Shine a light on the humble walnut for healthy meals and snacking

By Dennis Archambault

Much attention has been given to improving the nutrient content of meals to lower the risk of heart disease and diabetes. Healthy cooking classes like those offered at the Ruby Cole Community Kitchen, add value to meal preparation, but may be missing a significant area of food consumption – snacking.

Most adults consumer one or more snacks daily, and 78 percent consume two or more, according to Harbard University. So, what about adding snacking to the menu of healthy cooking programs?

Enter walnuts. They’re not exactly a go-to snack. Let’s consider peanut butter (minus the jelly), which has been shown to help reduce risk of heart disease, manage blood sugar, and provide other nutritious benefits, thanks to the proven benefit of peanuts. Well, walnuts are even better. An article published by a dietitian, Lauran Manaker, in Eating Well contends that walnuts are loaded with protein and key nutrients that support healthy cholesterol levels. “One study involving older participants with healthy cholesterol levels at the start found that eating 1 to 2 ounces daily for two years lowered both total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol by an additional 4 percent.”

Studies have shown this correlation for over 30 years. More dinner recipes using walnuts have made their way into popular recipes, but still the humble walnut remains the unpopular nut next to the peanut.

“When you think of fiber, nuts may not be the first food that comes to mind,” Manaker says. But about 14 walnut halves produce 2 grams of fiber. Fiber in walnuts helps reduce cholesterol levels by binding to cholesterol in the digestive system and aid in its excretion. “This, in turn, reduces the amount of cholesterol that is absorbed into the blood stream.”

On Thursday, at “Go Red for Women,” Authority Health will offer a taste of sweet and spicy walnuts, an American Heart Association-sanctioned snack. There are other AHA healthy snacks that you may want to try for your upcoming Superbowl party or to have stocked when you have a craving, like most adults. Consider trying out a few this month, which is American Heart Month.

By Dennis Archambault, vice president of Public Affairs at Authority Health. “Go Red for Women” is an event hosted by Loretta Bush, president & CEO of Authority Health, and featuring brief presentations by Karine Pawlicki, American Heart Association Community Impact Director, Quanta Duncan, RD, Authority Health dietitian, and Dr. Dahlia Ali, M.D., an Authority Health Family Medicine resident. Chef Ederique Goudia will present a healthy cooking demonstration. For more information, contact Audria Mixon at 313-824-1000, ext. 1.