Nuts are nature’s little storehouses – a combination of protein, fibre and great fats mixed with minerals and vitamins. These three macronutrients unite to form a filling and satisfying snack. If you’re hungry in-between meals, enjoy a handful of nuts or some nut butter on a wholegrain cracker or oatcake.
Nuts are low in carbs, but high in healthy fats, protein and fibre, making them a perfect choice for diabetics. Studies show that eating nuts can increase satiety and help you eat fewer calories, and the monounsaturated fats reduce your risk of heart disease. Although some people avoid nuts because of the fear of weight gain, a study published in the journal Obesity shows such fears are groundless. In fact, people who ate nuts at least twice a week were much less likely to gain weight than those who almost never ate nuts.
• Add chopped or ground nuts to plain yogurt, porridge (oatmeal) or American-style pancakes.
• Spread nut butter on wholegrain toast instead of jam.
• A tablespoon of nut butter added to your morning smoothie, chia pot, breakfast parfait or smoothie bowl adds creaminess and protein.
• Eat an apple and a handful of soaked nuts or sliced apple with nut butter.
• Put nut butter on oatcakes.
• Create your own trail mix.
• Chop or grind and add to raw balls, bars or pies.
• Slice or chop nuts and add to sautéed vegetables, green salads, grain salads or pasta.
• Grind or finely chop and add to soup.
In keeping with the idea that it is always best to eat whole foods, nuts should be eaten with their skins on. Nut skins are full of nutrients and fibre, and when eaten with the nut, they increase the nutrient value making the whole nut greater than the sum of its parts.
Nuts are best for you if you eat them raw, but they contain enzyme inhibitors that can be hard on your digestive system and phytic acid that binds to minerals in your large intestine, preventing you from absorbing them. To remedy this, you should soak nuts (see opposite) to make them easy to digest and more nutritious. Soaked nuts must be kept in the fridge and eaten quickly because they develop mould – unless you crisp them (see opposite). You can buy activated (soaked and dehydrated) nuts in some specialist stores.
Nuts vary in terms of the quantity of their oils. The higher the oil content, like pecans, the more quickly they spoil. Pale nuts mean fresh nuts. Picked off the tree and cracked open, pecans are actually pale – even with their skins on. Always keep raw nuts in the fridge to preserve their oils.
Soak 50g/1¾oz/½ cup of any kind of nut in 120ml/4fl oz/½ cup water and ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt for 8 hours or overnight. Drain and store in an airtight container in the fridge. Eat within 5 days.
BASE RECIPE
Use the combination of nuts below or other varieties if you prefer. This makes a large quantity because they keep well and you can use them for snacking, breakfasts, salads, grain dishes, and raw balls and bars. If it looks like too many for you, just cut the recipe in half.
Makes: 4 cups
Prep: 5 minutes, plus overnight soaking
Bake: 9–10 hours
1 tbsp fine sea salt
650ml/22fl oz/2¾ cups water
135g/4¾oz/1 cup almonds, skins on
100g/3½oz/1 cup pecans
100g/3½oz/1 cup walnuts
135g/4¾oz/1 cup hazelnuts, skins on
Put the salt and water in a large bowl and mix to dissolve the salt. Add the almonds, pecans, walnuts and hazelnuts. Leave to soak for 8 hours or overnight.
Preheat the oven to 50°C/120°F (or the lowest setting, but no more than 65°C/150°F). Drain the nuts and spread them out in a large baking dish or on a large baking sheet. Bake, or dehydrate, for 9–10 hours or overnight until dry and crispy. Store in an airtight container. If the container shows moisture on the inside, dry the nuts for a bit longer.
Brazil nuts come from a South American tree. They are actually seeds, but most people think of them as nuts because of their brown shell and nutty texture. Brazils are a deliciously fatty and creamy nut, making them a lovely snack and a great addition to other dishes. They are hugely popular in Latin America and beyond.
