NUTS!!!
After Christmas there tend to be lots of sales on nuts. Store them, and freeze the bagged kind to add to your preparedness storage, and incorporate into your diet.
Okay there is a ton of information here on the health benefits of nuts, don't be overwhelmed. They are great for your heart, a great diet tool if used properly, and easy to add to any recipe, in fact I have included one from one of my favorite websites below.
Stock up on nuts this week when you are out doing your weekly grocery shopping. Why nuts well, nuts are considered to be a healthy snack!! They are high in calories, so you only need just a few. Research has shown that those who eat nuts regularly have lower risks of heart disease. In '96 a study completed by Iowa Women's Healthy found that women who ate nuts at least 4 times a week were 40% less likely to die of heart disease! In the famous Nurses Health Study, participants who ate five ounces of nuts per week cut their risk of heart disease by 35%. In the U.S. Physicians Study, Harvard researchers discovered that men who consumed nuts 2 or more times per week were 47% less likely to die from heart attack and had a 30% reduction in risk for heart disease. The Adventist Health Study showed that those who ate nuts frequently (over 4 times per week) showed significant reduction in heart attacks (51% fewer heart attacks). Sounds good to me!
Nuts are also one of the best plant sources of protein. Nuts are also high in good fats, the one's shown to lower your LDL cholesterol. Nuts contain the amino acid arginine, which can boost immunity and reduce blood pressure. Manganese and boron are also found in nuts. Some nuts contain tryptophan, which stimulates production of serotonin in the brain. Tryptophan can help to alleviate depression and boosts relaxation. Eating peanuts has been shown to reduce triglycerides and LDL cholesterol. Not all fats are bad. Nuts, in fact, contain the heart-healthy fats Omega 3 that render a protective affect. The fat in nuts is monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat—not the artery-clogging saturated fat found in meat and processed foods. Several studies over the past several years have shown the health benefits of nuts which contain vitamin E, folic acid, magnesium, copper, protein, and fiber, and are rich in antioxidant phytochemicals.
The FDA approved the following health claim for 7 kinds of nuts
"Scientific evidence suggests but does not prove that eating 1.5 oz per day of most nuts as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol may reduce the risk of heart disease."
The Food and Drug Administration is now reviewing a proposal that would allow foods containing nuts to carry this label: "Diets containing one ounce of nuts per day can reduce your risk of heart disease."
FDA only approved the heart health claim for almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts, pecans, some pine nuts, pistachios and walnuts as these nuts contain less than 4g of saturated fats per 50g. However that doesn't mean you should restrict yourself to these 7 nuts only. In addition to nuts, seeds such as flax seeds, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds may offer the same heart health benefits. Again moderation is the key - limit your intake to 1 to 2 oz of unsalted nuts per day.
Limit your intake of these tasty treats to 1 to 2 oz per day so as to not add a lot of extra calories to your diet. Maybe substitute them for something else, such as making nut butter and using that instead of regular butter, or sprinkle them on your cereal.
Heart-Friendly Nuts
* Almonds
* Hazelnuts
* Peanuts
* Pecans
* Pine nuts (see the recipe for pesto below)
* Pistachios
* Walnuts
Since I know the number 1 new years resolution is usually to loose weight, here is some great info. Nuts are a dieter's dream com true. Dieters who eat nuts tend to stick to their diets because the fat, fiber and protein content of nuts makes them very filling. This results in a dieter who is not starving, but satisfied in between meals, and so they eat less. There have been many studies that found eating SMALL (this is the key, small amounts) amounts of nuts helped dieters lose weight. Consider adding nuts to your diet plan this year, just be sure they are the healthy kind. One ounce of nuts contains between 150 - 200 calories, so really just a few go a long way! Most of these calories come from the heart-healthy monounsaturated fat. In the past when consuming nuts I would consume handfuls as I ate... having a little eating on autopilot... hand from bag to mouth without even thinking... Doing this you will consume many extra calories... avoid this by pre-portioning your nuts into small bags for a great snack. Or take just one handful and be done. The goal is to eat nuts instead of other sources of fat such as candy, cookies, cakes, donuts, and chips. You can get really creative with your nut choices and recipes to add them in... or top an apple or celery with some natural peanut butter.
So here are some tips on ways to incorporate them into your diet.
* Top hot or cold cereal with nuts for a nourishing breakfast.
* Sprinkle almonds on top of yogurt.
* Add peanuts to nonfat frozen yogurt.
* Use fat-free salad dressing and add nuts to your salads.
