^{by Sharon Quercioli}

When I think about walnuts, I usually picture a big bowl of nuts near the center of the Thanksgiving or Christmas table, right next to our oversized nutcracker. But these wonderful little nuts aren’t just for cold weather snacking and meals, they make healthy and tasty additions to warm weather meals, too.

Are Walnuts Good for You?

Did you know that a handful of walnuts has almost twice the number of antioxidants as any other (equivalent amount) of nut? Not only that, they have also been known to boost mood. They have been linked to positive changes in mood in certain psychological disorders due to their high levels of omega-3. These same omega-3s are also known to aid in the function and development of our central nervous system.

If you look closely at a walnut which has been cracked open, you might notice that it looks a little like a brain. This is quite the coincidence since their high levels of polyunsaturated fats can offer up some great benefits to your brain function and general brain health. Those same omega-3s that help boost your mood, also help improve your brain’s ability to signal and brain neurogenesis (when your brain creates new neurons).

Walnuts aren’t just good for your brain alone. They are also great for your heart. An article in the Journal of Nutrition reported that walnuts can help reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease. More specifically, walnut oil is more likely to have benefits to your endothelial function. This is a fancy term for the inside lining of your lymphatic and blood vessels. Another article in the British Journal of Nutrition reported that people who consumed more nuts (an average of four times more than the average) reduced their risk of heart disease by almost 40%.

A Gentle Warning

It’s recommended that you can eat around seven to nine walnuts each day to enjoy the health benefits and nutty flavor without gaining extra weight. In addition to the weight gain, eating too many walnuts can cause your stomach to bloat and can cause soft stools.

Walnut Recipes

Walnuts aren’t just for dry snacking. You can incorporate these nuts in breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert recipes. Like most nuts, they’re incredibly versatile. My favorite recipe for walnuts is a simple one: Goat Cheese and Walnut Salad with homemade dressing.

Goat Cheese and Walnut Salad

What You’re Going to Need:

• Tablespoon of red onion or shallot (minced)
• Tablespoon of red wine vinegar
• Two tablespoons of Dijon mustard
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Kosher salt
• Three tablespoons of walnut oil
• About eight cups of organic spinach leaves (trim stems, wash, and dry) or kale (trim stems, cut leaves, wash, and dry)
• Half a cup of toasted chopped walnuts
• Third of a cup of goat cheese (crumbled)

What You Need to Do with Those Things:

• Use a small bowl to toss and mix the shallots, vinegar, salt and vinegar. Use a whisk to whip it into a creamy dressing.
• Put most of the spinach (or kale) into a large bowl. Toss with three-fourths of the dressing. Add the rest of the spinach (or kale), and add the rest of the dressing. Continue to toss until it is all mixed together.
• Serve immediately. Once it is portioned out, add some goat cheese and walnuts.
• Extra hint: Sometimes walnut oil can be really strong. If your brand or type seems strong when you open the bottle, cut the measurement in half, and add half extra virgin olive oil.

Other Ways to Incorporate Walnuts

In addition to salads, I’m a big fan of topping chicken sandwiches with walnut salads. It’s a refreshing and portable way to bring your Blue Cheese Walnut salad with you to work.

When I snack on nuts, I find it helpful to portion out your helping before sitting down to eat. It helps keep the correct portion control, so you don’t mindlessly eat the whole bag in one sitting. I also enjoy sitting down with walnuts (pistachios) still in the shell instead of pre-shelled nuts. This slows down my snacking, so I can give my stomach enough time to tell my brain that it’s full.

If you have a sweet tooth, why not make your own caramelized walnuts? Take a cup of walnuts, a fourth of a cup of granulated sugar, and a tablespoon of butter (or healthier substitutions) and heat all the ingredients over medium heat for about five minutes. Just make sure that you are constantly stirring the mixture, so it won’t burn onto your pan. That’s the worst. Mix up your caramelized walnuts recipe. Try honey, sugar, salt, cinnamon and cayenne for a honey glazed variant.