Food

Food For Strength: The Benefits of Nuts And Recipes

A lot of people today have opted for a dairy-free diet, which usually includes a lot of substitutions with nuts. Choosing to drop dairy helps your body reduce inflammation and overall feel less sluggish but it’s also better for animals and the environment. Other than making great milks, cheeses and being more eco than dairy, there’s a lot of benefits for our bodies when we consume them.

Benefits:

  • Brain Power: foods like nuts work wonders on our minds. Consuming nuts helps with things like memory, cognitive function and an overall healthy head. Like meditation helps us strengthen our minds, nuts do the same, so they’re an ideal food to give not only your body energy but your brain also. 
  • Vitamin & Mineral Packed: nuts are filled with essentials to help our body run smoothly. This includes things like magnesium, which reduces stress, zinc, for immune boost and is rich with antioxidants, which protect your cells. 
  • Strong Hair, Skin & Nails: because nuts are filled with healthy fats like omega-6 and omega-3, we naturally get benefits like glowy hair, skin and nails. They’re also filled with calcium which helps to grow our hair and nails while making them and your bones stronger. Plus, the high amount of calcium is another reason it’s a good dairy alternative.
  • Healthy Snacking: nuts make the perfect healthy snack whether you’re on the go or sitting at home to keep you healthily energized. You’ll feel good post-snack rather than sluggish if you reach for something packaged. The high healthy fat content also satisfies cravings for salty and even sweet.

 

We’ve put together a few recipes you’ll actually go nuts over and that are super easy:

What also makes them so great is that they’re super versatile, meshing well with both salty and sweet. They’re great for making into a drink, topping, desserts and more! The good thing about these recipes is that can make so many alternatives to these depending on what you’re looking for. Use different types of nuts, sweetened and unsweetened, or add in vanilla or other spices, the list can really go on. 

Almond Milk from Running on Real Food:

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup almonds
  • 4 cups filtered water (filtered water is not totally necessary, your choice)
  • pinch of sea salt (approx. 1/4-1/2 tsp)
  • optional: 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • optional: 1-2 medjool dates or 1 tbsp pure maple syrup

Directions:

  • Soak the almonds in water in a glass bowl for 8-24 hours.
  • When the almonds have finished soaking, strain (discard the water they soaked in) and rinse well.
  • Add the rinsed, soaked almonds, salt and water to a high-speed blender. Add the dates and vanilla if using.
  • Blend on high for 60 seconds until smooth, creamy and frothy.
  • Either pour right into a container for storing or strain through a nut milk bag for smooth, creamy homemade almond milk. The leftover almond meal can be discarded or used in baking, oatmeal or to make granola. I like to strain it into a large glass measuring cup and then pour it into my storage container after straining. My large measuring cup has a spout so it’s easy to pour from. If you strain into a bowl, a funnel will make it easier to pour into a storage jar.
  • Store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Pecan Butter from This Healthy Kitchen: 

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups pecans
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt
  • 1 tbsp unrefined coconut sugar (optional)
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon (optional)

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a large tray with parchment paper. Place the pecans in a single layer and bake for 5 minutes and remove from the oven.
  2. Transfer the pecans to a food processor and the salt, and any optional ingredients if using. Process on high speed, scraping down the sides often. The mixture will turn from a crumbly mixture and eventually into creamy, delicious pecan butter. Depending on your machine, this can take anywhere from 3-10 minutes. You may want to stop the machine every couple of minutes or so to give it a break and avoid overheating.
  3. Store in a glass jar with lid at room temperature for up to 1 week, or store in the refrigerator for up to 4 weeks.

 

Vegan Flix Mix from hot for food blog:

Ingredients:

  • 3 C Crispix cereal
  • 3 C Cheerios cereal
  • 3 C pretzel sticks
  • 3 C “cheddar” squares (or another bite sized cracker)
  • 1 C roasted cashews
  • 2/3 C vegan butter
  • 1/3 C vegan Worcestershire
  • 1 tsp garam masala
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tbsp garlic salt

Directions:

  1. Combine cereals, pretzels, crackers, and cashews in a large baking dish or pan.

  2. In a small sauce pan, melt the butter and once it’s melted remove from the heat. Then whisk in worcestershire, garam masala, and cinnamon. Pour this mixture on the contents of the baking dish and add garlic salt. Then toss to coat all the pieces evenly with the butter mixture.

  3. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes at 250°F, tossing every 10 to 15 minutes.

     

Chocolate Cream Pie from Meghan Telpner: 

Ingredients:

Crust
  • 1 cup medjool dates
  • ½ cup almonds, coarsely chopped
  • ½ cup pecans, coarsely chopped
  • ¼ cup unsweetened shredded, dried coconut
  • 1 Tbsp coconut oil
  • pinch of salt
Filling
  • ¾ cup coconut milk
  • ½ cup water
  • 2 cups cashews
  • ½ cup maple syrup
  • ⅓ cup coconut oil
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • ½ cup cacao powder

Directions:

Crust
  1. In your food processor, combine dates, almonds, pecans, coconut, coconut oil, salt and process until it’s a crumbly texture that sticks together between your fingers.
  2. Transfer to a 9 inch round pie dish and press down evenly and firmly around the bottom and up the sides. Set aside while you make the filling.
Filling
  1. In your high speed blender, blend together coconut milk, water, cashews, maple syrup, coconut oil, and vanilla extract. Blend until smooth. If using a food processor, pause every so often to clean down the sides and then process until smooth.
  2. Reserve 2 Tbsp of mixture and set aside.
  3. Add cacao to the blender and mix until fully integrated.
  4. Pour cacao mix into your pie crust.
  5. Drizzle on the reserved white mixture and then using a knife, gently swirly it around to create the white and brown pattern. Once swirled, give the pie a little jiggle to level out the filling.
  6. Transfer to freezer to set.

Serving

  1. Remove from freezer 10 minutes before serving.
  2. Option to drizzle on melted chocolate.
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