As of: January 12, 2024 6:08 p.m
Walnuts contain many healthy nutrients, are a delicious snack and refine many dishes. At the same time, they inhibit the appetite for fatty and sweet fattening foods and are good for the brain.
Walnuts are rightly considered “brain food”: They contain, among other things, the vitamin-like substances choline and lecithin, which the brain needs for rapid “data transmission”. They are also rich in healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids, but therefore also have a high calorie content. Nevertheless, walnuts don’t necessarily make you fat: they curb your desire for fatty and sweet things. So if you snack on walnuts instead of chips or chocolate, you don’t necessarily have to worry about gaining weight.
Walnuts: Ideal for muesli, pastries and salads
Fresh fruits and walnuts turn a simple muesli mix into a delicious breakfast.
Walnuts are not just a good snack, they can also be used in a variety of ways in cooking and baking. Chopped and ground walnuts have a permanent place in Christmas baking. They also give cereals and breads a particularly great flavor. A delicious sweet variant is banana bread with walnuts.
Caramelize walnuts
You can also caramelize walnuts for desserts, fruit salads and sweet dishes. This works well in a non-stick pan: Heat equal parts of water and sugar in the pan until the sugar begins to caramelize until golden brown. Reduce the heat and toss the walnut kernels (about 150 grams of nuts for every 100 grams of sugar) in the pan until they are completely covered with the caramel. Remove and let cool on a baking tray or a piece of baking paper. Make sure to spread out the walnut kernels individually so that they don’t stick together.
Spreads, soup toppings, patties: Cooking with walnuts
Walnuts are also a delicious ingredient in savory dishes, such as vegetable patties. To do this, simply add the ground nuts to the vegetable mixture. Finely chopped walnuts can also be used to prepare a healthy breading for vegetable cutlets made from celery or kohlrabi or fish fillets.
Further information
Kohlrabi or celery with a twist: The vegetables are fried in a pan with a delicious breading made from nuts and almond flour. Recipe
Lemon, sage and parmesan create a delicious crust with the nuts. The fish then cooks in the oven for about 15 minutes. Recipe
Salads get more pep when you mix in some roasted walnuts. Let them brown a little in a pan without fat beforehand. Sauces can also be refined with walnuts, and you can also use them to make fine spreads and soup additions. The nuts are also ideal for making pesto. It works like this: Finely puree the chopped nuts with fresh basil, grated Parmesan and a little garlic, adding olive oil. Add some walnut oil for an extra nutty taste.
Further information
This vegetarian spread is delicious and very healthy. A great alternative to sausage or cheese on fresh bread. Recipe
Recognize fresh walnuts
Fresh walnuts have an almost white kernel that tastes bitter-sweet. Fresh produce is very easy to recognize when buying: the walnuts don’t clatter when you shake them. In older nuts, on the other hand, the kernel in the shell has contracted slightly and hits the shell when shaken. The core of older nuts is also more yellowish and the taste is slightly bitter. Approximately Walnuts have a maximum shelf life of one year. If they sit for a longer period of time, the fat becomes rancid and the taste of the nuts becomes musty and bitter.
Origin influences taste
The walnut used to be so expensive that it was called the “royal nut” because only royal families could afford the noble nut. From Central Asia it found its way across the Mediterranean to Europe. Today, walnuts are sold in Germany mainly from France, California and Chile. Increasingly, the nuts also come from German cultivation, for example from Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. Depending on the country of origin, they differ in taste: walnuts from Chile, for example, taste rather sweet, while French walnuts taste very nutty and soft. The further north the growing region, the bitterer the taste of the walnut.
Lots of healthy fatty acids and vitamin E
In addition to having a positive effect on the brain, walnuts are rich in vitamin E, which protects cells from free radicals and reduces inflammation. Their high potassium content has a positive effect on muscles and nerves. A special feature is the high content of triunsaturated alpha-linoleic acid. There are 7.5 grams in 100 grams, more than in any other nut. This fatty acid keeps cells elastic, lowers blood pressure and protects the heart.
Further information
Nuts are not just delicious: underneath the hard shell there is a healthy kernel full of valuable nutrients. more
Macadamia, walnut, cashew: Nuts and seeds are great snacks and refine sweet and savory dishes. Tips and recipes. more
This topic in the program:
The Nutrition Docs | Sep 18, 2023 | 9:00 p.m