Go Nuts Today: National Nut Day

23 October 2012

Go Nuts Today: National Nut Day

Today is National Nut Day – the day we celebrate all things great about nuts. It is the day to take a bow to the nutritious and delicious nut, a pantry staple in New Zealand and across the world.

The people behind Alison’s Pantry and Mother Earth are out to make sure Kiwis are aware of the benefits of including nuts as part of an everyday diet. To do this, they have commissioned researchers from the University of Otago to complete a literature review to condense all the research on nuts into credible, bite-sized morsels.

The research found nuts to be a natural powerhouse of different vitamins and minerals, and that a diet high in nuts can be beneficial in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease, promoting weight loss and even reducing fine lines and wrinkles.

The NZ Nutrition Foundation recommends a daily intake of a handful of nuts (or 30g), which costs as little as $1 a day. Thirty grams of nuts equates to around 20 almonds or 15 cashews.

All nuts contain less than 5.5g of saturated fat per 30g and are easy to carry around which makes them the perfect guilt-free snack.

Sue Pollard, CEO of the New Zealand Nutrition Foundation, says including a variety of nuts in the diet is a good idea for optimal health.

“Nuts are a nutritionally dense food and mixing up the types you eat will provide you with different health benefits. The great thing about nuts is you only need to eat a handful to get a wide range of antioxidants, healthy fats, vitamins and minerals.

“With such a large selection of nuts available, there is type of nut available for everyone. Nuts are the ultimate fast food; tasty, convenient and affordable,” she says.

For further information on nuts and inspiring recipe ideas visit http://www.alisonspantry.co.nz or the Mother Earth Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/MotherEarthNZ.

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