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Wonderful Walnuts

19 Replies

Walnuts

Did you know that less than 10% of Americans consume tree nuts in their raw form?  Tree nuts include walnuts, brazil nuts, hazelnuts,cashews, pecans, pine nuts, almonds and pistachios.  Today we’ll talk about walnuts.

Walnuts are simply wonderful. They’re tasty, affordable and healthy. They’re full of antioxidants, vitamin E and have been shown to help in the digestion of fats.

A serving of walnuts (about 1/3 cup) can provide you with about 10% of your daily protein AND fiber needs.  Although walnuts are high in fat, these are healthy fats. A 1/3 cup serving clocks in at 180-200 calories, yet a recent study showed that walnut consumption does not cause weight gain.

In 2010, the FDA issued a warning letter to Diamond Food, that it had gone overboard with its health claims for walnuts, to the point that they would have to be classified as drugs.

In order for you to get the best health benefits from walnuts, follow these suggestions:

1. Eat raw walnuts. Roasting them reduces antioxidant levels.

2. Do not remove the thin skin layer. Many of the beneficial phenols are in the skin.

3. Adding walnuts to meals with saturated fat content aids in digestion.

You don’t need to eat tons of walnuts to get their benefits. Adding a mere 7 walnuts a day to your diet would bring positive results.

How do you incorporate walnuts in your meals?

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  • Chemistryqueen06

    I live all nuts but it’s hard to find some raw.

  • Dave

    This is one of my favorite recipes, bulgur wheat, roasted pear and walnuts. I actually prepared 400 portions for an event I did at the Mayo Clinic a couple of years ago. It is definitely in the comfort food category even if you have never had it before.  http://www.newtaste.com/bulgerpear.html

  • http://twitter.com/KittyBroadway Kitty Broadway

    I love walnuts in my morning oatmeal!

    To find raw nuts, check out ethnic food stores. There is a Lebanese grocer in my neighbourhood who sells raw nuts in bulk for a great price. 

  • Kirsten

    Suddenly, after a lifetime of eating and loving walnuts, they now make me sick to my stomach! I have never heard of someone suddenly developing a nut allergy in their 40s, but I’m sooo bummed out.

    • forber

      Have just had this happen to me – now also in my 40s – is it really an allergy? Has anything else started to bother you?

  • Allison

    I keep raw nuts mixed with dried fruit at my desk and have a daily mid-morning snack at my desk. Easy to come by at natural food stores or Trader Joes’s.

  • David Ogden

    Another, more direct source for raw nuts is your local farmers’ market.  Usually good prices, and you interact directly with the grower.

    • Fohnp

      Nice…did not know this

  • Fohnp

    I have heard walnuts go “rancid” at room temp…is this true?? If so, why are they often in bulk bins and on store shelves?

    This oxidizes the walnut and reduces the healthy benefits of the nuts…

  • Kelli

    I’m the only one in my household that like walnuts. I love to break up raw walnuts and put them in a plain whole grain cereal or in yogurt with a little honey. They Just have such a creamy texture when you bite into them. I’ve also started adding raw cashews to grain dishes (like couscous or fried rice) because they do it at my favorite Thai place and it’s so good.

  • Jim

    When you say “a recent study,” you should provide a link.

    • Gerome

      Took about 30 seconds. Google is your friend:

      http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16277792

      • http://www.fooducate.com/blog Fooducate

        Thanks Gerome!

      • Aeh

        Thanks. Do you have the links for all the other “facts” in this article too? I’d love to ready the primary sources.

  • Aeh

    I wish this article had references.

  • CT

    From a food safety perspective… shouldn’t we also be talking about the link between raw nut consumption and foodborne illnesses?  Raw almonds especially have been linked to Salmonella.  

  • Gerome

    Another benefit is heart health and reduced risk of sudden death from cardiac events. Check this out: http://www.livestrong.com/article/410427-walnuts-for-a-healthy-heartbeat/

    As far as the salmonella link? The FDA does not consider nuts to be of enough concern to even list them as a possible source. I would not avoid nuts based on this concern. (You’d be avoiding pretty much all raw foods if you were similarly concerned about all fresh foods.)

    Me? I through raw walnuts on the oatmeal and my salads.

    • CT

      Actually, as far as the Salmonella link… yes, the US government does consider it to be enough of a risk for public health that there are regulations requiring all almonds (even organic) sold in the US be pasteurized. 

      There are some consumers who want industry to push back against these regulations because they don’t recognize the risks and want to eat their nuts raw.  This is an area of ongoing research as well: 
      http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2012/02/usda-develops-new-more-efficient-method-of-almond-pasteurization/

      • Gerome

        I pulled my information from USDA’s Food Safety and Information Service: “Q. What foods are most likely to make people sick?

        A. Any raw food of animal origin, such as meat, poultry, milk and dairy products, eggs, seafood,
        and some fruits and vegetables may carry Salmonella bacteria. The bacteria can survive to cause
        illness if meat, poultry, and egg products are not cooked to a safe minimum internal temperature as measured
        with a food thermometer and fruits and vegetables are not thoroughly washed. The bacteria can also contaminate
        other foods that come in contact with raw meat and poultry. Safe food handling practices are necessary to
        prevent bacteria on raw food from causing illness.”

        The lack of a mention of nuts was the basis for my assessment that neither walnuts nor almonds pose a significant risk. Thanks, though for the info… I had no idea almonds were pasturized!