What is a nut? There are two different definitions—botanical and culinary. Botanically, nuts are the composite of a seed and dry fruit found inside a hard, outer shell that does not open to release the seed. True nuts include chestnuts and hazelnuts. From a culinary perspective, nuts contain an oily, tender flesh surrounded by a hard, outer shell. By this definition, almonds, cashews, Brazil nuts, walnuts, pecans, macadamia nuts, pistachio nuts, and pine nuts are not considered nuts in a botanical sense, but can be considered nuts by the culinary definition. By the botanical definition, peanuts are actually considered to be legumes; however, their nutritional characteristics categorize them as nuts for culinary purposes.1
Most edible nuts grow on trees, but peanuts grow underground. Some nuts are mainly grown outside of the United States and imported into the country. Raw nuts can be purchased shelled or pre-shelled. They are used in baked goods, granola bars, trail mix, salads, spreads and dips, and eaten raw as a healthy snack. Some nuts are used for non-dairy milk substitutes.2 Nuts consumed in the United States include:
- Almonds: California is the only state that commercially produces almonds. The United States is the world's largest almond producer, growing 80% of the world's almonds. Almonds are grown on trees and are harvested by mechanically shaking the tree. Almonds are consumed as snacks and in goods such as cereal and granola bars. Almonds can be made into flour, milk, butter, paste, or oil.
- Brazil Nuts: Brazil nuts are not grown in the United States. Bolivia is the world's top producer. While there are some plantations, most Brazil nuts are harvested from the wild. They grow in a pod weighing up to 5 1/2 pounds and drop from 160-foot (18-story) high trees at a rate of 50 miles per hour. This makes harvesting dangerous. Brazil nuts are typically eaten raw, blanched, or roasted and can be chopped up over salads, cereal, porridge, or desserts. But don't eat too many! Brazil nuts contain selenium and eating too many (11-12 nuts) can lead to poisoning.
- Cashews: Vietnam and India are the world's leading producers of cashews. There is no commercial production in the United States. Cashew nuts form out of the swollen end of the tree's stem known as the cashew apple. The cashew apple falls from the tree and is collected by machine from the ground. The nut is then separated from the cashew apple. Cashews are eaten raw or roasted and can be incorporated in stir fries, soups, salads, and stews. Cashews are also used to make cashew butter and cheese.
- Chestnuts: Chestnuts are grown in Michigan, Florida, California, Oregon, and Virginia. The United States grows less than 1% of the world's chestnuts. Chestnuts are grown on trees and are ready for harvest after they drop to the ground and are released from their enclosed bur. Harvesting machines sweep and/or vacuum chestnuts from the ground. Some varieties of chestnuts should not be eaten raw because their tannic acid content could cause gastrointestinal distress. Chestnuts are eaten roasted, boiled, or glazed and mixed in stuffing and other dishes.
- Hazelnuts (Filberts): 99% of U.S. hazelnuts are produced in Oregon, representing 3-5% of the world's crop. Turkey is the world's leading hazelnut producer. Hazelnuts are grown on trees or bushy shrubs. After hazelnuts drop to the orchard floor, they are mechanically harvested by blowing them into windrows and using vacuums or sweepers to pick them up or by shaking or slapping the nut clusters off the branches and collecting them in the harvester's bins. Hazelnuts are used in candies or ground into flour for cakes, cookies, and breads.
- Macadamia Nuts: South Africa is the world's largest producer of macadamia nuts. While they can be grown in California and Florida, most U.S. commercially produced macadamia nuts are grown in Hawaii. Macadamia nuts are grown on trees and are harvested manually or with mechanical sweepers and pickup devices. Macadamia nuts are used for candies, baking, ice cream, snack foods, and skin care.
- Peanuts: Peanuts are commercially grown in 13 states. Georgia produces the most followed by Florida, Alabama, Texas, and North Carolina. The United States grows about 5% of the world's peanuts. China is the world's largest peanut producer. Peanut plants flower above ground and fruit below ground. Botanically, they are legumes. Peanuts are harvested by diggers that pull up the plant, shake off excess soil, rotate the plant so that the peanuts are up, and lay it back down in a windrow to dry for 2-3 days. A combine separates the peanuts from the vines, placing the peanuts into a hopper on the top of the machine. Peanuts are purchased raw and are processed into multiple products—boiled peanuts, roasted peanuts, peanut brittle, peanut butter, peanut oil, peanut flour, and biodiesel.
- Pecans: Pecans are grown in 15 states, with Georgia, New Mexico, and Texas being the top producing states. The United States is the world's largest pecan producer. Pecans are grown on trees and harvested by shaking the tree with large, mechanized shakers. A harvester collects the pecans from the ground and collects them into a bin. Pecans are used as appetizers and as additions to salads, cakes, candies, and cookies.
