Why I’m Nuts About Nuts

Why I’m Nuts About Nuts

The other night at the dinner table, my son joked that I was probably the only person who put nuts into pasta dishes. In my defense, it was a pesto-based sauce, so nuts (as I had to explain) rightly belonged in that dish. My family has come to expect nuts to show up in various ways throughout the day, both as snacks as well as added to breakfast, lunch and dinner menus.

So why have I “gone nuts” as my family likes to say? Even though nuts have gained a bad reputation for delivering a high calorie load, when eaten in moderation they contain vital nutrients, such as Omega-3’s, healthy fats, and proteins, which enable our bodies to be better fueled, and to fight off disease and slow the aging process.

The best nuts to eat, as far as Omega-3 content are walnuts and almonds. But cashews, pecans, pistachios, and even peanuts are health-ful in limited quantities. I find that if I keep a variety of nuts in small plastic storage containers in the refrigerator, they stay fresh and are ready to be used at a moment’s notice.

Here are some creative ways to add more nuts to your diet this week:

• Include them in your next non-red sauce pasta dish (such as pesto or light cream-based)
• Stir them into your yogurt or oatmeal
• Sprinkle them on your cereal
• Mix them into whole grain pancakes, bread, or waffles
• Add them to baked goods, such as cookies, muffins, or cakes
• Toss them into chicken salad or green salads
• Use ground almond meal to replace some of the flour used while baking
• Simply grab a handful to snack on in between meals to keep the “hungries” in check