* Use nuts to replace croutons in salads or soups Almonds are fantastic.
* Bring pasta to life by sprinkling it with chopped nuts walnuts are to die for over pesto.
* Remember that slivered almonds do wonders with everything from chicken to desserts.
* Add nuts to bread, pancakes, waffles, or muffins.
* Mix nuts into lite cream cheese for a delicious spread.
* Add nuts to popcorn for a tasty snack.
* Add great flavor to steamed veggies with a handful of nuts.
* Toast nuts to enhance the flavor. Bake for 5-10 minutes in a 350-degree oven
The calorie counter here... small portions approximately 1 once (one small handful) has about this many calories in these types of nuts:
Dry roasted peanuts, regular (30 nuts) 170
Dry roasted peanuts, unsalted (30 nuts) 160
Cocktail peanuts (30 nuts) 170
Honey-roasted peanuts (30) 150
Almonds (24) 160
Brazil nuts (7) 170
Cashews (20) 170
Walnuts (14) 180
Pistachios, shelled (47) 170
Pecans (20 halves) 190
Macadamia nuts (11) 200
I'd guess that basil is possibly the most popular herb grown at home. So I'm guessing if you have an herb garden, you've got fresh basil. And it would be a complete shame to have fresh basil at your disposal and not make pesto! Such a quick and easy thing and you can use it so many ways. If you're buying basil at the store, you could always substitute some spinach or arugula for some of the basil to stretch your dollar, but I think all-basil is the best if you've got access to it. Let's do it!
Here is a fantastic recipe for Pesto (a delicious way to add some nuts into your meal) For more fantastic recipes go to www.ourbestbites.com They have some wonderful recipes, one of my regular websites.
Fresh Basil Pesto
Recipe by Our Best Bites
2 1/2 - 3 C basil leaves, gently packed
3/4 C fresh Parmesan cheese (this is not the time for stuff in a plastic bottle)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 C pine nuts, toasted
1/2-3/4C extra virgin olive oil
kosher salt
a few cracks pepper
Place everything but olive oil in a food processor. (For the salt, start with 1/4 t and add the rest at the end. The final amount really depends on the saltiness of your cheese, so give it a taste first.) Give it a few pulses until things are chopped up.
Slowly pour in olive oil while processor is running* until you reach the consistency you want. It's gorgeous and green and perfectly wonderful! Eat it right away or store in the fridge or freezer (directions below).
*If you have a extra small food processor, or no food processor at all, you don't have to add the oil while it's running. You can process everything (or hand chop if you're good with a knife!) and add the oil by hand. Processing it in the machine however creates a mixture that holds together a bit better than a hand mixed version.
Now what to do what to do... Here's a few of my favorite ways to eat fresh pesto. First and foremost, you need a fresh loaf of crusty artisan bread. Rip off chunks and dip it right in. No matter what you are eating- this one is a must!
Use it on panini. We made this dinner with a rotisserie chicken, garden tomatoes, mozzarella cheese and lots of fresh pesto (of course!)
Possibly one of my most favorite dinners ever and SO quick and easy. It's like a simplified short-cut variation of this pasta dish. Put some cherry tomatoes on a foil-lined baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Pop it in a 425 degree oven for about 10 minutes. In the mean time boil some pasta. Toss the hot pasta, tomatoes, and pesto all together for a dinner that's done in 15 minutes flat! Did I mention it's soooo good??
Freezer Instructions:
One of the great things about pesto is that it freezes well, so you can make it in the peak of summer when your basil is going bonkers and then have it all winter long. Just put it in an ice cube tray and after it's frozen pop all of those cute little cubes in a zip-lock bag or freezer container. Pull them out any time you need a burst of fresh flavor.
Here's a few more ways to use pesto:
-Use it as a sauce on homemade pizza. Love it on grilled pizza!
-Toss it with fresh steamed veggies.
-Top a baked potato (it's super yummy mixed in with the sour cream)
-Put some in Kate's Cheesy Garlic Swirls, instead of the butter and garlic seasoning.
-Slather it under the skin of a whole chicken and roast in the oven or crock pot.
-Dollop it in soups (like this one)
-Mix it with mayo for sandwiches
-Drizzle on scrambled eggs
-Combine with cream cheese on a bagel (yum!)
-Mix into salad dressings- it's great with homemade ranch
-Pop it in some homemade hot pockets with mozzarella and pepperoni!
-Drop a frozen cube or two into homemade pasta sauce (both creamy and tomato based) and pizza sauce.
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