- Pine Nuts: China, Russia, Pakistan, and Afghanistan are the largest producers of pine nuts (North Korea is the 3rd largest producer, but their pine nuts cannot be legally sold in the U.S.). In the United States, pine nut production has drastically decreased in part due to their difficulty to harvest. Pine nuts are one of the most expensive nuts because of the time they require to be grown and harvested. Pine nuts grow on specific varieties of pine trees inside a pine cone. They are mostly harvested by hand by smashing the cone to release the pine nut and then separating the pine nut from the cone. Each pine nut also has a second shell that must be removed before eating. Pine nuts are eaten raw, roasted, used to make pesto, or as an ingredient in breads, cookies, cakes, sauces, and meat, fish, and vegetable dishes.
- Pistachios: Iran and the United States are the world's leading pistachio producers. In the United States, California produces about 99% of the pistachios grown. Pistachios grow on trees and are harvested by shaking the tree with a mechanical harvesting machine. The pistachios fall into a catching frame without ever touching the ground. Pistachios are sold shelled, unshelled, salted, or roasted. They are also used as ingredients in candies, baked goods, ice cream, and flavorings.
- Walnuts: Almost all U.S. walnuts are grown in California. The United States ranks second in walnut production behind China. Walnuts are grown on trees and harvested by mechanical shakers and harvesters that pick them up. Walnuts are sold as a snack item or for use in candies, cereals, and baked goods.
In addition to California, the state that grows the majority of U.S. nuts, the Southeast and the Southwest grow many varieties. The following list shows where nuts are commercially grown in the United States:
- Alabama: peanuts
- Arkansas: pecans
- California: almonds, chestnuts, pecans, pistachios, walnuts
- Florida: chestnuts, peanuts
- Georgia: peanuts, pecans
- Hawaii: macadamia nuts
- Michigan: chestnuts
- New Mexico: peanuts, pecans, pistachios, pine nuts
- North Carolina: peanuts
- Oklahoma: peanuts, pecans
- Oregon: chestnuts, hazelnuts
- South Carolina: peanuts, pecans
- Texas: peanuts, pecans
- Virginia: chestnuts, peanuts
Nuts are energy-dense and rich in vitamins, minerals, fiber, proteins, and healthy fats. Most nuts are high in Omega 3 fatty acids, essential nutrients that help prevent and manage heart disease. A recent study by the University of Georgia suggests that pecans can improve a person's cholesterol levels.7
Nuts fall under the protein section of MyPlate. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that people eat 5 ounces of nuts per week for a 2,000 calorie per day level diet.3 As much as 80% of a nut is fat, although most is healthy fat. Because of their high fat content, nuts are high in calories and portion sizes should be limited.4
Nutrition Facts labels are important tools to help consumers be aware of the contents of their foods in order to meet and not exceed their nutrition requirements. Food labels contain the following information:
- Servings Per Container: Show the total number of servings found in the entire package.
- Serving Size: This quantity is based on the amount customarily eaten at one time, though typical serving sizes often exceed recommended serving sizes.
- Calories: A unit of measurement used to define the amount of energy a food provides the body.
- Fat: A macronutrient that provides energy, stores energy, and helps digest fat-soluble vitamins. There are four types of fat; polyunsaturated fat, monosaturated fat, saturated fat, and trans fat.
- Sodium: Refers to the mineral table, or sodium chloride. Sodium helps in the function of nerves, muscles, and fluid balance in the body.
- Carbohydrate: A macronutrient which supplies energy to support bodily functions and physical activity. Carbohydrates include sugars, starches, celluloses, and gums.
- Fiber: The portion of plant-derived food that cannot be completely broken down by digestive enzymes. Fiber improves digestive enzymes. Fiber improves digestive health and lowers the risk of many chronic diseases.
- Sugar: The sum of naturally occurring sugars and added sugars in a food. Naturally occurring sugars include fructose in fruit or lactose in dairy products. Added sugars are those added in the processing of food in the form of table sugar, honey, syrups, etc.
- Protein: A macronutrient needed to maintain bone, muscle, and skin health.
- Vitamins and Minerals: This section declares the amount of vitamins or minerals found in each serving of food. Vitamin D, calcium, iron, and potassium are required on the label because they have been found to be most at risk of being deficient in the United States.
- % Daily Value: The percent of each nutrient provided in one serving of the food based on recommendations for a 2,000-calorie diet.
students to make a list of as many different types of edible nuts as they can think of.