Brazil nuts’ claim to fame is that they are one of the richest food sources of selenium. Selenium is vital for anyone with an underactive thyroid. Just a few Brazil nuts each day will provide enough selenium to produce thyroxine or thyroid hormone. Selenium is also good for immune system support and the healing of wounds. The wonderful, unsaturated, polyunsaturated and omega-6 fats in Brazils makes for a happy heart, as well.
See the suggestions.
Brazils are the fattiest nuts, up there with pecans and macadamias, so buy raw Brazils as pale as you can find them (paler nuts mean fresher nuts) and keep them in the fridge to preserve their precious oils.
Like all nuts, Brazils should be eaten raw, with their skins on, and soaked.
Quick and easy to make, these give a lovely energy boost. Although they have a lot of fructose from the dates, the balls also have nutrients, while the protein and fibre in the Brazils balances out some of the fructose.
Makes: 15
Prep: 20 minutes, plus overnight soaking
135g/4¾oz/1 cup pitted dates, chopped
150g/5½oz/1 cup Brazil nuts, soaked
75g/2½oz/½ rounded cup dried cherries
2 tbsp raw cacao powder
¼ tsp fine sea salt
Put all the ingredients in a blender and blend until combined. Take a tablespoon of the mixture and squeeze and press into a ball. Repeat with the rest of the mixture. Store the balls in an airtight container the fridge.
Walnuts, cultivated for thousands of years, are treasured as a food and medicine. Of the three types, black walnuts and white walnuts are native to North America and played vital roles not only for Native Americans, but also for early settlers in the New World. It’s interesting that a shelled walnut looks like the human brain, which it feeds with its essential fats.
Walnuts are 65 percent great fat. Something particularly interesting about walnuts as a high fat food is that they are beneficial to the almost 25 per cent of American adults with Metabolic Syndrome. The Metabolic Syndrome combination of high blood fats, high blood pressure, low HDL (High Density Lipoprotein) cholesterol plus obesity is actually benefitted from eating walnuts over only a few months. Eating walnuts also seems to reduce muffin tops or fat around the middle, so start munching!
New research is pointing toward walnuts as being helpful for memory and cognitive processes. They naturally contain melatonin, which regulates sleep, and daily rhythms, and is used in some countries to overcome jet-lag.
See the suggestions.
Walnuts, like all nuts, should be eaten raw, with their skins on, and soaked.
This is a wonderful combination of cherry, walnut, chocolate and coconut. It is rich and satisfying, so individual ramekins are the perfect size. You can swap in other stone or soft fruits for a change.
Serves: 4
Prep: 10 minutes, plus overnight soaking
100g/3¼oz/1 cup soaked walnuts, ground
pinch of salt
2 tbsp coconut oil
300g/10½oz pitted cherries, fresh or frozen
2 tbsp chia seeds
2 tbsp cacao nibs
1 tbsp Manuka honey (optional)
In a small bowl, mix the ground walnuts and salt. Add the coconut oil and mash it into the mixture with a fork. Divide the mixture between 4 ramekins and press into the base of each.
In a medium bowl, mix the cherries, chia seeds and cacao nibs. Leave to set for 5 minutes. Divide the cherry mixture between the 4 ramekins and serve.
Like little butterballs, these nuts grow on macadamia trees native to Australia. Sometimes called the Queensland nut, macadamias are high in fat and low in protein compared to other nuts. They are so unctuous that they make a wonderful addition to breakfast foods and are a great snack.
Macadamias are unique in their essential fatty acid makeup. The majority of the total fat content is stable monounsaturated fat, containing a large portion of omega-7 palmitoleic acid that protects us from viruses, harmful bacteria and yeast in the gut. A Chinese study published in 2006 found that about 80 per cent of the fat is monounsaturated, which benefits the cardiovascular system.
Also, the ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 is equal, which is excellent.
See the suggestions.
Macadamias are the fattiest nuts, up there with pecans and Brazils, so buy raw macadamias as pale as you can find them (paler nuts mean fresher nuts) and keep them in the fridge to preserve their precious oils.
