Nuts & Seeds
A nut is a large seed. While all nuts are seeds; not all seeds are nuts. Humans have been eating nuts for nearly 800,000 years according archeological evidence found in Israel. It is also believed that nuts, specifically almonds, were one of the first foods to be cultivated by farmers. Today, more than two billion pounds of tree nuts of all varieties are grown each year in the United States alone!
Each area of the world has its own indigenous nuts. Brazil nuts, which are actually large seeds, are native to South America. They grow inside pods in groups of 15 to 30 nuts. This nut was brought to Europe by Dutch traders in the 1600’s. Cashews are also native to South America and are widely cultivated in India and Africa. The most popular nut in the United States, the peanut, is not really a nut at all. It is a goober – a member of the pea family. In 1890, a St. Louis doctor made the first peanut butter when he pulverized peanuts for a patient who could not chew.
Nuts have been used in many other ways as well. Ancient Arabs used almonds to make marzipan, a sweet paste candy. As long ago as 8,000 years ago, Native Americans were making nut butters and flour from beech nuts, chestnuts, hickory nuts and walnuts. In the third century B.C.E. in China, hazelnuts were considered a sacred food, one of five “sacred nourishments” bestowed upon humans by the gods.
Nuts are very versatile and tasty sources of protein and healthy fats. They are also good sources of certain vitamins and minerals. For example, almonds provide vitamin E and magnesium, Brazil nuts are excellent sources of the antioxidant selenium, pecans provide zinc, and peanuts contain healthy amounts of vitamin E, vitamin B3 and zinc. Almonds and walnuts contain high concentrations of omega-3 fatty acids, the “good fats” that can help to reduce cholesterol levels and protect against the development of heart disease. Macadamia nuts have the highest concentration of heart-healthy unsaturated acids of all nuts.
Nuts are also a good source of protein, though it is incomplete protein that should be combined with a grain to make it complete. The most famous example of protein combining with nuts is, of course, the peanut butter sandwich. Most nuts have in the range of 12 to 18 grams of protein per ¼ cup. That’s about one sixth to one quarter of the total daily need for protein for most people. Nuts are also high in fat and calories, however, with somewhere around 200 calories in a ¼ cup serving. The good news is that when it comes to nuts, a little can go a long way. You can incorporate nuts into your diet by using them in recipes, on salads or in baking.