Nuts are an extremely versatile snack option and are super healthy! Besides putting them out at parties, in lunchboxes, or even in dinner dishes, these tiny delicious morsels are packed with loads of nutritional value. Here at The Berry Lady, we sell an array of different nut types guaranteed to activate your cravings for something crunchy. In this post, we list 18 nutty facts that will definitely make you rethink the way you look at nuts. Here are 18 facts about nuts that are totally nuts!
ALMONDS
Due to their high content of protein and fiber, these nuts have become a widely popular healthy snack. But did you know...
1. Almonds are especially high in magnesium, a mineral that many of us don’t get enough of. High magnesium intake may offer major improvements for metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes.
2. Almonds are sometimes referred to as ‘The queen of the rose family.’ Who knew? Am I right?
3. Almonds are completely reliant on wild bees and honey bees for crop pollination. If there were no bees, there would be no almonds.
Brazil nuts
The Brazil nut tree is not only native to Brazil, but to Peru and Bolivia. As the Brazil nut is not as popular as the Almond, not many know of the nutritious value and crazy benefits that come with eating even just one nut a day.
4. The Brazil nut is the best food source for a mineral called Selenium. Selenium is a mineral that is extremely important for the proper functioning of your body, and just one kernel contains 100% of your daily requirement.
5. The Brazil nut tree is one of the largest and most long-lived trees in the Amazon rain forest.
6. The Brazil nut is not actually a nut but a seed that grows on the Brazil nut tree.
Cashew nuts
A crowd favorite, cashew nuts are not only yummy but interesting to learn about as well!
7. Cashew nuts are found at the bottom of a fruit called the cashew apple.
8. Even though cashew nuts can be bought ‘raw’ they are already cooked after they are harvested for the nut to be released from the shell.
9. Cashews are never sold with their shells on as their shells contain a toxic oil that is extremely harmful to digest.
Macadamia
Even though macadamia nuts are high in calories, they are filled with healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals making them the perfect snack to add to your diet.
10. Macadamia nuts may reduce hunger and promote feelings of fullness due to the high content of protein and fiber, which can benefit weight loss.
11. Macadamia nuts are indigenous to Australia, yet most of the world’s macadamia nuts are grown in Hawaii.
12. September 4th is known as National Macadamia Nut Day in the United States.
Pecan nuts
Pecan nuts are actually a species of hickory indigenous to the southern united states and northern Mexico. These nuts are used in numerous baked goods such as the holiday fan favorite, pecan nut pie.
13. Pecan nuts are an excellent source of vitamin E, vitamin A, zinc, folate, and phosphorous which play an important role in maintaining good skin.
14. There are over 1,000 varieties of pecans. Many are named for Native American Indian tribes, including Cheyenne, Mohawk, Sioux, Choctaw, and Shawnee.
15. The U.S. produces about 80 percent of the world’s pecan crop.
Walnuts
These tasty treats are botanically classified as fruit even though they are considered tree nuts, and have been part of the human diet for thousands of years. Yes, I said ‘thousands’!
16. Walnuts have a higher level of antioxidants and omega-3 than any other nut.
17. Walnuts are grouped as being one of the oldest tree foods known to man as it’s been traced all the way back to 7000 B.C
18. A walnut tree can produce walnuts for up to 100 years.
If you didn't know much about nuts before, you sure know about them now. Besides all the nutritional value and interesting histories of these nuts, they remain a yummy snack the whole family will enjoy. If all this talk about nuts made you as peckish as it made me, make sure to visit The Berry Lady to stock up on all your favorite nuts this season!