tablespoons of pure nut butter also counts as a serving, but make sure it is real nut butter and not mixed with a ton of high fructose corn syrup, palm oils, and other sugars.
At Cuisine for Healing we intentionally keep our prices low to be able to serve anyone wanting to eat healthy. If you want to celebrate National Grab Some Nuts Day stop by our Cuisine for Healing lobby and we will have a bag of Wendy’s delicious snack mix waiting on you.
Sources:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/heart-disease/in-depth/nuts/art-20046635
