Almonds are a excellent food all packaged up in it’s little brown coating. It not only packs a wallop when it comes to nourishment, but they add flavor to all kinds of easy appetizer recipes.

The next few paragraphs will explore some of the uses of almonds – their nutritional worth as well as some interesting facts that I bet you never learned about the little brown packages.

While most doctors wouldn’t recommend eating nuts as a snack for those that have high cholesterol – due to their high fat content – many studies have been done that show that eating almonds actually lowers your cholesterol.

For example, a study was done using volunteers that had a history of high cholesterol. The end result was that this group eating almonds actually showed significant reductions within their LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol). So, in line with these findings, whole almonds eaten in moderation can decreasing cholesterol.

That being said, did you realize that there is a right and wrong approach to eat almonds? Eating almonds incorrectly could  make you miss out on many of the benefits an almond has to offer. By eating almonds wrongly, they could potentially harm your digestion. Because almonds are a fantastic source of protein, vitamin E and fiber, and also the least acid-forming of all nuts, digestion is significant thing to bear in mind. Here’s why. The natural brown coating of almonds contains an enzyme-inhibiting substance in the coating that makes digestion for many people difficult.

A fairly easy fix for this digestion problem is to begin with raw almonds – organic if possible. (Trader Joe’s carries organic almonds if you have one in your area.) Soak them in purified water in a stainless steel or glass container. You must cover the almonds and let them soak overnight for around 12 hours. This process of soaking removes the enzyme inhibitor to ensure that the enzymes that are secreted during digestion are then allowed to do their job correctly. Once soaked, simply drain them and then refrigerate the almonds to use as a snack, or in your favorite recipes – without fear of digestive difficulties.

Almonds can also be a source for the omega-3 and the omega-6 fatty acids. Women usually need this more than men, but typically, the American diet doesn’t always include enough foods that cover the fatty oils and acids that the body needs. Almonds are a good source for this.

Listed below are some delicious and fun facts about almonds:

1. 80% of the world’s supply of almonds originates from California
2. To pollinate the California crops of almonds, it will take over 1.2 million bee hives!
3. One of the favorite snacks of Japanese teenagers is a snack mix of dried sardines and slivered almonds.
4. Almonds are the most nutrient-dense out of all the nut families.
5. The protein found in almonds is just like protein in breast milk that many baby formulas use almonds as their base.
6. It will take approximately a thousand pounds of almonds to produce one pint of almond oil.

In summary, almonds taste great and can be used as a snack or prepared as a delicious simple appetizer. Of course, you can use them as a tasty ingredient in your favorite recipes, but they are a nutrient-dense nut that contains protein and the right kinds of fat that the body needs. Almonds – as tiny as they are – are a big food!

Super Bowl Sunday is nearly here! Check out this Super Bowl Snacks page for some great ideas to feed the hungry crowds.