Packing healthful snacks to bring to work or on the go is important to avoid temptation of buying something processed and unhealthy. Nuts are perfect to grab and go but it’s also easy to get bored of snacking on plain nuts every day so today I’m sharing a recipe that makes nuts more exciting. The credit for this one actually goes to my husband although he doesn’t measure anything so I’ve put some measurements here for you. You can adjust to your own liking by adding extra cayenne or a pinch of salt. If you buy salted nuts, you won’t need to add any salt (if you have high blood pressure, avoid the salt all together).
Consuming nuts four times per week has been shown to reduce the risk of coronary heart disease by 37% compared to those who never or rarely eat nuts. They are also important for bone health and can lower risk of developing gallstones. Cashews in particular contain 98% of your daily value of copper in just a quarter cup (second only to sesame seeds)! Copper plays an important role in physiological processes all over our bodies. Inadequate intake of copper can result in anemia (iron deficiency), ruptured blood vessels, osteoporosis, joint problems such as rheumatoid arthritis, brain disturbances, elevated LDL (bad) cholesterol and reduced HDL (good) cholesterol levels, irregular heartbeat, and increased susceptibility to infections. In other words, eat cashews, they are great for you!
spiced cashews
serves 4
ingredients
1 cup raw *cashews
1/2 teaspoon extra virgin first cold pressed olive oil
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
directions
place cashews in medium bowl and toss with olive oil until evenly coated. add spices and toss again until evenly distributed.
*soaking cashews overnight in filtered water sparks the sprouting process which neutralizes natural phytic acid (which can interfere with absorption of nutrients). be sure to discard the soaking water and rinse cashews to remove phytic acid residue. lay to dry on a paper towel.
