Walnut: composition, calories, useful properties and contraindications

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

Specialists in the field of proper nutrition call the walnut one of the most useful types of fruits. In addition, it is very tasty and you can buy it in almost every store. The benefits of such nuts for our body are extremely significant, so their regular use allows us to stay beautiful for a long time and not experience he alth problems. However, not all people enjoy eating walnuts in their natural state.

What he althy dishes can you add this product to make it even more enjoyable? What is so special about walnuts? What vitamins do they contain, and what is remarkable about their composition? Are there any contraindications for this type of fruit? In this article, we will look at the well-known type of nuts and get acquainted with some delicious and he althy recipes.

Composition

Nuts, called walnuts, are a real pantry of vitamins and usefulsubstances. The nutritional value of these nuclei is largely due to their composition. What vitamins and macronutrients are found in these fruits?

Firstly, walnuts contain many different vitamins, such as A, B, C and K. In addition, the kernels are rich in substances such as zinc, iron, fluorine, magnesium, manganese, potassium, phosphorus, copper and many others. Despite the very small need of the body for these macroelements and microelements, their deficiency leads to serious dysfunctions of most systems and organs that they include. And eating a small amount of wholesome and nutritious nuts every day can save you a lot of he alth problems.

At the same time, unsaturated fats and beneficial amino acids can be found in the kernels, which enrich the body with the necessary energy and help maintain a he althy and balanced diet.

Calories

How many calories are in 100 grams of walnuts? This question is asked by many people who want to lose weight or simply observe the daily calorie content of their diet.

Such people may be upset that nuts of this type contain quite a lot of kilocalories. However, these are exceptionally useful calories that do not lead to weight gain. So, 100 grams of nuts contain approximately 640-650 kilocalories. Of course, those who want to lose weight should not abuse these products, but a few nucleoli a day will never be harmful.

Besides knowing the calorie content of walnutsnuts, it is important to know how many proteins, fats and carbohydrates are included in their composition. It is known that 100 grams of the product contains approximately 16 grams of protein, 10 grams of carbohydrates and about 65-70 grams of fat. It can be seen that these nuts are really rich in fats. However, they are not harmful and should be consumed, but not in excessive amounts.

Properties

Consider the properties and contraindications of walnut. We have already talked about the extremely useful composition of the fruit, which indicates its positive effect on the body. What is it?

First of all, these nuts have a positive effect on the brain and mental activity. They improve neural connections, not only slightly increasing a person’s intelligence, but also preventing nervous breakdowns or overexertion.

The influence of the consumption of such nuts on the cardiovascular and circulatory systems is also huge. The substances that make up their composition prevent blockage of blood vessels and the development of atherosclerosis. By combining the use of walnuts with regular physical activity, you can achieve the best result and in old age you will not have heart problems and high blood pressure.

One cannot fail to say about the benefits of nuts for the skin. They prevent the development of dermatitis, rashes and acquired allergic reactions.

So, walnuts are a very he althy product. What are the contraindications to their use?

Contraindications

Despite the huge range of positive properties and qualities of these fruits, some people may betheir use is contraindicated. Who shouldn't include walnut recipes in their diet?

Contraindications include the following diseases:

• Disturbances in the gastrointestinal tract (primarily stomach ulcers and gastritis, as well as pancreatitis, gastroduodenitis, diseases of the gallbladder and liver).
• Diabetes mellitus (type 1 or type 2, i.e. congenital or acquired).
• Increased blood clotting.
• Skin diseases in the active stage (rubella, diathesis and many others).
• Increased sensitivity to the components that make up nuts (especially vegetable proteins).
• Allergy.

Influence on the reproductive system of the body

Vitamins and trace elements contained in the kernels have a huge impact on the body. For example, the benefits of walnuts for men can hardly be overestimated. The use of this product has a positive effect on potency, and also contributes to the correct and timely maturation of spermatozoa. At the same time, nuts, rich in nutrients, give men strength, charisma and confidence.

As for women, it is safe to say that nuts are necessary for the proper functioning of the female body. They help to maintain a regular menstrual cycle without any delays and deviations. At the same time, such nuts significantly strengthen the immune system, help to survive psychological stress and fight insomnia. In addition to all that has been said, theyinhibit the growth and development of cancer cells and can prevent breast cancer.

What are the benefits of walnuts for pregnant women? The fruits, called walnuts, maintain a constant hormonal background of the female body and have a beneficial effect on the development of the child during pregnancy. Nuts can alleviate the general physical condition of a pregnant woman. They help relieve swelling, prevent various diseases, especially infectious ones, relieve a woman from fatigue and malaise. And the folic acid contained in nuts has a positive effect on the growth and development of a he althy child. However, expectant mothers should consult a specialist before using these fruits, as there may be contraindications for this product.

Thus, it becomes clear that the benefits of walnuts for men and women are enormous. Therefore, every person should include this wonderful product in their diet.

Nuts for children

Eating walnuts to children is also he althy and perhaps even necessary. However, in this case, such nuts should be included in the diet with much more caution than adults. Before eating the fruit, you should consult with a pediatrician in order to exclude all sorts of risks and you may have to pass the necessary tests.

Children's body can react unpredictably to a new product, its oversaturation with calories and useful trace elements. It is also important to remember that children should eat fewernuts daily than adults. Under the age of 12, 1 to 3 (maximum) nuts per day should be consumed.

So, we have analyzed the benefits of nuts and contraindications for their consumption. Now let's move on to recipes with walnuts.

