Nuts provide us with a lot of nutrition and is extremely good for our health. Are you talking about walnuts in that list? Probably then, the benefit list will simply never end. Walnuts nutrition facts are immense and can do wonders to your body. Even more, some of the recipes that have walnuts as their key ingredient are yummy and delicious. So, don’t you want to know some amazing nutrition facts, health benefits, and lip-smacking recipes? Scroll down and you’ll get it all right here in this blog!
Table of Contents
Walnuts Nutrition Facts
Before we show you some amazing walnut benefits, let’s focus on what are the walnuts nutrition facts.
So, below we have got for you a series of walnuts nutrition facts. Which are:
Low in Carbs
When you have one portion of walnuts, your body gets only about 3.8 grams of carbs. With a low amount of starch, that is approximately 0.017grams and 0.7g of natural sugar. Even more, walnuts contain mostly healthy fiber, which is good for you.
You must have heard that walnuts are low-glycemic foods. Which means each serving gives you only 1 load of glycemic.
Contains Healthy Fats
Do you often hear that walnuts have calories in them? Well, those calories come from the fat-content in walnuts. If you have a single serving of walnuts, you will consume 18grams of fat. But the fats present in walnuts are good and healthy fats. The fats found in walnuts are polyunsaturated fats, few monounsaturated fats, and very less amounts of saturated fats.
Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are good to maintain a healthy cardiovascular system. Some of the natural sources of these fats are avocados, seeds, and all types of nuts. Even more, you should consume these fats instead of having saturated fats to maintain a healthy heart.
High in Proteins
Along with the high amounts of healthy fats and fibers walnuts provide you with, it is high in proteins as well. If you have a single portion of walnuts, you will provide your body with 4grams of protein. Does that make walnuts nutrition facts amazingly rich and must-include in your diet?
Minerals and Vitamins
The walnuts nutrition facts are absolutely incomplete without having minerals and vitamins in it. They are high in copper, manganese, magnesium, phosphorus. Even more, you are giving your body good amounts of selenium, potassium, zinc, calcium, and iron too. Walnuts also contain vitamins like folate, thiamin, and vitamin b6.
Contains Plant Compounds
You will notice walnuts to have a high content of bioactive plant compounds in them. More so, their dark brown skin is simply loaded with antioxidants.
Are you thinking what plant compounds walnuts contain? Well, we haven’t really missed out on anything about walnuts!
Here, we have got for you a list of plant compounds present in walnuts. Which are:
Ellagic acid:
Ellagic acid is an antioxidant which is quite high in walnuts. It contains other compounds like ellagitannins as well. The ellagic acid helps to reduce heart problems and reduce the chances of cancer as well.
Catechin:
You will find walnuts to have flavonoid antioxidants like catechin, which helps you with numerous health benefits.
Melatonin:
Melatonin is a neurohormone that help you to regularize your body mechanism and clock. It may help you with heart problems as well.
Phytic acid:
You will find walnuts to contain phytic acid in them which is an extremely beneficial antioxidant. However, they may reduce the absorption of zinc and iron from walnuts itself. But it is applicable to people only having an imbalanced and irregular diet.
Walnuts Benefits on Health
After you have seen such fantastic walnuts nutrition facts, don’t you think it will help in keeping you healthy? It’s absolutely inevitable that walnuts help you in several ways and now we are going to specifically focus on that. Below is a list of health benefits of walnuts and why you should include them in your diet.
Walnuts benefits on health are as follows:
Helps to Keep Heart Healthy
You must be already aware that nuts help in heart health and reduces the chances of cardiovascular illnesses as well.
Research showed that a diet that is rich in walnuts improves levels of systolic blood pressure and LDL cholesterols. It showed its positive results in comparison to a low-calorie diet. More so, consuming walnuts also help in lowering BMI, waist circumference, and reduces obesity. Even more, the HDL or good cholesterol helps to reduce the chances of heart problems as well.
You already know that walnuts are high in polyunsaturated fats that keep your heart healthy and reduces the chances of its illnesses.
Helps in Weight Loss
Hasn’t your dietician asked you to include nuts in your diet? If yes, then you can just have walnuts and other nuts to reduce your weight. It is high in protein and fibers that will keep you full for long. More so, you will be curbed on trying your hands-on some junk food too. In fact, you must include fibrous foods to give your body glucose steadily and curb the chances of an unusual sugar level rise. Add walnuts to your diet in adequate amounts and you can be sure to lose out on that excess weight.
Improves Cognitive Health
You will find several studies declare that walnuts are good for young and people who age too. It improves brain health and reduces the chances of neurodegenerative diseases. Since walnuts are high in anti-inflammatory phytochemicals and antioxidants, your brain health is bound to improve. So, you can easily overcome cognitive decline that is age-related by having good portions of walnuts regularly.
Curbs chances of Prostate Cancer
You will find a study showing that, if you consume 75grams of walnuts daily, the chances of prostate cancer reduces. It improves vascular and prostate in men in order to do that. The study says that this happens due to the presence of tocopherol in large amounts present in walnuts.