Like all nuts, macadamias should be eaten raw and soaked.
I’m always looking for more breakfast ideas as I prefer my family not to eat boxed cereals. Put the nuts and seeds to soak the night before and then it’s just a case of assembling everything the next morning. This breakfast is beautiful and my kids love to prepare and eat it, choosing different fruits, nuts and seeds to rotate in throughout the week.
Serve: 4
Prep: 20 minutes, plus overnight soaking
100g/3½oz/¾ cup macadamia nuts
480ml/16fl oz/2 cups water
½ tsp fine sea salt, plus a pinch
4 tbsp sunflower seeds or other soaked seeds
4 tbsp shredded coconut
120g/4¼oz pomegranate seeds (1 pomegranate)
360g/12¾oz/1½ cup Greek yogurt
2 tbsp milled linseeds (flaxseeds)
180g/6⅓oz/1½ cups blueberries or mixed berries or sliced bananas or any fruit
Manuka honey
cacao nibs
ground cinnamon
Put the nuts, 350ml/12fl oz/1½ cups of the water and ½ teaspoon of the salt in a bowl and leave to soak overnight. Put the sunflower seeds, remaining water and pinch of salt in a small cup or bowl and leave to soak overnight.
Layer 1 tablespoon shredded coconut, 3 tablespoons pomegranate seeds, 3 tablespoons yogurt, 1 tablespoon soaked sunflower seeds, ½ tablespoon milled linseeds (flaxseeds), 3 tablespoons blueberries and 2½ tablespoons soaked macadamia nuts into each of 4 serving glasses or bowls. Serve as is or top with Manuka honey, cacao nibs and/or ground cinnamon.
According to the USDA, pecans are in the top 15 foods known for their antioxidant value. Pecan nuts are one of the oiliest nuts, with a buttery flavour, making them unctuous to eat. The nuts are from the hickory tree, which is found in Central and Southern North America. In the South, pecans are traditionally used in pies and pralines.
Pecans are full of protein and great oils, make a tasty snack and are easy to carry around. They are full of antioxidants, essential fats and lots of fibre, and they contain over 19 vitamins and minerals that support heart function, digestion, immune system, joints and diabetes.
Remember that the fat in nuts is great fat – fat that your body needs – so it’s a great idea to include them in your weekly diet.
• Grind, chop or use whole in breakfast foods like yogurt, bircher muesli, chia pots, smoothies, smoothie bowls, breakfast parfaits or porridge (oatmeal).
• Use in raw energy balls.
• Make pecan butter.
• Finely chop or grind and add to soups for flavour and nutrients.
• Chop or use whole in green, pasta, rice, grain and mixed salads.
• Add to fruit salad.
• Mix chopped pecans with steamed, sautéed or roasted veggies.
• Include in raw pastry and raw tarts.
• Take on hikes, bike rides, picnics and to the beach as a snack.
Remember when buying pecans, the paler the nut, the fresher it is. They should not be dark brown.
Because pecans are high in oils, they are more likely to become rancid, so keep them in the fridge or freezer to preserve their precious oils.
Like all nuts, pecans should be eaten raw, with their skins on, and soaked.
This salad works with a nice chunk of wholegrain bread or oatcakes if you need carbs. You can add chopped sundried tomatoes for a little more depth of flavour or use them to replace the feta for a dairy-free version.
Serves: 4
Prep: 10–15 minutes, plus overnight soaking
200g/7oz spinach, roughly chopped
100g/3½oz feta cheese, chopped
75g/2¾oz/½ cup pitted Kalamata olives, quartered
50g/1¾oz/½ cup soaked pecans
50g/1¾oz/½ cup sultanas
50g/1¾oz/½ cup dried cranberries
80g/2¾oz/¾ cup sundried tomatoes, chopped (optional)
1½ tbsp Dijon mustard
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Put the spinach, feta, olives, pecans, sultanas, cranberries and sundried tomatoes (if using) in a large bowl and mix. Put the mustard, vinegar and oil in a small jar and shake until combined. Pour the dressing on the salad and mix well.
