Nuts seem to be the talk of the (nutrition) town these days – especially almonds. It’s no wonder… almonds have 4 grams of fiber and 6 grams of protein per serving, not to mention they are high in healthy monounsaturated fats, which help lower LDL (bad) cholesterol. Beyond that, almonds are a fantastic snack choice because they have a low glycemic index (GI), which means your blood sugar won’t spike (when your blood sugar spikes from high GI foods, it leads to the inevitable sugar crash & cravings later). Hmm… I think I need to do a post on blood sugar levels and glycemic index… what do you think?
In the meantime, it’s a great idea to start adding almonds into your day. Perhaps toss them on a salad, grab a handful as a snack, spread some almond butter on toast or a piece of fruit like an apple or a banana. Go nuts! (hehe)
And if you’re looking for a new twist on almonds, try this recipe!
Honey Spiced Almonds
- 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 6 cups whole almonds, unsalted
- 1/3 c. raw honey
- 2 tsp. smoked paprika
- 2 tsp. cinnamon
- 2 tsp. cumin
- 2 tsp. cayenne
- 2 tbsp. salt
- 4 tbsp. sesame seeds
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Heat a large saute pan on high, and add olive oil. Add almonds to pan, toast for 1 minute stirring often, and reduce heat to low. Continue to stir until the almonds are light golden brown, 6-7 minutes. Add honey and spices, salt and sesame seeds; stir to coat evenly. Spread nuts out evenly on to a large sheet tray and place in the oven until honey is dry, 10-15 minutes. Allow nuts to cool before serving or storing.
Nourished. by Jenna 