Good Girl Almond

Almonds can commonly be found in cakes, chocolates or any other sweet recipe. But let me tell you, there are so many other ways of preparing them that its unfair to keep them stucked in the sweet area.

Almonds are rich in monounsaturated fat, which is very healthy despite of containing the word "fat". Let me explain this:

What "saturated" fats are saturated with is hydrogen atoms placed in every available bonding site on the molecule. Unsaturated fats have empty spaces instead, and have none of the adverse effects associated with saturated fats. Due to the lack of hydrogen, the fat chain is generally unstable and will eventually get oxygen in the empty spaces and turn it rancid. Products typically made with unsaturated fat will only last a few days on store shelves.

The reason why unsaturated fat is considered healthier than the other types of fat is due to the nature of the fat molecules once they reach the bloodstream: saturated fats have a natural tendency to bond with each other on contact, which leads to the formation of artery-clogging plaque. Unsaturated fat, however, contains larger molecules that tend to slide past each other in the bloodstream, which results in little to no plaque build-up.

So if 25% of our daily calories must come from from fat, we should always prefer the unsaturated kind.

That explained, what are the health benefits of eating almonds? These are the main ones:

• Lowers bad colesterol and increases good cholesterol.
• Excellent source of Vitamin E (antioxidant, good for skin and hair)
• Contains minerals like manganese, potassium, calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc and selenium
• Source of protein and dietary fibers.

Be careful with quantities! there are 100 calories in 15 almonds.


Now to the fun part: cooking!
Obviously you can add roasted almonds to almost everything to make it delicious: yogurt, cereal, salads, pasta, pancakes, chicken, and soooo on.
But I'm here to show you non-ordinary ways of consuming them.
First of all, toss a bunch of almonds in your food processor and use the pulse function to turn them into flour. Process them a little more for fresh almond butter.
Take this flour and make some Pancakes!

almonds: making your pancakes 10 times more awesome

1 cup almond meal
3 large eggs
1/8 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon

Mix it all together until a batter forms. Pour the batter onto a buttered or greased skillet. Cook over medium heat until both sides are golden brown.

If you prefer to try almond butter, this Chicken Sandwich is an awesome option

:droooool:

2 thin slices bread, toasted
1 to 2 tablespoons almond butter

3 slices chicken breast

2 slices tomato
2 thin slices red onion
1/4 bunch arugula or lettuce 

4 slices red pepper
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Lay slice of toast on a cutting board. Spread with almond butter. Top with 1 onion slice and some lettuce/arugula. Season with salt and pepper.
Cover with remaining slice of toast. Cut sandwich in half and serve.