Christmas is here with us again and its that time of the year we begin to draw up our Christmas checklist. So that we don’t get to miss that one important item that completes the entire celebration. Speaking of important items, it has become a known fact that nuts has come to stay as one of the important items that must be present in every Christmas celebration all over the world. So in this blog we have taken time to show you the 5 most important nuts that must make your Christmas checklist this year.
Tradition of nuts at Christmas
In many families, it’s still a holiday tradition to find a handful of unshelled walnuts, pecans, Brazil nuts and filberts in the bottom of gift stockings. This undoubtedly stems from the European tradition of scattering nuts during holiday festivities and historical references to nuts as a religious symbol.
There’s a good reason why the nutcracker is one of the most enduring Christmas icons. Households to this day often present a big bowl of unshelled, mixed nuts as a centerpiece of the festive table. And it just wouldn’t be Christmastime without the sound of cracking shells as part of the holiday soundtrack. This is why these nuts are a must have in your Christmas checklist.
5 must have nuts for your Christmas Checklist
Raw nuts are healthy nuts but some types pack more nutritional punch than others. Nuts of all kinds are key ingredients in Christmas baked goods and vegetarian dishes.
Credited with helping to normalize blood-sugar levels and assist with weight loss on low-calorie diets, almonds are also high in calcium. They’re delicious roasted and ideal for use in holiday recipes.
The king of nuts, breaking the wrinkled shell is like cracking a tiny safe. Packed with healthy fats and compounds that protect against major diseases and depression, walnuts also raise levels of melatonin (a hormone necessary for sound sleep). Ground walnuts are used in holiday baking.
3. Filberts
Also known as hazelnuts, the small roundish filbert almost tastes roasted even when eaten raw. They’re rich in healthy, fatty acids and dietary fibre.
Pass on the pralines and pie during the holidays and eat these raw to stock up on protein, fibre, potassium and a handful of essential vitamins.
These are noted for their high levels of disease-fighting selenium. Eating just a couple of raw Brazil nuts a day can offer protection.
Experts say the benefits of snacking on heart-healthy raw nuts far outweigh their high calorie count. When it comes to delivering high-quality nutrition, pound-for-pound, nuts are in a class by themselves. So grab a bag of nuts and get cracking!