HEALTHY DISH
* recipe makeovers full of modern flavor
Go Nutty This Year
This über-healthy alternative to traditional lattes features homemade walnut “mylk,” along with antioxidant-rich green tea and berries.
Walnuts Many years ago in one of my first nutrition classes, one of the students asked what the best kinds of nuts were. The teacher answered with a clever little acronym: “All nuts are great,” she said, “but when in doubt, just think PAWs: pecans, almonds, and walnuts.” Walnuts, especially, come recommended because they contain the highest amounts of omega-3 fats of any nuts. In addition to the other remarkable things omega-3s do for you—like help lower triglycerides and reduce arterial plaque formation—they also support brain function on a number of levels. One of those levels has to do with mood and feeling. In his excellent book The Omega-3 Connection, Harvard Medical School professor Andrew Stoll, MD, answers his own question, “Can eating more omega-3s really boost our mood?” with the statement: “The
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answer, based on the available scientific and clinical evidence, seems to be a cautious yes.” Several studies have demonstrated greater attention, reduction in behavioral problems, and less “ADD-like” behaviors in school kids when they’re given omega-3s. Since it’s hard to get kids to eat fish—let alone carry it to school in a lunchbox—walnuts are a really smart idea for snacking.
WEIGHT LOSS
Walnuts may also be a tool for weight management. According to experts at Loma Linda University (LLU), eating a few walnuts (say, four to six halves) before meals decreases levels of hunger and may cause people to eat less. “Walnuts help alleviate hunger and are naturally nutrientdense, meaning you consume many essential nutrients for a relatively small percentage of daily calories,” said
Joan Sabaté, MD, MPH, DrPH, chair of LLU’s Department of Nutrition. NUTRIENT BOOST
In addition to omega3s, walnuts are rich in other nutrients. They have protein, fiber, calcium, magnesium, and potassium— plus about half the Daily Value for manganese, a trace mineral that’s essential for growth, reproduction, wound healing, brain function, and the proper metabolism of sugars, insulin, and cholesterol. WHAT TO LOOK FOR
There are two common kinds of walnuts—the English walnut and the black walnut. They differ slightly in their nutritional profiles— the English variety has slightly less protein and slightly more fat. But both are great for you health-wise. You really can’t go wrong with either one.
There are so many interesting and unique things about this month’s recipe that I hardly know where to start. What really jumped out at me when Chef Jeannette first showed it to me was one word: Synergy. There’s a lot of emphasis in the health world these days around patterns of eating. Nutritionists are looking at combinations of foods rather than focusing so much on just one ingredient or one nutrient. And this delightful drink is a perfect example. Think about it: Walnuts and green tea. Not a combo you might normally come up with, but that’s why we have Chef Jeannette! “Walnuts and green tea are an incredibly pleasant combo, with soft bitter notes that complement the berry layer nicely,” she says. And she’s not kidding. Just wait till you taste it. Then there are the “mylks”—milk that doesn’t come from the traditional sources (cows and goats). Almond, rice, and cashew mylk may crowd the aisles of the grocery stores, but once you’ve made your own you’ll never want to buy any of them again. First of all, they couldn’t be easier to make yourself. Second, homemade mylks are 100-percent free of thickening agents and added sugars. And finally, homemade mylks are richer, creamier, and cheaper than the store-bought kind. Need we say more? Although the protein powder is an optional ingredient, and the drink tastes fine without it, I’d recommend trying it just for comparison. Use whey or casein or egg protein, or, if you’re a vegan, pea, hemp, or soy. All will work, so experiment, have fun, and happy tasting!
• JANUARY 2022
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11/19/21 5:03 PM
Photo: Pornchai Mittongtare; Prop Styling: Kim Wong; Food Styling: Claire Stancer
FEATURED INGREDIENT
Photo: Getty Images
BY JONNY BOWDEN, PHD, CNS, AND JEANNETTE BESSINGER, CHHC
