Small but mighty, nuts are nutritional powerhouses that boost health and can even aid sleep and weight loss. Happily, they taste delicious, too
Imagine you were trying to create the perfect nutrient-packed food… a nut would be a full-on eureka moment. Nuts are extraordinarily good for us, and experts say we ought to be crunching our way through far more. A handful of nuts might not keep the doctor totally away, but they’ll certainly contribute to all-round better health.
While a true nut, like a hazelnut or chestnut, is actually a fruit, other nuts like almonds, cashews and pistachios are botanically defined as seeds, and called drupes. To add to the confusion, tree nuts grow on trees (obviously!) – that is, almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, pecans, pistachios and walnuts – while peanuts grow underground and belong to the legume family. You’re welcome. But whatever their origin, says nutritionist
Sophie Trotman, nuts are a super-healthy source of the macronutrients protein and unsaturated fats, and also a source of several micronutrients, including selenium, magnesium, vitamin E, zinc, potassium, copper and B vitamins, as well as antioxidants.
Sadly, we can’t all reap these nutritional benefits. One in 50 children and one in 200 adults suffers from a nut allergy – and avoidance has meant that peanut allergies, in particular, are on the rise, says GP and allergy expert Dr Helen Evans-Howells (drhelenallergy.co.uk). In fact, tree nuts are one of the eight most common food allergens and, as a result, can cause allergic reactions, including severe anaphylaxis. Parents, grandparents and carers should be aware that nuts present a choking risk to the under-fives, so ensure they are chopped or use nut butters.
Nut cluster granola bites
Gather up any random opened packs of nuts that you have left over from baking and turn them into a nutrient-packed snack to keep in the cupboard for nibbly moments or an ‘on-the-go’ breakfast.
YOU’LL NEED…
◆ 100g mixed nuts (we used cashews, almonds and hazelnuts), roughly chopped
◆ 100g porridge oats
◆ 50g unsweetened puffed wheat
◆ 50g coconut oil
◆ 2 tbsp almond butter
◆ 60g maple syrup
◆ 60g clear honey*
◆ ½ tsp ground cinnamon
1 Preheat the oven to 170°C, fan 150°C, gas 3 and line a large baking tray with baking paper. In a large bowl, mix together the nuts, oats and puffed wheat.
2 Put the coconut oil in a pan with the almond butter, maple syrup, honey, cinnamon and a pinch of salt and warm until all the ingredients
