walnut recipes

Try these walnut recipes and tips, and enjoy the flavor and the health benefits.

Dishes like this pesto prove that walnuts can work wonders.

RODALE NEWS, EMMAUS, PA—While most nuts pack a nutritional punch, walnuts are definitely a heavyweight contender. In addition to containing vitamin E, magnesium, folate, protein, and fiber, walnuts boast more heart-healthy omega-3 fats than salmon. This wonder nut is also packed with anti-inflammatory polyphenols. But there’s more. According to a study in the Journal of Nutrition, researchers in South Africa found that 50 to 100 grams of nuts, including walnuts, added per day to a moderately high-fat diet (35 percent from fats) could significantly lower total and LDL (bad) cholesterol. People with normal and high cholesterol levels could benefit from adding walnuts to their diet.

Yes, nuts are high in calories. The idea is to swap them in for other empty calories you might already be consuming. And keep an eye on portion size. A serving of walnuts—about 1 ounce, which is around 14 halves or 7 whole nuts—makes a great snack. For variety, mix walnuts with your other favorite nuts, seeds, and dried fruit to create a healthy medley. But don’t relegate walnuts to out-of-hand munching. They can add a rich, flavorful crunch to breakfast, lunch, and dinner, as you’ll see from the walnut recipes below, taken from the Rodale Recipe Finder.

#1: Cranberry Coffee Cake with Walnut Crunch. Walnuts are a classic baking nut and are perfect in breakfast breads, muffins, and coffee cakes like this one. Another quick breakfast idea? Add walnuts to your favorite pancake or waffle batter.

#2: Pasta with Walnut Basil Pesto. Replacing pine nuts with walnuts adds a heart-healthy boost to pesto, and the flavors are similar enough that your pasta will still taste familiarly delicious.