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For a Healthy Diet, Add Almonds

Delicious, nutritious, and highly versatile, almonds are a star in many recipes from desserts to side dishes.

They can be shelled and eaten whole as a crunchy snack, slivered and sprinkled over ice cream, cookies, cakes and pastries — or pulverized to make almond milk — or even almond butter as a healthy subsitute for those with peanut allergies.

What's more, in spite of the high fat content of almonds, using them in a daily diet reduced a number of risk factors for heart disease, including cholesterol, according to one controlled study.

For those searching for a gluten-free recipes, almond flour also remains an excellent substitute for wheat flour in cakes or breads.

Almonds are good party snacks on their own or as part of a mixed nut selection. Add a few raisins and grains for a granola type snack or serve them up as a side dish with sliced or whole fruits.

Whether slivered, sliced, roasted or diced, almonds add flavor and texture to many of the favorite foods served when entertaining. These nutty favorites are also rich in vitamin E, fiber and magnesium.

If your're searching for healthy snacks, recent research shows almonds contain flavonoid antioxidants, compounds that help prevent cancer, in levels comparable to broccoli and tea.

When entertaining guests, you can serve them timeless dishes with a delicious twist by including almonds. For the ultimate antioxidant dish, sprinkle slivered almonds over freshly steamed broccoli, green beans or swiss chard.

Here are a few recipes that showcase almonds:

• Wild Rice Risotto w/ Almonds & Spring Vegetables

• Chicken w/ Fresh Fava Beans, Artichokes & Almonds

• Italian Almond Cookies

More about almonds and nutrition around the Web:

• About Almonds

• International Tree Nut Council Nutrition Research & Education Foundation

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