Although pecans are best eaten raw, here you do still retain most of their goodness because they are baked quickly at a lowish temperature. My kids regularly make these because they are so easy and quick – and wonderful to eat. It makes a small amount, but once you fall in love with them, you might want to double it.
Makes: 20 x 15cm/8 x 6 inch baking tin
Prep: 10 minutes, plus overnight soaking
Bake: 15–18 minutes
healthy oil, for greasing
1 egg, beaten with a fork
80g/2¾oz/generous ⅓ cup organic sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
60g/2¼oz/½ cup wholegrain spelt flour
½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp fine sea salt
100g/3½oz/1 cup soaked pecans
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4. Grease a 20 x 15cm/8 x 6 inch or equivalent baking tin.
Put the egg, sugar and vanilla in a medium bowl and mix until combined. In a small bowl, put the flour, baking powder and salt and mix until combined. Coarsely chop the pecans. Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture and stir just until combined. Add the pecans, mix until just combined and spread in the baking tin. Bake for 15–18 minutes until lightly browned. It should be soft in the centre. Leave to cool for 20 minutes, then cut into bars. Eat warm or at room temperature.
Almonds, prized around the world and popular since the Ancient Egyptian era, are valued for their delicate flavour and versatility in savoury and sweet foods. They are available all year, but are freshest mid-summer at harvest time. Ancient Indian Ayurvedic practitioners believe that almonds contribute to increased brain capacity, intellectual prowess and long life. They are sometimes called a perfect food.
Almonds are the most nutritionally dense nut, prized for their healthy fats, fibre, protein, magnesium and vitamin E (one of the world’s best sources), a heart-happy vitamin. In addition, they have high levels of magnesium and potassium. Magnesium is a mineral involved in over 300 bodily functions. Potassium is involved in nerve transmission and the contraction of muscles, including the heart, and is essential for maintaining normal blood pressure.
Although there is some debate about eating almonds without their skins, stick with the whole food theory and eat them with skins on. The antioxidant flavonoids in almond skins combine with vitamin E in the almond to more than double the antioxidants delivered to your body, which can protect your cells from oxidative damage, a major contributor to ageing and disease. Almonds are also an excellent source of calcium.
See the suggestions.
Almonds, like all nuts, should be eaten raw, with their skins on, and soaked.
Like many Italian baked goods, this pastry is made with extra virgin olive oil instead of butter, but I’ve given the choice of both. With its wholegrain crust, a crostata makes a delicious, protein-rich and not-too-sweet treat. If you buy activated nuts, you can skip the soaking instructions and save time. Feel free to swap out any nuts you don’t like.
Makes: 25cm/10 inch tart
Prep: 25 minutes, plus overnight soaking
Bake: 15–20 minutes
20g/¾oz almonds, skins on
20g/¾oz pine nuts
25g/1oz pecans
30g/1¼oz walnuts
40g/1½oz hazelnuts, skins on
240ml/8fl oz/1 cup water
1 tsp fine sea salt
3 tbsp unsweetened jam or chia jam
120g/4¼oz/1 cup wholegrain spelt flour, plus extra for rolling
155g/5½oz/1 cup wholegrain Kamut flour
¼ tsp fine sea salt
100g/3½oz butter, cubed or 75g/2¾oz sweet (not spicy) olive oil
60g/1¾oz/scant ¼ cup organic sugar
2 tbsp plain yogurt, kefir or lemon juice
7–8 tbsp water
Put the almonds, pine nuts, pecans, walnuts and hazelnuts in a small bowl. Add the water and salt and mix until dissolved. Leave to soak overnight or for 8 hours.
To make the pastry, put the spelt flour, Kamut flour and salt in a medium bowl and mix well. Add the butter or olive oil and mix with a fork until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. (If you’re using butter, rub between your fingers until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.) Add the sugar and mix well.
