Busting myths on almonds

“Almonds are a healthy and versatile ingredient to cook with during these summer months,” said as eminent dietician Sheela Krishnaswamy and Chef Sannat Chitrakar as they came together to bust some myths about almonds at a conference held recently.

Sheela Krishnaswamy shared, “I encourage regular consumption of almonds, throughout the year to my clients. To snack on them when they feel hungry between meals, or start their mornings with it. Almonds have a satiety value and hence a handful of these nuts, when hungry, leaves you feeling full and may dissuade you from reaching for unhealthy food.”

She informed that a study published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that study participants consuming 43 grams of dry-roasted, lightly salted almonds every day experienced reduced hunger and improved dietary vitamin E and monounsaturated (good) fat intake without increasing body weight.

“The abundance of antioxidant vitamin E, fibre, magnesium and other important nutrients make almonds a storehouse of health and crunch,” the dietician added. “Some of our clients express concern about consuming nuts in the summer.

However, there are no studies that indicate any ‘heat generating’ effect of almonds. Almonds should be consumed daily and throughout the year for their health benefits, ease of use and satisfying taste.” added Sheela.

Chef Sannat Chitrakar, who whipped up an easy way to make delectable almond snack recipe in a matter of moments added, “If you are looking for a healthy snack and a satisfying crunch, grab a handful of almonds. Keep them in your kitchen. Toss a handful into your bowl of salad, roast them and play with a variety of flavours to make a snack of your choice.

You can also pair them with summer foods such as mango and apple to make a healthy fruit salad. I always keep a bag full of almonds at my kitchen table for those afternoon hunger pangs. They can be stored for long and are very handy.”

Anardana Churan

Roasted Almonds

Serves: 100gms

Preparation time: 2 - 3 minutes

Cooking time: 10 - 12 minutes

Ingredients:

Almonds (unpeeled) - 100 g

Anardana churan - 15 g

Oilive oil - 3 ml

Method:

Roast almonds in a pre-heated oven at 100o for 8-10 min. While the almonds are hot, add olive oil and sprinkle with anardana churan. Toss it to evenly dress the almonds with churan. Cool and transfer to an air tight container.