Recipes

There is a huge number of dishes, which include nuts, called walnuts. It can be various salads, and meat dishes, and sweets, and even pastries. Consider the most popular, tasty and he althy of them.

Beetroot salad with prunes

The most delicious salad, which includes beets, prunes and dressing, is probably familiar to everyone. But not everyone adds the fruits we are considering to it. What is the recipe for beets with prunes and walnuts?

The salad contains the following ingredients:

• Kilogram beets.
• 350 grams of prunes.
• 250 grams of nuts.
• A few cloves of garlic.
• Mayonnaise (or sour cream).

Where to start cooking this he althy dish?

First of all, you need to boil the beets until fully cooked. A well-cooked vegetable is easily pierced with a fork or knife, while the device enters it gently, without encountering obstacles in the form of undercooked parts.

Then you need to finely chop the beetroot into thin strips so that it is convenient to add it to the salad. It is not recommended to buy prunes that are too hard in the store, however, if they are not soft enough, they must first be soaked inwarm water for 30 minutes.

Chop the nuts in a blender. It is important to turn off the device in time so as not to bring the nuts to the state of a paste, into which they turn during prolonged grinding. For this salad, you can leave small pieces of nucleoli.

To complete the recipe for beetroot with prunes and walnuts, add chopped (or squeezed) garlic to the beets and add prunes with chopped kernels. After that, dressing is added to the salad - mayonnaise, sour cream or Greek yogurt.

The dish is ready. Can be served.

Cupcake

No less popular and delicious is the walnut cake recipe. Such pastries are quite simple to prepare and, moreover, are considered he althy. To prepare such a dish, we need the following ingredients:

• 120 grams of butter (≈ one and a half briquettes).
• 2 tablespoons of wheat flour.
• Table spoon of sugar.
• One and a half tablespoons of nuts.
• Two or three eggs.
• Sachet of vanilla sugar (or vanilla extract).
• Baking powder dough (≈ one sachet).

Let's start cooking this delicious dish with dough.

In a deep bowl, mix softened butter with sugar. Then add two eggs and vanillin (or vanilla extract) to the container. Mix everything thoroughly.

Next, sift the wheat flour into the resulting mixture and knead the dough thick enough in consistency. For mixing, you canuse mixer.

In a blender, grind the nuts so that small pieces remain, and add them to our "blank". The dough for the future cake is ready.

Grease a baking dish with butter and add a small amount of flour to it. Then we shift the finished dough into the form and level it. You can add more nuts on top if you like.

The cake should be baked in an oven for 40-45 minutes at a temperature of ≈200 degrees.

After a sufficient amount of time has passed, you need to check the readiness of the cake with a toothpick or match. We pierce the dish, and if the wooden surface remains dry, then the cupcake is ready.

A cupcake with walnuts will be a wonderful decoration of the festive table. Of course, you should not eat such a dessert every day, as it contains a sufficient amount of sugar, flour and butter. However, such a cupcake is quite useful not only for adults, but also for children.

Carrot cake

He althy carrot dessert with nuts is prepared absolutely without baking. This recipe is suitable for any feast, as it is simple and extremely tasty.

To make the cake we need:

• 200 grams of fresh carrots.
• 200 grams of dates.
• 100 grams of nuts (8-9 tablespoons).
• Citrus fruit (best orange).
• A teaspoon of honey.

Let's start cooking. As in the case of prunes from beetrootlettuce, too hard dates should be pre-soaked in warm water, and then chopped in a blender. Soft fruits do not need soaking.

Pre-chopped nuts are added to the dates. We mix the kernels and dried fruits long enough. Our goal is to get a sticky and viscous nut butter with dates added.

The resulting mass is a blank for the cake layers of the future cake. On a special baking paper (or on foil), we form a rectangular cake from the pasta. Let's put our blank in the freezer and start cooking carrots.

Mix in a deep container carrots, previously chopped with a grater, honey and orange. We crush all the ingredients in a blender. We remove the liquid from the resulting mass. It's time to take the cake out of the freezer.

The frozen cake must be cut into three equal parts. Then we form a cake using the usual method, using the carrot mass as a cream.

Carrot cake is ready. It can be topped with nuts or toppings as desired. The finished dish is not very large, but at the same time it is very tasty and he althy. Bon appetit!

Chocolate

In stores you can find ready-made chocolate with walnuts. In addition, there are a huge number of variations in the use of these fruits with chocolate. It is worth noting that this combination of products is not very he althy, since chocolate contains a lot of sugar and calories. Which dishes include cocoa beans and nuts?

Kernels firstadded to chocolate cakes for extra flavor. Such consumption of walnuts is unhe althy. When choosing pastries with these fruits, preference should be given to vegetarian or lean dishes.

Also very popular recipe for nuts in chocolate. This appetizer is a popular dessert and is often sold in grocery stores.

The third most common recipe is hot chocolate with nuts. Such a drink is very sweet and tasty, and it can be easily prepared at home. However, it should not be abused.

Use

So how many walnuts do you eat a day? Experts recommend consuming 3-5 walnut kernels or 7-10 halves daily. Therefore, it is advisable to buy whole fruits in order to be able to calculate their daily rate. Insufficient consumption of walnuts can be compensated by other foods containing the required amount of vitamins and nutrients. It is important to know that too much can lead to he alth problems, such as sore and bleeding gums.

In closing

So, in this article we learned what is useful walnut, what are its properties and contraindications for use. This product is included in the menu of a he althy diet and is sometimes indispensable not only as an independent dessert, but also as an ingredient in proper and he althy dishes. Eat only he althy foods and stay he althy! Prepare and try presented in the articlerecipes.