Almonds

Almonds are widely popular nuts that are heavily used in raw food recipes, from nut “milks” and “butters” to meat substitutes and pâtés. Almonds score an 81 out of 100 in Dr. T.C. Fry’s “A General Guide to Food Selection.”

Almonds are in season in the spring. An average-size almond weighs 1.2 grams and contains 7 calories. A cup of whole almonds weighs 143 grams and contains 828 calories.

Almonds’ binomial name is Prunus dulcis. Almonds are deciduous trees, and the fruit of the almond is a drupe. The drupe consists of an outer hull and hard shell with the kernel inside.

Almonds are rich in B vitamins, especially Vitamin B2, along with minerals, particularly manganese. It contains great amounts of Vitamin E.

Almonds are native to the Middle East and South Asia. The United States is the leading producer of almonds, growing 1.41 million tonnes in 2010–11, followed by Spain (220,000 tonnes) and Iran (160,000 tonnes). Italy (111,000 tonnes) and Morocco (100,000 tonnes) round out the list of leading five producers.

Since 2007, almost all almonds grown in the United States, even those sold as “raw,” have been pasteurized or chemically treated after a salmonella outbreak.

Stats for 100 Grams of Almonds, (Nuts)

• 579 calories

Notable Nutrients

Percentages based on the Reference Daily Intake for a 2,000-calorie diet

• Fiber: 50%
• Fat: 76.8%
• Protein: 42.3%
• Vitamin B1: 13.7%
• Vitamin B2: 66.9%
• Vitamin B3: 18.1%
• Vitamin B6: 6.9%
• Folate: 11%
• Vitamin E: 127.3%
• Calcium: 26.9%
• Copper: 51.6%
• Iron: 20.6%
• Magnesium: 67.5%
• Manganese: 109%
• Phosphorous: 48.1%
• Potassium: 20.9%
• Selenium: 5.9%
• Zinc: 20.8%

Carbs/Protein/Fat

• Carbohydrates: 15.1%
• Protein: 12.7%
• Fat: 72.2%

Food Type

• Nut

Sources

• Self Healing Colitis & Crohn’s by Dr. David Klein
• http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/foods/show/2384
• http://www.cronometer.com
• http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/almonds.html
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Almond