Nutritious miracle nut by Boris Lauser

Boris Lauser trägt eine schwarze Kochjacke mit grünen Nähten und eine schwarze Strickmütze. Er steht vor einer hellen Backsteinwand und lächelt leicht. Im Hintergrund liegen verschiedene Nüsse wie Walnüsse, Mandeln und Haselnüsse.

Rich in healthy fats, proteins and minerals such as magnesium and iron - ideal for a balanced diet

Author: Raw Food Chef Boris Lauser

Nuts are a true nutritional miracle and also taste incredibly delicious. Unfortunately, the benefits of nuts and their culinary splendour are often underestimated. Many people are even sometimes afraid of nuts because of their high calorie density and fat content. This article explains why this is a misconception and what nuts really have to offer.

Benefits of nuts

Nuts have a variety of benefits for the human body and for the preparation of delicious meals. According to studies, eating nuts accelerates the body's burning mechanism and thus influences how quickly and efficiently the body burns calories. This already puts the slightly higher calorie content of nuts into perspective, as in the end it is the total calorie balance of calories consumed and calories consumed that determines whether you gain or lose weight, and nuts have a positive influence here.

Does fat in nuts make you fat?

Nuts have a high fat content. That is correct. However, they are predominantly monounsaturated and polyunsaturated vegetable fats, which are essential for the body and correlate with an increased nutrient intake of phytochemicals, vitamins and antioxidants and are associated with lower cholesterol levels and a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. For example, one study found that the intake of beta-carotene from carrots and lycopene from tomatoes in a salad with fat-free or low-fat dressing was almost zero. With a medium fat content in the dressing, the proportion of nutrients absorbed already increased and with a high fat content, the maximum absorption in the body was reached. This clearly shows that an extremely low-fat diet cannot be healthy in the long term. Nuts and oilseeds are particularly suitable for increasing the body's fat intake, as they are wholesome foods that are better metabolised than isolated oils and consist mainly of unsaturated vegetable fatty acids - a major advantage of nuts. Of course, this also applies to all mousses made from nuts, as the whole nut is used here. A nut butter is therefore still a wholesome product. You just need to be aware of whether other things are added, such as sugar, binding agents and cheap palm fat. High-quality nut butters are usually pure and contain no other ingredients apart from the nut.

Nuts are protein bombs

What many people don't realise is that nuts are extremely good sources of protein. The protein content of nuts is 15 - 35%, which for most nuts far exceeds the protein content of animal products. Pumpkin seeds are at the top with 35%, but almonds, cashews and cedar kernels are also very high in protein with around 20%. Nuts alone do not cover the entire amino acid spectrum, i.e. they must be combined with other protein sources such as pulses and cereals to cover all the essential amino acids. Here you can already see clearly that when nuts and seeds are integrated into the diet, it is easy to meet the daily requirement for all the important protein building blocks and therefore these should definitely be included in the daily diet and, if possible, the whole range of nuts and seeds in order to utilise not only proteins but also the many other important minerals and vitamins that can be found in these power packs.

Minerals in nuts

The high mineral content is another advantage of nuts.

Cashews: tryptophan and iron

Cashews come with a good portion of tryptophan, an essential amino acid. Tryptophan is needed in the body to produce serotonin and therefore raises serotonin levels, which in turn can have a positive effect on our mood and also our sleep, as serotonin is linked to the hormone melatonin. Cashews also have a higher iron content than other nuts and are therefore a particularly good source in a vegan diet.

Brazil nuts: Selenium

Brazil nuts are rich in selenium, an essential mineral. At least on average. However, as it is a wild-growing nut, the values vary greatly, so it is not possible to say exactly how much a nut contains. Overall, however, it can be said that eating Brazil nuts can improve selenium levels. => Warn against excessive consumption.

Almonds: Magnesium, calcium and potassium

Almonds have the lowest amount of saturated fatty acids compared to other nuts. They are also ahead in many other nutrients. They are rich in magnesium, vitamin E, calcium and potassium. Homemade almond milk is therefore the absolute nutrient winner here and the protein-rich pomace can then be used to make wonderful breads, raw food cakes, cupcakes and much more. Almonds are also a popular nut for making pesto in southern Italy.

Macadamia: Potassium and calcium

The macadamia is the nut with the most calories and fat and does not offer quite as much nutritional value as the almond. It also has less protein than all other nuts. Nevertheless, it has a good content of potassium and calcium and should not be missing from your nut stash simply because of its extraordinary flavour.

Pistachios: Potassium

Pistachios have a high protein content and are way ahead when it comes to potassium with over 1000mg per 100g of pistachios. They also have good levels of magnesium, calcium and iron. And there's nothing like a delicious pistachio ice cream or pistachio pesto.

Ground nuts: Potassium and magnesium

Peanuts are a very good source of protein and also provide a lot of potassium as well as good levels of magnesium. For a long time, peanuts were somewhat discredited due to their allegedly high aflatoxin content. However, with increasing controls and hygiene measures, this is no longer an issue, especially if you buy high-quality organic produce.

Walnuts: Omega-3

Alongside chia, linseed and hemp seeds, the local walnut is a very good source of the important omega-3 fatty acids. They also have a good potassium content and very good magnesium levels.

Hazelnuts: Potassium and iron

It's hard to imagine the world of nut spreads, ice creams and chocolates without hazelnuts. In addition to its very special flavour, it also has very good potassium and iron levels as well as significant amounts of calcium.

Raw nuts: A question of quality

As with other foods, there are of course considerable differences in the quality of nuts. This starts with the cultivation and the working conditions on the farms. I once visited a sustainable cashew farm in Bali and was very impressed by the climate there. The workplaces were beautifully situated on a mountain with a great view. All hygiene measures were observed, the children of the working women were looked after on site and the working hours were adhered to. This ensures that only the best quality nuts are produced, even though this should be a matter of course. Furthermore, during processing the nuts are often treated with chemicals or heated during the process, for example to prevent the growth of aflatoxins or other substances that can shorten the shelf life. This is of course at the expense of the valuable nutrients. That is why the company Keimling Naturkost ensures that only the most nutrient-preserving methods are used throughout the entire process chain and that the nuts retain their nutrient-rich raw food quality. This is also noticeable in the flavour. The cashew nuts, for example, are incomparably creamy during processing and taste pure and natural, in comparison to the often almost musty flavour and smell of low-quality kernels.

All in all, you can clearly see the benefits of nuts and that they have more than earned their place in your daily shopping basket. It's best to keep a small stock of different nuts so that you always have some on hand and can easily integrate them into different dishes. Nuts enhance every dish, whether it's your morning oat porridge, muesli, salads, breads, pasta, rice dishes and, of course, all desserts, cakes and ice creams. You can find lots of ideas on what you can conjure up from these nutrient-rich nuts on the following pages.

Let's go nuts,