Guest Post: The ins and outs of nuts & seeds
September 2, 2015
From nut to nut, you’ll find some different health benefits, unique to each. We’ve teamed up with Victoria , aka @_naturalnutrition_, who’s nuts about nuts! She tells us the different ways they can improve your health and wellbeing. Don’t forget to check out her recipe at the end!
Nuts and seeds are awesome additions to our diets. They’re pretty spectacular as they contain protein, fibre and good fats- meaning they’re particularly satiating, therefore keeping us fuller for longer. All seeds and nuts are rich in healthy monounsaturated fats, linked to decreased risk of cardiovascular disease and even aids in weight loss.
Here’s a list of the specific benefits:
Almonds
Containing the most fibre of any nut, almonds are also a valuable source of calcium – particularly useful if you are lactose intolerant, and substituting almond milk for regular dairy! You can use almond butter to make the most epic vegan caramel sauce by combining it with some maple syrup and melted coconut oil (equal parts of each) – delish!
Walnuts
They don’t just look like a brain – walnuts have actually been conveniently linked to brain health. The high levels of omega-3 fatty acids, and antioxidants, boost brain power, and protect the organ from degeneration, as well as having powerful anti-inflammatory benefits on the body. Omega-3 fats are essential fatty acids, named aptly as they are essential for us to consume – our bodies are unable to produce these fats themselves, so we must get them from what we eat.
Brazil nuts
The brazil nut is best known for it’s particularly high selenium content – a free radical fighting antioxidant that assists thyroid and reproductive function.
Cashews
A useful source of the mineral copper which assists in iron absorption.
Macadamias
My personal favourite. Our national pride and joy (okay, maybe slight exaggeration). They contain the highest amount of monounsaturated fats. Eat local – eat macadamias!
Pistachios
Out of all nuts, this particular nut contains the highest amount of beta-carotene – an antioxidant beneficial for eyesight.
Peanuts
FYI – not a nut – peanuts are technically legumes! In that case, not surprisingly, they’re the highest in protein on this list. When looking for peanut butter, the ingredients should NOT contain added oils or sugars – simply ground peanuts, plus a little sea salt to taste, is actually all you need. Use peanut butter in sweet (it goes particularly well with bananas) or savoury (make your own satay sauce, from scratch – you’ll never go back to those pre-made varieties).
Chia seeds
These little suckers soak up liquid like crazy, so you can use them to make puddings by combining them with your milk of choice. Be warned – if you don’t allow these seeds to soak up some liquid, they will draw it straight out of your digestive system, which can as you might imagine lead to some digestive troubles. Chia is rich in fibre, and omega-3 fats. You can also grind them into a powder (1 tablespoon) and combine with water (3 tablespoons) and allow to stand – once congealed, this can be used as a replacement for one egg in baking.
Pumpkin seeds
Also known as ‘pepitas’, pumpkin seeds are high in powerful minerals, including magnesium and zinc – great for your heart health and musculoskeletal strength. I sometimes use mine as a base to make pesto, blending with basil and cold pressed olive oil.
Sesame seeds
Particularly high in calcium, sesame seeds are ground into tahini! Pickup the hulled tahini for a lighter colour and flavour – this is the one you use for your every day drizzling. For the hard-core tahini lovers, you can move on to the darker Unhulled Tahini – I use this one for a stronger flavour in dips and hummus. Black tahini is simply made from black sesame seeds, so grab a jar for some extra antioxidants.
Sunflower seeds
Like pretty much all nuts and seeds, sunflower seeds contain vitamin E – the difference is that sunflower seeds contain the most! This particular antioxidant is extra useful for cardiovascular health. Throw some sunflower seeds into your home made granola or muesli bars for extra crunch, or sprinkle over your salads.
So, what’s the best way to get in all of the nutrients? Eat a wide variety of foods – including different nuts and seeds. This goes for everything – fruits, vegetables, grains. The wider the range of food you consume, the greater the range of vitamins you’ll be getting in. Check out my gluten free and low FODMAP muffin recipe below that is as tasty as it is healthy!