But again, another study contradicted on the amounts of consumption daily and said 35grams of walnuts is beneficial. Although there are evident studies backing this claim against animals, but humans still require better research in this regard.
Curbs Inflammation
The dietary components present in walnuts helps in controlling inflammation. Further helping in cancer. But the adequate evidences lack in this regard too, as studies are yet to prove adequate benefits. However, the walnuts nutrition facts are long and you can always include them in your diet to enjoy the other benefits. A good amount of nuts always keeps you healthy and fit.
How to Include Walnuts in Food?
Walnuts are very rich in nutrition and extremely healthy to consume. You must include them in your diet to keep yourself healthy. But are you wondering how to eat walnut? Well, you can just have it raw, but it is so versatile, why not try your hands on some unique recipes? So, if you want to know some unique and innovative ways to include walnuts in your diet, scroll down!
A few interesting ways to have walnuts are:
Tuna Walnut Salad
Tuna Walnut Salad is a scrumptious recipe and you’re simply going to love it. To make this you need the following ingredients.
Ingredients to make Tuna Walnut Salad:
- First, you need a tin of water-packed tuna, that are flaked and drained. One tin is almost equivalent to six ounces.
- Then, you need to finely chop one big-sized celery rib.
- Use around 1/4th cup of walnuts. Dry roast them, as it tastes much better.
- Finely chop down the walnuts
- Some cinnamon powder
- Mayonnaise, preferably 3 tablespoons.
- Pepper and Salt
How to make the Tuna Walnut Salad?
- Take a salad bowl that has is wide to mix it well.
- Then add the tuna fish, chopped walnuts and celery.
- Drizzle the mayonnaise over the ingredients.
- Drop in a pinch of pepper and cinnamon
- Add salt according to your taste.
- Now mix it well with two wooden spatulas.
- You then need to cover it and place it in the fridge.
- Serve cold after about 30 minutes.
Zucchini Walnut Cookies
You can make these easy zucchini walnut recipes and store them well. They are healthy and filled with nutrients and extremely good for you. If you are in a hurry in the morning have two of these cookies, and you can be sure to give your body enough nutrition. To make these cookies follow the steps below. But before that let’s check out what ingredients you need:
Ingredients to make Zucchini Walnut Cookies:
- One small-sized zucchini
- Take a ¾ cup of all-purpose flour
- Add around ½ teaspoon of baking powder
- Add ½ teaspoon of kosher salt
- ½ cup of granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon of cinnamon
- ¼ cup of light brown sugar
- Melt around three tablespoons of unsalted butter.
- One large-sized egg
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 1½ cup of rolled-up oats
- ½ or 1 cup of walnuts roughly chopped.
How to make Zucchini Walnut Cookies?
- First, you need to preheat your oven at 350-degree Fahrenheit.
- Then, shred out the zucchini finely using a grater box.
- Use a paper towel to drain out the water from the zucchini. Squeeze it further to drain out the excess water.
- You need a mixing bowl to make the batter. So, add all the dry ingredients first. i.e., flour, baking powder, cinnamon powder and salt.
- Then in a separate bowl, mix the sugars and melted butter with the help of a stand mixer or hand blender. Make sure it turns nice and fluffy and light.
- Crack open an egg and add vanilla extract to the butter and sugar mix.
- Add the oats and zucchini.
- Then transfer these to the dry ingredients to make a dough.
- Lastly, add the crushed walnuts in to the dough. But remember to mix well.
- Place a parchment paper on the pan.
- Take small scoops of dough and place them at equal distances on the parchment paper.
- You need to then place the tin into the oven and bake it for around 20minutes.
- When you see the edges turning light brown, put it on a baking rack. Let it cool.
As we come to the end of two scrumptious recipes, they are easy to make and extremely tasty to have. You can even try out some more recipes, but just start off with these ones. They are low in carbs and extremely tasty.
When you Must Avoid having Walnuts?
Are you thinking why you must avoid such a superfood like walnut? Well, with the never-ending nutrition facts walnuts contains, it is natural to think so. But there are certain things you must keep in mind too. So, some of the exceptional situations in which you must avoid having walnuts are:
Allergic to Any type of Nuts:
It is true that nuts are beneficial for your health. But just in case you have allergic reactions, avoid them. No matter how much you are fond of it, you must not include them in your diet. It can start off from an itching mouth but can lead to anaphylactic shock that can turn fatal. So, be sure if you’re allergic or not.
On extremely low diet:
If you are on an extremely low-calorie intake diet, avoid having nuts. Walnuts are usually filled up with good and healthy fats but it is quite high in calories. So, if you have a handful each day, you are giving your body 10% of calories daily. It is better to keep your dietician consulted while including nuts to your diet, when on a low-calorie diet.
Last Thoughts
We come to the end of our blog today and brought ample of reasons why you should include walnuts to your diet. The walnuts nutrition facts are immense and never-ending. You will also find two easy and yummy recipes to include walnuts in your regular diet.
You can take a handful and simply have it raw. But there is nothing like a tweak in consuming walnuts every now and then. You must keep in mind the conditions you must avoid having walnuts too. So, include this wondrous nut to your diet, and enjoy its benefits completely.
