It’s no secret that nuts have slowly risen to popularity in recent years. All you have to do is take a stroll through the grocery store and you’ll find they have made their way into a wide variety of products. From nut butters, milks and cheeses to ice creams, trail mixes and other snack options; nuts have proven themselves as highly valuable when it comes to our health and diet.
Nuts provide several macronutrients essential to our health and diet including carbohydrates, lipids (fats) and proteins. Each nut varies in the amount of nutrients it renders, but across the board nuts are generally high in fats. Now don’t be worried about the word “fat” here, the fats I am talking about are good, healthy and essential to the human body at the cellular level. Nuts provide specifically monounsaturated fats, which can lower LDLs (low-density lipoproteins) in the bloodstream while maintaining healthy levels of HDLs (high-density lipoproteins). Simply put, nuts have the ability to lower “bad cholesterol” and maintain “good cholesterol”. Not only that, nuts are high in fiber, proteins, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and can lower risk of heart disease and reduce chronic diseases.
With all their nutritional value, nuts are a great food to have on hand and to incorporate into your everyday diet. You can add nut products to your home in so many ways as they are readily available in almost any grocery store. One of my favorite snacks I like to munch on is a mix of home-roasted seasoned nuts. This recipe is easy; allowing you to reap the nutritional benefits all the while enjoying a tasty twist that will have you going nuts! It can be made in bulk to last you longer and can be modified to your personal taste and nut preferences.
Recipe
1 lb. mixed nuts (I like to use almonds, cashews, pecans and walnuts)
3 tbsp. honey (I like to use Manuka honey)
1 tbsp. butter (If you’re looking for a healthier option, grass fed butter is always good)
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup white sugar
Directions
Preheat the oven to 325°F and line a roasting tray with baking parchment paper.
Place the honey and butter in a pot and slowly heat until melted and cohesive. Then stir in the cinnamon, cayenne pepper, nutmeg and ginger, add the nuts and stir until they are well coated.
Spread out the nuts on an oven pan (line it with parchment paper to avoid a messy clean up) and roast for about 20 minutes, giving them a little stir every five. The nuts should be slightly browned but not burnt.
Leave to cool for about a minute. In the meantime, mix together the salt and sugar in a bowl large enough to add in the nuts. Add the nuts (which should still be warm) and stir together until they are evenly coated. You may adjust the sugar/salt as you like.
Return the nuts to the tray and leave to cool completely before eating or storing for later.
If you’re looking for a new and healthier snack option, look no further; you walnut regret trying this delicious recipe!
And that’s the dirt!