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What are cashews good for?
Cashews are exceptionally good for your health for a variety of reasons. Here’s why:
- Cashews are nutrient-rich. Low in sugar and high in fiber, cashews contain heart-healthy fats and plant protein. Cashews are also rich in vital minerals such as selenium, zinc, magnesium, iron, and phosphorus, which are all critical for energy production, neurological health, immunity, and bone density. In addition, cashews are rich in various phytochemicals (micronutrients), proteins, and other antioxidants.
- Cashews can be part of your weight loss plan. Because they are so rich in fiber and protein, cashews can help you feel full without as many calories. In fact, cashews appear to provide fewer calories than initially thought.
- Cashews are heart-healthy. According to some studies, cashews may help to lower blood pressure, triglycerides, and even LDL cholesterol.
What are cashews?
Contrary to popular belief, cashews are actually seeds and not nuts. They can be found on the bottom of cashew apples, which are the fruit of the cashew tree, a tree native to Brazil. And believe it or not, these cashew “apples” are edible and even considered delicacies in Brazil and other tropical areas where they grow. In the U.S., we’re only familiar with the “nut,” a firm but slightly spongy seed with a wonderful flavor.
You can’t just pick a cashew nut off the apple and eat it, however. The shell of the nuts contains a caustic resin that is not fit for consumption. These shells must be removed before they’re deemed edible. In fact, this resin, known as cashew balm, is used to make industrial varnishes and insecticides. Interestingly enough, cashews belong to the same scientifically classified family as the mango and pistachio nut.
What do cashews taste like?
Cashews have a moderately firm texture and a slightly sweet, mildly nutty taste. The sweet and nutty flavor pairs wonderfully with milk chocolate or dark chocolate covering. Just imagine how good you’d feel knowing that when you’re eating chocolate-covered cashews, you’re actually eating a healthy guilt-free snack that will please your taste buds. But cashews are so versatile, they can be used for savory dishes and snacks as well. You may end up buying cashews by the pound when you discover their many culinary uses.
How are cashews grown and harvested?
Before you buy cashews online, whether you’re buying cashews in bulk or by the bag, there is quite a lot of work involved in preparing those delicious, nutritious treats. Before cashews reach a supplier, they are first harvested by hand, and the shells must be removed. This meticulous and time-consuming method of harvesting is why cashews tend to cost more than some other nuts. While cashews originated in Brazil, the largest producers of cashews today are actually Nigeria and India. Cashews grow on trees, in a tropical climate and are the seed of a colorful fruit known as a cashew apple. You will not see cashews for sale in the shell. This is because the toxic shell can cause skin irritations. Proper roasting removes all traces of any toxin and makes them a safe, amazingly delicious, and healthy snack option or a flavor-enhancing addition to many recipes.
Cashew Nuts nutrition & health benefits
It’s not often that you find so many nutritional benefits wrapped up in something that tastes as good as cashews. Stock up on cashews, and you’ll always have a delicious and heart-healthy food to add to your diet. When you buy cashews online, you’ll be getting a good source of vitamins like B5, B-6, and thiamine too. One serving of cashews also provide 13% of your daily fiber. Cashews are also a good source of magnesium, manganese, zinc, selenium, iron, copper, and potassium. And if that weren’t enough, there’s more. When you make cashews one of your frequent go-to snack items, you can feel good about eating a snack that promotes eye health and bone health and one that helps prevent strokes and coronary artery disease.
Do cashews help you sleep?
Cashews may help with sleep quality. Cashews are rich in magnesium, an essential mineral that a vast majority of individuals are deficient in. Magnesium acts as a natural sedative, and even a slight deficiency can have troubling repercussions on your sleep quality.
Are cashews good for heart health?
If one of your dietary goals is to maintain good cholesterol levels or lower your cholesterol, consuming cashews online is a step in the right direction. Unsaturated fat, found in cashews, is credited for helping maintain a balance between the LDL (bad cholesterol) levels and HDL (good cholesterol) levels. Unsaturated fat also reduces triglyceride levels, which is important because high triglyceride levels can increase LDL cholesterol production. Cashews are also an excellent source of fiber, and there is a distinct correlation between fiber and cholesterol. Soluble fiber binds itself to cholesterol molecules and sweeps them out of the body. Essentially, fiber blocks the absorption of cholesterol.
Are Cashews Keto Friendly?
Unfortunately, cashews are not particularly keto-friendly. They are simply too high in carbohydrates to enjoy in normal serving sizes for someone on the ketogenic diet. However, while they are not carb-free, cashews are quite low in carbohydrates, and they would work in a generally low carb diet.
Can cashews help you lose weight?
Another benefit of the magnesium contained in cashews is that it’s integral in regulating fat and carbohydrate metabolism, which may be beneficial for weight loss. Cashews are also relatively good sources of protein, which helps with satiety and weight loss. While these nuts are calorically dense, eating a moderate of cashews daily may actually help you to lose weight.
General questions about cashews
How do you select and store cashews?
If you’re at a store, you’ll likely find cashews either in a bulk bin or in prepackaged containers. If you’re selecting cashews from the bulk section, make sure the cashews are covered and that the store has good product turnover to make sure they’re fresh. Alternatively, buying cashews online from a reputable site will ensure your cashews are fresh, stored properly, and free from moisture or insect damage. Make sure your cashews aren’t shriveled, and if you can smell them before buying them, you can see if they pass the sniff test to make sure they aren’t rancid. Cashews are actually quite stable due to their high oleic acid content but should still be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer. In the fridge, cashews will last about six months, and in the freezer, they’ll last for a full year.
Why are cashews so expensive?
There are several reasons why cashews are on the more expensive side of the nut spectrum.
- They are in high demand, and the supply is somewhat restricted.
- Cashew processing involves a lot of manual labor since they need to be picked and shelled by hand due to their irregular shape. The cost of this labor drives up the price.
- 75% of the yield is discarded in the processing process, which means a lot of the raw material is wasted in growing and harvesting cashews.
How many cashews in an ounce (1 oz)?
This number will vary of course, but one serving of cashews is roughly 18 whole nuts.
Culinary questions
Are raw cashews better for you than roasted?
It depends. Both raw and roasted nuts contain a litany of health benefits, but there are downsides to both. Raw nuts are more likely to contain harmful bacteria if not purchased from a high-quality source. On the other hand, roasted cashews may contain high levels of added oils and/or salt. If you’re looking for the healthiest version of cashews, opt for raw cashews or roasted unsalted cashews (but make sure no oils are added). Or, if you want to do it yourself, you can buy cashews raw and then roast them without the oil.
How do you roast raw cashews?
Roasting raw cashews is quite easy. Simply arrange the raw cashews in one flat layer on a baking tray. Pop the tray in the oven at 350°F (188°C) on the middle rack for between 8-15 minutes. Keep an eye on them and stir them up every 3-5 minutes to make sure they don’t burn. If you don’t want to use the oven, you can dry roast them in a skillet over medium heat for 3-5 minutes, or until the cashews become slightly brown, but make sure they don’t burn.
How many cashews can I eat a day?
If you’re a fan of cashews, you’d likely want to eat them all day long. However, they are quite dense in calories and some weight loss experts only recommend a total of 4-5 per day.
How to eat cashews?
Like many other nuts, cashews can be eaten in a pretty wide variety of ways.
- You can add cashews to a trail mix or make your own by selecting other nuts, seeds, and dried fruit to combine together.
- You can make “cashew butter” easily by blending whole raw cashews until smooth.
- Blend cashews together with oats and dried fruit to make raw “energy balls”.
- Chop up cashews and add them to fish or chicken before baking for a delicious crust.
- Mix cashews into a salad or stir fry.
- Blend cashews with some water, garlic, and some nutritional yeast to make a delicious dairy-free cheese sauce.
- Use them to thicken soups and stews as an alternative to cream. Simply blend cashews into the soup towards the end of the cooking process.
- You can make cashew milk as a creamy dairy milk alternative.
- Soak and blend together with apple cider vinegar and/or lemon juice to make a delicious dairy-free sour cream.
What can you cook with cashews?
Cashews have such a wonderful neutral flavor that they can be added to almost any recipe you can imagine. But just to get started, try these amazingly healthy honey roasted cashews as a sweet snack.
Honey Roasted Cashews Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1 pound cashews
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter or vegan butter
- A pinch of sea salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ cup coconut sugar
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 350°.
- In a small saucepan, whisk together the honey, syrup, and butter on low to medium-low heat until combined. Once the butter has fully melted, remove pan from heat and whisk in the cinnamon and vanilla.
- Place the cashews on a rimmed metal baking sheet, then add the mixture from the saucepan on top of the cashews. Use a spatula to toss and completely coat the nuts.
- Make sure the cashews are spread on a single layer and bake in the oven for 6 minutes.
- Remove from the oven, toss once more, spread evenly, and bake for an additional 6 minutes. Repeat one more time.
- Take the warm cashews, add them to a bowl and mix in the sugar and salt. Toss to coat.
- Once fully coated, spread the cashews on parchment-lined paper and cool. Try to make sure the cashews don’t stick together, but if they do, you can always just break them apart once they’re cool enough to handle.
