Honey roasted almonds
Posted in 30-minutes recipe, Featured Articles, nuts, snacks, Vegetarian, Western
Although toddlers eat smaller portion than adults do, they definitely need more energy and nutrient to support their rapid growth. From this aspect, snacks can play a significant role in fortifying their dietary requirements. Hence, parents and caretaker need to prepare snacks that are as healthy as possible. It’s also important to keep the serving size small and plan the serving time well too so that it will not affect our children’s appetite for their three main meals.
Since my son is no longer allergic to nuts, I love to offer him roasted nuts for snack. Besides cashew nuts, recently I also started to roast almonds for my family. For that, I must thank one of my readers (whom I will introduce later) for her generous sharing of a great recipe and tips.
Compared to most other nuts, almond is packed with a lot more essential nutrients. It’s rich in Vitamin E, monounsaturated fat, calcium, phosphorous, iron and magnesium. It also contains zinc, selenium, copper and niacin. There are dozen of health benefits from eating almonds. Some of them are as below:
- good for brain
- good for heart
- improves skin complexion (Maybe I should spend more on almonds than my beauty products
) - regulates cholesterol
- regulates blood pressure
- prevention of cancer
- protection against diabetes
- good in pregnancy (because of its folic acid)
- reduces weight
- prevention of constipation
- boosts energy (due to the presence of manganese, copper and Riboflavin (vitamin B2))
Below are some interesting and useful information about almonds:
How many almonds should we eat daily?
- The Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggested that the ideal daily portion for almonds is one good-sized handful, or about 23 almonds (equals to 1 ounce).
What is the best way to eat almonds?
- It is best to eat them whole and natural (together with the skin), unsalted or roasted. A study published in the Journal of Nutrition found that the flavonoids found in almond skins team up with the vitamin E found in their meat will provide more than double the antioxidant punch.
- You can eat soak raw almonds overnight. Soaking them overnight unlocks much more of the nutritional benefits of the nut. (Thanks to Starsapphire for her kind comment!) You can read more about benefits of soaking almonds and its procedure at this link.
How to buy:
- Choose almonds that look uniform in color and not limp or shriveled. They should smell sweet and nutty. If their odour is sharp or bitter, they are rancid.
- Avoid those with foreign materials such as twigs or stones.
- It is preferable to purchase them in sealed container rather than those sold in bulk bins as they may be exposed to heat and light for unknown period.
How to store:
- Since almonds have a high fat content, it is important to store them in a cool, dry place, away from heat sources, and avoiding prolonged exposure to direct sunlight.
- According to Board of Almonds California, whole natural almonds (in unopened packages) can be stored in cool and dry conditions (<40°F and <65% relative humidity) for about 2 years with no significant loss in quality.
- Once packaged almonds are opened, be sure to store in an airtight container or sealed baggie with air squeezed out in a cool, dry, dark place (ideally in the refrigerator) and use within three months.
- Keeping almonds in the freezer extends their shelf life. For storage in the freezer, package the almonds in air-tight bag to protect them against ice formation and moisture that can result in mold growing on them.
- Avoid exposure to strong odors (pungent food such as fish and onions) as almonds can absorb odors of other materials if exposed for prolonged periods.
- Roasted almonds must be protected from oxygen. Storage containers, re-sealable plastic bags, and vacuum packaging are all good options.
Although almonds may sound ideal to our health, they have their own cons as well. They contain oxalates and excessive oxalates can cause crystallization. So people having kidney or gallbladder problems should avoid eating almonds. Besides that, just like other nuts, it may pose allergic issues and choking hazard to babies and toddlers (below five years old). Parents and caretakers should exercise extra care when introducing nuts to their children.
For further reading references, please refer to:
– Health Benefits of Almonds (by Organic Facts)
– Almonds on the Go (by Food Fit)
– Almonds (by WHFoods)
– Almonds Lifestyle (by Almonds Board of California)
This honey roasted almonds recipe is shared by my reader KY who had personally tried and tested it herself. She told me that this recipe was proven quick (only 20-25 minutes), easy (just a few simple ingredients) and yummilious. That’s why she enjoyed making them for her family from time to time even though she is a busy working mom.
After trying it out myself, I can’t agree more with KY. Yeah, it is a MUST TRY recipe for nut lovers!! My family loved it very much. When I laid the roasted almonds on the grease-proof paper to cool down, both my hubby and son were poised to “attack” those crunchy and flavourful almonds. The temptation is so irresistable!! (Please be warned that munching almonds can be addictive!!) For those who prefer a healthy version, just omit the sugar/ salt mixture and roast the almonds plain. The taste is good too. If you haven’t included almonds in your family’s diet, then better hurry and give this recipe a try.
>>> Click on PAGE 2for Honey Roasted Almonds recipe and step-by-step photos ……………..
Nuts are a great snack. I always have good engery after a handful of nuts, and these look delicious!
Lisa: Yeah, they are great energy booster! 😉
Hi there, thanks for the recipe.
