{"id":8908,"date":"2024-01-12T13:06:09","date_gmt":"2024-01-12T05:06:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/?p=8908"},"modified":"2024-01-12T13:06:35","modified_gmt":"2024-01-12T05:06:35","slug":"benefits-of-swapping-some-meat-intake-with-walnuts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/benefits-of-swapping-some-meat-intake-with-walnuts\/","title":{"rendered":"Benefits of swapping some meat intake with walnuts"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Food trends are constantly evolving and one of the most exciting trends for 2024 is focused on putting the &#8220;plant&#8221; back in &#8220;plant-based&#8221;.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One easy way to include more plant-based foods in the diet is considering walnuts as a partial replacement for meat in a meal or snack for added nutrition benefits. Walnuts are a versatile, nutritious, and delicious plant-based protein option that works well with a variety of global sweet or savory flavors and pairs well with other ingredients. Walnuts also have the ability to take on the texture and consistency of ground meat, allowing for seamless integration into a variety of recipes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>New research suggests that walnuts, when substituted for meat, may improve diet quality, support cardiovascular health and lower the risk for developing type 2 diabetes and overall all-cause mortality.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>In a recent modeling&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/walnuts.org\/area-of-study\/a-dietary-model-of-partial-meat-replacement-with-walnuts-demonstrates-changes-in-the-nutrient-profile-and-quality-of-the-united-states-populations-diet\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">study<\/a>&nbsp;published in&nbsp;<em>Nutrients<\/em>, an international, peer-reviewed, open access journal of human nutrition and funded by the California Walnut Commission, researchers examined the potential benefits to nutrient intake and diet quality by replacing some meat in the diet with walnuts. The researchers used data from the 2015 &#8211; 2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), to model the nutrient intake of the US population with and without walnuts. Specifically, 0.5, 1, 1.5 and 2 ounces of walnuts per day replaced 1, 2, 3 and 4 ounces of meat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The modeling study found that the partial replacement of meat with walnuts in the diet:<sup>2<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Improved the overall diet quality.<\/li><li>Increased intake of omega-3 ALA, fiber, magnesium and copper.&nbsp;<\/li><li>Significantly decreased cholesterol and vitamin B12.<ul><li><em>Important to note: all age and gender groups maintained vitamin B12 intake above the recommended daily allowance when replacing 2\u20133 ounces of meat with walnuts.<\/em><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Notably, the study found that replacing just 1 \u2013 1.5 oz of meat with walnuts may improve the dietary intake of some nutrients, such as dietary fiber, magnesium, and &#8220;good&#8221; polyunsaturated fatty acids, including omega-3 ALA, and may decrease the intake of cholesterol among the US population. The study also found that all age and gender groups may benefit from incorporating walnuts into their diets.*<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s no surprise that there are benefits to eating more plant-based foods. What&#8217;s most encouraging to see, however, is that these benefits can occur by including something as simple, easy-to-find, and versatile as nuts, like walnuts, in the diet,&#8221; said Dr.&nbsp;Wendy Bazilian, DrPH, RDN. &#8220;Of course, we know that the many positive attributes of walnuts are already supported by more than three decades of health-related research examining the effect of consumption on areas&nbsp;of whole-body health. And now, we&#8217;re seeing the impressive effects that simple swaps from animal-based products can make when nutritious and tasty walnuts are used.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Swaps to Unlock the Walnut Effect<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A few examples of plant-based meat swaps with walnuts include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>For meatless Mondays or plant-based taco Tuesdays, swap out ground beef or turkey for walnut&nbsp;chorizo, as&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/walnuts.org\/recipe\/walnut-chorizo-tacos-with-pickled-vegetables\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Walnut &#8220;Chorizo&#8221; Tacos with Pickled Vegetables<\/a>&nbsp;provide a satisfying, nutritious crumble in tacos. The combination of spicy walnut chorizo with tangy pickled vegetables is mouthwateringly good.<\/li><li>Give the classic pasta night a twist by adding flavor and texture from walnuts with this&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/walnuts.org\/recipe\/pappardelle-with-california-walnut-pesto\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Pappardelle with California Walnut Pesto.&nbsp;<\/a><\/li><li>Prepping a big batch of sweet potato walnut&nbsp;falafels ahead of time makes mealtime easy throughout the week with&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/walnuts.org\/recipe\/sweet-potato-walnut-falafel-bowls\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Sweet Potato Walnut Falafel Bowls<\/a>. A maple tahini sauce keeps things interesting on this plant-based dish and try switching up the grains and vegetables for versatility.<\/li><li>Elevate the ultimate comfort \u2013 meatballs! These&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/walnuts.org\/recipe\/california-walnut-meatless-meatballs\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">California Walnut Meatless Meatballs<\/a>&nbsp;are great with pasta, slathered in marinara or in some California Walnut Muhammara sauce. Or&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/walnuts.org\/recipe\/coconut-curry-lentil-and-walnut-meatballs\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Coconut Curry Lentil and Walnut Meatballs<\/a>&nbsp;which are built with lentils and walnuts and a simple, aromatic coconut curry sauce served over hearty grains and saut\u00e9ed vegetables, is a well-balanced, delicious plant-forward meal.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Some tips include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>&nbsp;Prepare a single batch of &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/walnuts.org\/make-it-with-walnut-meat\/?gad_source=1&amp;gclid=Cj0KCQiAhc-sBhCEARIsAOVwHuRMs1ofbHR2xkc5xjGelUFiKY5hQww5odks4svEYuINxQgZk8r4GSEaArRKEALw_wcB\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" target=\"_blank\">walnut meat<\/a>&#8221; and use it across several meals throughout the week.<\/li><li>To ensure the freshness of &#8220;walnut meat,&#8221; store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days or freeze it for longer-term storage.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>A 1-ounce serving of walnuts, the equivalent of a handful, provides a powerhouse of important nutrients for optimum health, including:<sup>3<\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>An excellent source of&nbsp;alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), the plant-based omega-3 fatty acid (2.5g) \u2013 the only nut with a significant amount.<\/li><li>4g of protein<\/li><li>2g of fiber<\/li><li>A good source of magnesium (45mg)<\/li><\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>New research suggests that walnuts, when substituted for meat, may improve diet quality, support cardiovascular health and lower the risk for developing type 2 diabetes and overall all-cause mortality.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":8909,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[1165,2254,650,1089],"class_list":["post-8908","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nutrition","tag-food","tag-fresh-food-industry","tag-nutrition","tag-walnut"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8908","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8908"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8908\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8910,"href":"http:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8908\/revisions\/8910"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8909"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8908"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8908"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/zestmag.com\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8908"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}