Peanut butter stuffed choc-banana muffins
Ingredients
1 tablespoon chia seeds (or chia meal)
4 small, or 3 large, very ripe bananas, mashed (just over 1 cup)
1/2 cup teff flour and 1/2 cup buckwheat flour (OR 1 cup of plain or wholemeal flour)
1/2 cup tapioca or arrowroot flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon maca powder, optional
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla powder or extract
1 tablespoon chia seeds (or chia meal)
4 small, or 3 large, very ripe bananas, mashed (just over 1 cup)
1/2 cup teff flour and 1/2 cup buckwheat flour (OR 1 cup of plain or wholemeal flour)
1/2 cup tapioca or arrowroot flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon maca powder, optional
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla powder or extract
1/4 cup raw cacao powder
3 teaspoons gluten free baking powder
3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
Pinch of himalayan salt
1/4 cup melted coconut oil, plus extra for greasing
1/3 cup smooth or crunchy peanut butter, for insides
1/4 cup smooth or crunchy peanut butter, for ‘icing’
1 tablespoon raw cacao nibs, to garnish
3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
Pinch of himalayan salt
1/4 cup melted coconut oil, plus extra for greasing
1/3 cup smooth or crunchy peanut butter, for insides
1/4 cup smooth or crunchy peanut butter, for ‘icing’
1 tablespoon raw cacao nibs, to garnish
Method
1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius fan forced.
2. Use a spice grinder or small blender attachment to blitz your chia seeds into a fine meal (skip this step if using pre-ground chia meal).
3. Place chia meal in a small bowl, combine with 4 tablespoons of water, and leave to congeal for 10-15 minutes.
4. Peel bananas, and mash in a large mixing bowl.
5. Add teff flour, buckwheat flour, tapioca flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, baking powder, cacao powder, and maca if using.
6. Pour maple syrup, chia egg, and melted coconut oil into bowl, and mix until evenly combined (if your mixture is looking a little dry, add an extra tablespoon of water to bring it together).
7. Grease 6 silicon muffin moulds, and fill with half way with batter mixture.
8. Dollop in 1 tablespoon of peanut butter, then fill mould the rest of the way with batter to cover the peanut butter completely.
9. Place in oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre does not come out wet.
10. Remove from oven and allow to stand. Once cool enough to touch, transfer from moulds to a wire rack to cool completely.
11. Spread each muffin generously with remaining peanut butter, and sprinkle with cacao nibs.
1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius fan forced.
2. Use a spice grinder or small blender attachment to blitz your chia seeds into a fine meal (skip this step if using pre-ground chia meal).
3. Place chia meal in a small bowl, combine with 4 tablespoons of water, and leave to congeal for 10-15 minutes.
4. Peel bananas, and mash in a large mixing bowl.
5. Add teff flour, buckwheat flour, tapioca flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, baking powder, cacao powder, and maca if using.
6. Pour maple syrup, chia egg, and melted coconut oil into bowl, and mix until evenly combined (if your mixture is looking a little dry, add an extra tablespoon of water to bring it together).
7. Grease 6 silicon muffin moulds, and fill with half way with batter mixture.
8. Dollop in 1 tablespoon of peanut butter, then fill mould the rest of the way with batter to cover the peanut butter completely.
9. Place in oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre does not come out wet.
10. Remove from oven and allow to stand. Once cool enough to touch, transfer from moulds to a wire rack to cool completely.
11. Spread each muffin generously with remaining peanut butter, and sprinkle with cacao nibs.
At only 20 years-old, Victoria is passionate about eating real food, cooking, and educating people through her blogs. She’s currently studying a bachelor of Nutritional Medicine at Endeavour College of Natural Therapies in Melbourne, check out her website to find more nuggets of wisdom!
