Top 5 Nuts to Include in Salads

The benefits of adding nuts to your salad go beyond just adding flavor and texture

Sometimes we just want to know, without having to think about it: What are the best nuts for salad? We also want to know which nuts to eat with which salads. When adding nuts in the salad, you can use the different texture and flavoring in a way so that one will enhance the other.

The benefits of adding nuts to your salad go beyond just adding flavor and texture. Think nutrition. You can sneak some of the most nutritious nuts and seeds into a salad to make the salad taste better, and reap all the nutritional rewards. Considering which nuts are the healthiest can be somewhat subjective. Each nut has its unique nutritional profile. However, generally speaking, mostly all nuts have a good percentage of healthy fats and higher protein. Nuts in a salad also bring more density to the dish. These nuts can turn a light snack salad into a full meal.

THE TOP 5 NUTS TO INCLUDE IN SALADS ARE:
Almonds
Almonds are one of those nuts that tend to be a bit higher in protein and lower in fat. The nutritional profile of almonds is highly dense, and so even a handful of almonds can provide the body so much nutritionally and calorically. Nature’s Eats Almonds are excellent in salads, and you can put them in whole, sliced, slivered, blanched, roasted or flavored.

Nature’s Eats Sliced Almonds
Nature’s Eats Blanched Slivered Almonds
Nature’s Eats Roasted Almonds
Nature’s Eats Habanero Almonds
Nature’s Eats Hickory Smoked Almonds
English Walnuts & Black Walnuts
Walnuts are not in their shape of a brain by accident. Like many other foods, nuts are shaped like the organ or organs they best support. The walnut is known for good brain health as well as good for the lungs. English and black walnuts each have their unique nutritional benefits. They are both very high in Omega 3’s and fatty acids. English walnuts are higher in antioxidants, and black walnuts ounce for ounce have the highest protein count of all tree nuts.

Nature’s Eats Walnuts
Macadamia Nuts
Macadamia nuts are full of nutrients, minerals, antioxidants, and vitamins that are critical to optimal health and wellness. These nuts are also an excellent flavor addition to many different dishes and salads. You can top them on salads as shavings, crumbles or even whole. Macadamia nuts go very well with tropical flavors native to their natural climates like mango and papaya, which are also so delicious in a salad.

Nature’s Eats Macadamia Nuts
Pecans
Use pecans in a salad in various ways from using Nature’s Eats Chopped Pecan Pieces, Nature’s Eats Pecan Halves or whole. They can also be raw or roasted. Pecans go very well with a bit of sweetness whether it’s an added ingredient in the salad or sweetness in the dressing. You can even add candied pecans, such as Nature’s Eats Honey Toasted Pecans to your salad for a whole new dimension of flavor.

Seeds
Just like nuts you can use a variety of seeds in salads such as hemp seeds, sunflower seeds, pepitas, and much more. Similar to nuts the seeds can be raw or roasted, and each will bring forth a different flavor and experience.

As previously mentioned, the most nutritious nuts and seeds can easily be used in a salad and can make a salad incredibly delicious, giving it a lot more density. With all of the nuts and seeds that are available, the best nuts for a salad are the ones that taste the best to you.

Keep in mind that the top 5 nuts for salads may not be the best nuts to snack on. Some nut flavors can be intense on their own and may be better used in a recipe, so choose from the many varieties of recipes available. We gave you our top 5 nuts for salads. However, you are the one to decide – Which are your top 5 nuts for salads? Begin exploring!

Written by Lisa Saremi