The benefits of the healthy carb/fat ratio of nuts are invaluable and are easily digested when prepared properly.
Over here I showed you how to roast your own almonds, which can be done with any nut, though keep in mind walnuts and cashews are softer than almonds and will roast up a bit faster. The bottom line is the soaking and roasting helps pull out some of the Phytic acid, which makes the nuts easier for your body to digest. Nobody likes that heavy grumbly brick-in-the-belly feeling when you can’t digest what you just ate!
Nuts are one of those food groups that not everyone in our household likes. Let’s, for the fun of lists, just take a lookie at my family and nuts (I’m sure this will resonate with you and yours?)
Family members noted as: Nichi (N), Chad (C), Sunny (S), Annie (A), Odin (O)
Nut Likes Dislikes
Macadamia N,O C,S,A
Peanuts (technically a legume) N,C,S,A,O
Almonds N,C,S(only when roasted), A(only when frozen-go figure),O
Walnuts N, C,(only when ground and can’t be tasted) S,A(only when cinnamon/Tamari roasted),O
Cashews N,C,S,A(only when cinnamon/Tamari roasted),O(Though he currently can’t eat them)
So you can see what I’ve got to work with here, people. For the love, when I buy nuts there are all these rules as to who will eat them, where, how, and when. Chad doesn’t like the crunch of nuts in other foods, like in baking, so I grind them up and add them and he doesn’t even know they’re there. The kids are the same way—there are nuts in every muffin this mama serves up!
Then there’s peanuts-they could all eat peanuts ’til the cows come home, though I only buy those every other grocery run due to the concern around fungus and molds with peanuts.
They will eat every granola bar I make them. Bonus points if I cover them in chocolate or stir chocolate chips into the mix, but who doesn’t benefit from chocolate?
In order to have my people eat more nuts, I have been roasting them in yumminess like Tamari sauce, coconut aminos or a cinnamon mix.
Check this recipe out for cinnamon crispy nuts and tell me you don’t love them, too! We find all kinds of reasons to gobble these down….chop them over yogurt or hot cereal, add them to trail mix, grab on the go with a piece of fruit. They would even make the greatest little hostess gift or a quick thank you for someone in your life. Full of love and mild sweetness, everyone will adore the TLC you put into them.
Cinnamon Crispy Walnuts
Ingredients
- 2 cups walnuts
- 2 tablespoons real maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon coconut sugar optional
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
- I use an 8x8 glass pyrex dish as it's easy to clean (if you give it a quick soak right after dumping the nuts out).
- Right into the dish itself add all the above ingredients and stir to coat all the nuts.
- Bake for 15 minutes though watch your oven closely as you don't want them to burn. Take them out a bit earlier if need be, but 15 minutes is perfect for our oven.
- When they're done I stir them right away making certain to coat all the nuts again and I dump them out onto a piece of parchment paper to cool. Once cool, break them apart and store in a glass jar. Believe me, they won't last long.
- Note: you can use almonds or cashews in this recipe. They work as well as walnuts.
