We're Getting Nutty for National Nut Day

We’re a little nutty today because it’s National Nut Day! We invite you to celebrate with us by embracing one of our favorite snack foods. Nuts are nutritional powerhouses and environmental heroes.

• It takes two years and about 13 pounds of grain to produce one pound of beef, but a four-acre orchard can produce up to 8,000 pounds of nuts in one year.
• Nuts have been consumed since 10,000 B.C. They have been ground into pastes and flours, pressed into oils and blended with water to produce beverages.
• Swap meatloaf for nut loaf made with walnuts, sesame seeds and lentils. Nuts derive up to 18 percent of their calories from protein, seeds up to 25 percent. For a complete protein, combine nuts with legumes — as nuts and seeds (except peanuts) are deficient in the amino acid lysine.
• Nuts, which contain anticancer and heart-protective properties, are a concentrated food source of proteins, unsaturated fats, B-complex vitamins, calcium, iron, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus and copper. Their oil-rich kernels are one of the best vegetable sources of vitamin E.
• Pecans, filberts and peanuts contain estrogen and regulate insulin, but are the most likely to trigger allergic reactions. Brazil nuts are rich in antioxidants and selenium. Cancer-fighting walnuts also reduce cholesterol and are rich in omega 3s. Almonds help reduce cholesterol, and one ounce of sesame seeds has three times the iron as one ounce of beef liver.
• Patients with Parkinson’s disease have been found to have a lack of nuts in their diet. One study found that women who eat 5-ounces of nuts a week have a significantly lower risk of heart disease.
• Purchase organic nuts from a store with high turnover to guarantee freshness. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator to prevent oxidation and rancidity.

We’re crazy for these little gems with big nutrition. They make us want to dance and strut and pop nuts into our guts!