15 MORE WAYS TO ENJOY WALNUTS

Here are more tasty ways to slip walnuts into your diet…

1. When making a smoothie, toss in one-quarter cup of walnuts or two tablespoons of walnut butter.

2. Make a savory Walnut Crumble Topping to sprinkle on and season cooked vegetables. Mix one cup finely chopped, toasted walnuts, one cup whole wheat panko, one tablespoon minced fresh thyme, ⅛ teaspoon salt and one tablespoon extra virgin olive oil. Store in a sealed freezer bag in the freezer.

3. