9781422269930

However, nuts and seeds do have some downsides. Aside from the cost, some people are allergic to certain nuts and seeds, and if overconsumed, they can lead to undesired weight gain. Yet, even with the potential risks, most people will feel, look, and live healthier by eating the nuts and seeds they can, so this book will look at the many benefits of eating nuts and seeds, explore risks and how to manage them, and look at the fun and creative ways to get more nuts and seeds in your diet. What Are Nuts, Seeds, and Drupes? Languages often have more than one word for the same thing, or people may use an incorrect word for something in everyday speech because of how they think of and use the thing that a word describes. Such is the case with nuts, seeds, and similar families of plant foods. Sometimes, the difference does matter, so it’s vital to start with a quick explanation of what these words actually mean. A nut is technically a fruit that has a high fat content and a hard outer shell with a seed inside it. That shell doesn’t open unless someone opens it. People crack the nut to eat the seed inside and refer to that seed as a “nut,” since they don’t eat the hard shell. Examples include chestnuts, hazelnuts, walnuts, and pecans. Fun fact: Way back in the 1990s, nuts were most often sold in grocery stores whole, with shells still on them. People had to take them home and crack the shells off with a special tool to enjoy this tasty treat. Today, nuts are precracked, making enjoying them so much easier, but precracked nuts are a little less flavorful and nutritious, because they were removed from their protective shell long before they are eaten. Taste and nutrition can be sacrificed for convenience. A drupe is also a fruit with a fleshy outer part and a hard shell covering a seed inside. Sometimes, humans eat the seed and

Chapter 1: Nuts and Seeds: A Lot of Nutrition in a Little Package

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