Our consumption of walnuts is usually limited since this nut is too energetic and rich in fats. It is a shame!
Walnuts do not only provide healthy fatty acids, they are also rich in vitamins and minerals that help us to stay healthy.
Health benefits
The list of nutrients provided by walnuts is long.
It includes potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, calcium, zinc, copper, vitamin B9, B6, E, A...
Walnuts also contribute substantial amounts of dietary fiber which makes them useful in case of constipation.
The main interest of walnuts is their content in fatty acids. They are high in poly and monounsaturated fats and especially linoleic and alpha-linolenic acid. Those two acids cannot be synthesized by our body and must be provided daily. They are called Essential Fatty Acids.
They are involved in the manufacture of certain hormones, part of the cell's membrane, they regulate the cholesterol...
5 walnuts (28 g) supply our daily needs in those acids.
Alpha-linolenic acid is an omega-3 fatty acids. This family of acids has an anti-inflammatory action. Walnut is therefore useful in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and itchy skin conditions. (Dry skin is usually the first sign of an essential fatty acid deficiency).
The high amount of unsaturated fats in the walnut helps us keep our blood cholesterol down. Walnuts lower blood cholesterol with a rise in HDL (called "good" cholesterol) and a drop in LDL (called "bad" cholesterol). Therefore, walnuts may reduce heart disease risks.
Studies suggest that people who eat walnuts are less likely to develop coronary heart diseases and heart attacks.
Walnuts are also a good source of proteins. They contain 15.23 g. of protein per 100 g; it is equivalent to 100 g of chicken.
Walnuts are rich in calories. They can help people with small appetites, such as elderly and convalescents, to meet their daily calories requirements.
Caution: Never eat walnuts that taste bitter. This means oxidation has started with possible harmful effects.
How to eat it?
Freshly shelled walnuts are delicious eaten raw or cooked; you can add them to any type of dishes.
Roasted or toasted they can be served as an appetizer.
Raw, they can be added to many salads: carrots, celery root, lettuce...
Cooked, you will enjoy them in grain dishes such as rice pilaf or pasta. They can be added on a stuffing (stuffed zucchinis or tomatoes).
You can add them chopped to a baked apple or pear.
They are often used in the making of cookies, cakes, breads, muffins...
Combined with other nuts they can be an healthy snack.
Walnut oil is another way to benefit from their fatty acids (but not their fibers). Walnut oil is wonderful in salad but does not react well to heating.
Walnuts are soft and you can easily chop them by hand if you need large pieces, otherwise you can use a blender or a food processor.
Do not chop walnut until you are ready to use them.
How to roast walnuts? Simply spread them onto a baking sheet and place them in the oven for a few minutes (until lightly brown).
To toast them, place them in a skillet with a little bit of oil.
Peak season
Walnuts can be sold in or out their shell.
Walnuts in cans or vacuum-sealed bag can be found year round.
Fresh walnuts in the shell are abundant in the fall and early winter.
Choose those with undamaged shells. Look out for scars, tiny wormholes...
Each nuts should feel heavy and the kernel should not rattle when the shell is shaken.
Storage
Because of their high fat contents, walnuts quickly go rancid.
Heat, light and humidity will speed spoilage.
The best way to preserve them is to buy them in the shell.
If they are placed in a cold place you can keep them for several months and up to a year.
Chopped and ground walnuts turn rancid more easily than shelled walnuts.
Keep them in an airtight container, in a cool and dark place. You do not want to keep them more than a month.
Nutritional values
|
Nutrients
|
Units
|
Walnuts
|
|
Water
|
g
|
4.07
|
| Energy |
kcal
|
654
|
| Protein |
g
|
15.23
|
| Total lipid (fat) |
g
|
65.21
|
| Carbohydrate |
g
|
13.71
|
| Fiber, total dietary |
g
|
6.7
|
|
Minerals
|
||
| Calcium |
mg
|
98
|
| Iron |
mg
|
2.91
|
| Magnesium |
mg
|
158
|
| Phosphorus |
mg
|
346
|
| Potassium |
mg
|
441
|
| Sodium |
mg
|
2
|
| Zinc |
mg
|
3.09
|
| Copper |
mg
|
1.586
|
| Manganese |
mg
|
3.414
|
| Selenium |
mcg
|
4.6
|
|
Vitamins
|
||
| Vitamin C |
mg
|
1.3
|
| B-1 (thiamin) |
mg
|
0.341
|
| B-2 (riboflavin) |
mg
|
0.15
|
| B-3 (niacin) |
mg
|
1.987
|
| B-5 (pantothenic acid) |
mg
|
0.57
|
| B-6 (pyridoxine) |
mg
|
0.537
|
| Folate |
mcg
|
98
|
| B-12 |
mcg
|
0
|
| Vitamin A |
I.U
|
41
|
| Vitamin A |
mcg RE
|
4
|
| Vitamin E |
mcg ATE
|
2.916
|
|
Lipids
|
||
| Fatty acids, saturated |
g
|
6.126
|
| Fatty acids, monounsaturated |
g
|
8.933
|
| Fatty acids, polyunsaturated |
g
|
47.174
|
| Linoleic acid (18:2) |
g
|
38.092
|
| Alpha-linolenic acid (18:3) |
g
|
9.08
|
| Cholesterol |
mg
|
0
|
Realized by Laurence LIVERNAIS-SAETTEL, dietetian
© Copyright L. Livernais-Saettel 2000
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