Add the yogurt, kefir or lemon juice and sprinkle with about 5 tablespoons water. Toss with a fork. Add the remaining water a tablespoon at a time and mix again with the fork until the mixture easily holds together without crumbling apart (this is critical), then gather it together into a ball, wrap in clingfilm (plastic wrap) and refrigerate overnight (or for at least half an hour). If you’re using olive oil, the pastry can be left at room temperature.
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4. On greaseproof paper, roll the pastry out to 26cm/10½ inches and smooth the edges into a tidy circle with your fingers. To make a good circle, trim it with a knife and then ‘glue’ cut pieces where needed by using a little water and then a little dusting of flour.
Fit the pastry into a 25cm/10 inch tart tin with your fingers, fold the edge backwards over itself so it comes halfway up the side of the tart tin and then squeeze the pastry between your thumb and index finger to make a pretty edging pattern. Prick the sides and bottom with a fork.
Bake for 15–20 minutes until the pastry is lightly browned. Leave to cool, spread the jam on the pastry base and then sprinkle the nuts evenly, pressing lightly onto the jam so that they stick.
The various products from coconuts are a dietary and beauty staple in many nations. Coconuts, a drupe from the coconut palm, are incredibly versatile. We use the milk, oil, flesh, shell and husk.
Coconuts are high in dietary fibre, improve heart health, help with digestion and absorption, boost brain function, suppress appetite, give energy and reduce sweet cravings. Amazingly, they are also antiviral, antifungal, antibacterial and anti-parasitic. Coconut oil is nature’s best source of lauric acid, an essential fat that aids the immune system and protects against pathogens in the gut.
The most widely available form of coconut oil is often bleached and deodorized. Make this great food even better by buying organic.
• Include it in your breakfast foods.
• Use coconut oil for frying or roasting.
• Bake with coconut oil, replacing butter with 20 per cent less oil.
• Use coconut sugar in place of regular sugar in baking (see right).
• Add coconut oil to coffee.
• Use coconut oil for dairy-free pastry.
• Make popcorn in coconut oil.
When substituting coconut sugar for regular sugar, measure by weight, not volume (i.e. cups) as it is lighter than regular sugar and you need more.
We refer to coconut fat as oil, even though it may be sold as a solid. This is fine to use – in recipes, you don’t have to melt it unless specified.
A coconutty take on Key Lime Pie, this wonderful recipe uses coconut oil, coconut milk, coconut sugar and coconut flakes. The unctuousness of the coconut is contrasted beautifully with the tartness of the lime juice. You can buy lime juice, but you’ll need at least 1 lime for the zest. Coconut sugar is dark and makes the filling brown.
Makes: 12 squares
Prep: 15 minutes
Chill: 1–1½ hours
4 tbsp melted coconut oil, plus extra for greasing
120g/4¼oz digestive biscuits, crushed to fine crumbs
290ml/10fl oz/1¼ cups coconut milk
125ml/4fl oz/½ cup lime juice
70g/2½oz/generous ½ cup coconut sugar
⅛ tsp fine sea salt
4 tbsp agar agar
1 tsp lime zest
50g/1¾oz/⅔ cup shredded coconut, lightly toasted in a frying pan
In a small bowl, mix the coconut oil and biscuit crumbs until combined. Press firmly with the back of a spoon into the bottom of a 25cm/9 inch pie plate or 15 x 20cm/6 x 8 inch baking dish. Refrigerate for 30 minutes while you make the filling.
In a medium saucepan, whisk together the coconut milk, lime juice, sugar and salt. Sprinkle the agar agar over the surface of the liquid and let it dissolve. Bring the mixture to a simmer and then let it bubble gently for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and allow to cool while the base is still chilling, then stir in the zest and pour gently onto the biscuit base. Sprinkle the shredded coconut on top and refrigerate for 1 hour until set. Store in the fridge.
