A Sweet Macadamia Nut Celebration

Nuts come in a variety of shapes and sizes and are an important part of a healthy eating plan. Though every nut has something special to offer, I am highlighting the macadamia nut in this post in celebration of National Macadamia Nut Day on September 4^th. While you often find macadamia nuts covered in chocolate or as an ingredient in your favorite cookie, these small round shaped nuts have a lot of health benefits in and of themselves.

The round cream colored macadamia nut grows off of a tree that can produce the nuts for over 100 years. These trees were discovered thousands of years ago in the rainforests of eastern Australia and are now grown in various tropical parts of the world. The sweet taste of the macadamia nut has given them global popularity as they are used as an ingredient in a lot of recipes and they are the star ingredient in the famous macadamia nut cookie.

Despite the fact that macadamia nuts are actually toxic to dogs (I didn’t know this until I researched about this nut), they are a nutritious, rich source of energy for humans to eat. Though macadamia nuts have quite a bit of fat per serving compared to other nuts, they contain predominantly monounsaturated fats which are responsible for the health benefits they provide. These fats which are also found in olive oil are heart healthy and beneficial to the cardiovascular system. The healthy fat found in macadamia nuts has been linked to improved blood lipid profiles and reduced coronary risks.

Like all nuts, macadamia nuts have a high fiber content, containing about 2.3 grams per 1 ounce serving (approximately 10-12 nuts). They also provide antioxidants and are an excellent source of minerals such as calcium, potassium, magnesium, iron, manganese and zinc and contain a percentage of B vitamins, like niacin, thiamin and riboflavin. However, a single serving of macadamia nuts provides 200 calories, so it is important to keep in mind the serving size when enjoying them as a nutrient-packed snack.

The great thing about macadamia nuts that set them apart from other nut varieties is that they have a very sweet flavor, which makes them a great nut to snack on by themselves (but again, keep it to about 10-12 nuts due to their calorie content).

So what are some tips and fun ways for you to incorporate these tasty nuts into your meals and snacks?

? Purchase macadamia nuts already cracked, because this nut is actually the most difficult nut to crack!

? Enjoy macadamia nuts by adding them to a homemade trail mix, ground them up in a food processor and use them as a filler or flavor enhancer in ground meat, poultry and seafood dishes.

? Process these nuts into a delicious nut butter, or add into baked recipes like bread, cookies and cakes.

Move over peanuts and peanut butter and make room for the macadamia nut.

Your turn to take action: Do you eat macadamia nuts? What’s your favorite way?