Nuts, Health, And Kids

Key points:

• Nuts are power packed with nutrients which help children grow, develop and learn.
• A serve of nuts is 30g or a small handful.
• Nuts should be introduced to the diet from six months of age as a nut paste or in ground form.
• Children under 5 should avoid whole nuts due to potential choking risk
• Peanuts and tree nuts can cause allergic reactions for some children
• Check food labels and avoid taking nuts or foods containing nuts if your child’s school has a nut free policy.

Why nuts?

Nuts are natural power-packs of nutrients like vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, healthy fats, protein and fibre which help children grow, develop and learn. Examples of nuts include almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, chestnuts, hazelnuts, macadamias, pecans, pine nuts, pistachios and walnuts.

What about peanuts?

Peanuts are technically a legume, but they are commonly referred to as a nut as they have a similar nutritional composition.

What is a serve?

A 30g serve of nuts is a small handful, or roughly:

• 30 pistachio kernels
• 20 almonds or hazelnuts
• 15 cashews, pecans or macadamias
• 9-10 Brazil nuts or walnuts
• 4 chestnuts

A serve of nuts contains approximately:

• 36% of a child’s daily vitamin E requirement
• 13% of a child’s daily fibre requirement
• 4g protein and
• B-group vitamins, calcium, iron, zinc, potassium and magnesium

Health benefits of nuts

Regularly eating nuts as part of an overall healthy diet can help to reduce cholesterol, regulate blood pressure, reduce the risk of diabetes and heart disease, maintain regular bowel movements and even support bone health!

Nuts and kids

Nuts can be eaten on their own as a quick and healthy snack or used to add crunch and variety to recipes. Raw or dry-roasted and unsalted nuts are the healthiest option. Nuts with added salt or sugar should be avoided where possible. Nuts should be introduced in the diet from six months of age, just like other foods. Children under five should avoid whole nuts due to the risk of choking. Nut pastes or ground nuts are a good alternative

Adding nuts to your child’s diet

Try these yummy ideas to help your kids get their healthy handful daily:

• prepare a trail mix for snacks or school lunchboxes (if permitted by your school)
• toss almonds or cashews through a stir-fry
• add roast chestnuts or pine nuts to a salad
• sprinkle roasted, chopped hazelnuts or pistachios over soup
• chop macadamia as a crust on grilled fish
• crush pecans over low-fat yoghurt and fruit
• add walnuts to home-made banana bread
• add chopped nuts to muesli, porridge or a wholegrain breakfast cereal
• a pure nut spread on toast, or as a sandwich filling, or in celery sticks
• Visit www.nutsforlife.com.au or our recipe section for more ideas

Remember:

• Enjoy nuts as a snack or add to your favorite recipes for crunch.
• Avoid nuts with added salt or sugar
• Children under 5 should avoid whole nuts due to potential choking risks.