You could also try eating soaked raw almonds as well. Soaking them overnight unlocks much more of the nutritional benefits of the nut 🙂
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/benefits-of-soaking-almonds-in-water.html
Starsapphire: You’re welcome. Thanks for sharing such a great article!! I will include it in my post. 😉
Wow this is plethora of info about almonds…will never look at almonds the same way…
Awesome pictures as usual…:)
Cheers,
Ann
FoodieAnn: Yeah, they are superfood that we should not miss out in our diet. Thanks for your compliment! 😉
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Love this post….very informative. Love those honey roasted almonds. It looks very addictive. I’ll definitely over shoot my daily requirement when I start eating 😀
Mary Moh: Thanks! Yes, they are indeed very addictive! 😉
You are definitely giving your son the maximum nutrition with these bad boys! Nuts are such amazing superfoods!
Joanne: Yeah, you said it all! 😉
I don’t think I can stop snacking on these!
Pigpigscorner: Time to forget about the calories first. Hahaha! 😉
Yep, starsaphhire is right about the soaking. Then make your own almond milk 😉
Tigerfish: Thanks! Maybe I should try making almond milk one day. 😉
It was very interesting to read all about almonds. 🙂 I never knew that they were bad for you too though. I only knew that eating too many would mean too much fat. I know that if I made these though, I would probably eat a whole jar. haha
Esther: Glad you like this recipe. As mentiond in this link (http://www.foodfit.com/centers/almond/healthsnack.asp), almonds contain monounsaturated fat which is considered “good” fat for our body. They keep our heart healthy and lower our cholesterol. They also make up all your cell membranes. So if you eat them according to the best way suggested in my post, you will get to enjoy the health benefits provided by almonds. 😉
This is so healthy, I must consider it as our snack since it has so much of nutrition. 🙂
Little Inbox: This snack is not considered healthy as it contains sugar/ salt mixture. But it is definitely a better choice than those junk food, right?
There looks nice sitting on the paper boat! Interesting!
Kitchen Corner: Thanks!! 😉
this looks healthy and yummy. what a great snack!
Noobcook: It is definitely a great snack to get picky eaters to eat almonds. 😉
I can’t wait to try it! Looks super!
Angie: Looking forward to hearing your feedback. 😉
Looks so yummy! Even though I am not a big fan of almond but yours really look good….! A great snack for my boy too! 🙂
Alice: Great snack for both of you as almonds are very nutritious. Hope Sean loves it! 😉
Super yummy snack! I think I can’t stop eating all of them once I start eating the first one. 🙂
Christine: Thanks! Yeah, I can’t agree more. 😉
Delicious and healthy snack! Love how you served it in colorful paper boats.
LCOM: Thanks! Hahaha! It’s just for fun. I made extra for my son too as he loved playing these paper boats. 😉
I love nuts and these look like something that I will be so addicted to!!
Lee Mei (MCH): Yeah, I bet you will. 😉
Hi LK,
Bet you must have spent many hours to get all those facts and info on almonds for this post. My pleasure to share this recipe with you and the rest. Good food is for sharing, right? Your almonds definitely look tempting… I do agree that these almonds serve as better snack food than others in the shelves. Don’t mind the sugar and salt, though! As usual, your food presentation and photos do not fail my expectation.
Rgds,
KY
KY: Yeah, the more we share the more we get! Keep on sharing!! Hope you will find the facts and info on almonds helpful to you. Thanks a lot for your wonderful compliment and kind support. 😉
Nice healthy snack for everyone!
Dora: Yeah, hope it will be everyone favourite. 😉
Oh, I can imagine how good these are…when I start eating nuts I can’t stop, I have to finish them…I always eat them as they are, but I have to try your way, looks delicious…
Mika: Hope you will like it. Happy trying! 🙂
Wow, these look delicious! I am a sucker for glazed/flavored nuts. I will have to give these a try!
Imwaytoobusy: Thanks! Hope you will like it! 😉
Very delicious.I am just a lover of almonds.its delicious taste is wonderful.It is so healthy to have almonds in our diet .
HBOA: Thanks for dropping by and your kind comment!
Hi, Do i need to rinse the almond first? Mine is Raw Almond bought from market.
And, can you suggest which brand of almond to buy?
Thank you
Karyn: Yes, you can. After rinsing, pat dry with kitchen towel. I source my raw almonds from different places. Sometimes, I used organic nuts too. 🙂
Thank you :), I am a big fan of you, please share with us more recipe
Have been searching for this recipe for long….thanx….loved the boxed ones, but want to try fresh homemade ones…..yummmm…
Shanna: Happy trying! 🙂
Do I have to preheat the oven?
Shirley: No, you can start with a cold oven. 🙂
Hi you mentioned that there are many benefits if the almonds are soaked first. Do we soak the almonds overnight before patting time dry to oven them as per your recipe? Thank you for sharing! Love your recipes!
Charis: Glad you love my recipes! I usually don’t soak them overnight before roasting. I think it sounds feasible to do so. However, you may need to pat them dry first, bake at a lower temperature until the almonds are thoroughly dry before roasting them. 🙂