ALMONDS — THE CLOSE-TO-PERFECT NUT
Almonds are terrific! They taste great, are perfectly portable, can be used in so many ways, and are extra healthy. I buy Trader Joe’s “Just a handful of Raw Almonds” packets, which contain thirteen 1.25 oz bags. And then, every day, one-by-one I pop these crunchy and tasty nuts as my mid-morning snack.
Researching almonds for this post, I found a number of things I didn’t know about them including:
- We call them nuts, but an almond is actually the edible seed of a drupe, a fruit in which the outer layers are usually not eaten of Prunus dulcis, more commonly called the almond tree.
- They are native to the Middle East, but California is the world’s largest grower, producing 80% of the globe’s almonds.
- They’ve been cultivated for 5,000 years and are even mentioned in the first book of the Bible, Genesis, as a prized food given as gifts.
- Almond trees are entirely dependent on honeybees & wild bees to pollinate the blossoms and grow the almond drupe.
Almonds are available raw, blanched, dry-roasted and oil-roasted. You can buy them whole, sliced, chopped, or slivered. They are most often found plain or salted. And raw almonds are nutritionally comparable to dry-roasted. Almond milk is of course dairy free but is also free of cholesterol and lactose.
Here’s information on just how healthy almonds are from the Almond Board of California:
No-Nonsense Nutrition
Ounce for ounce, almonds are one of the most nutrient-rich nuts on earth. Just one crunchy handful of almonds is a satisfying way to load up on important vitamins and minerals that your body needs to dominate every hour. Allow us to elaborate on almond nutrition…
- Almonds are an excellent source of vitamin E, magnesium and manganese, and a good source of fiber, copper, phosphorous and riboflavin.
- A one-ounce serving has 13 grams of “good” unsaturated fats, just 1 gram of saturated fat and is always cholesterol free.
Cue the Calcium
Almonds’ nutrition is no one-trick pony. In fact, every crunch carries one mineral that most people don’t even think of in nuts: calcium. Usually associated with dairy and dark leafy greens, calcium works with vitamin D to build your bones and keep your body’s systems running at peak performance.
- When compared ounce for ounce, almonds are the nut highest in calcium, boasting 75mg per ounce.
The Skinny on Fat
Almond benefits provide 4 grams of filling fiber and 6 grams of protein per ounce to keep you feeling energized and satisfied.
- If you like to mix things up, other almond forms contain protein in every ounce, too—such as almond butter (6g per ounce serving) and almond flour (6g per ¼ cup serving).
- Almonds are considered a good fit with many popular weight-loss plans because they provide stellar satiety, plentiful nutrients per calorie, and great, go-with-every-food flavor and crunch.
- What about calories in almonds? a one-ounce serving of almonds (about 23 nuts) has just 129 calories
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So, all things considered, almonds are as close to perfect as a nut can get. Plus they’re so darn tasty!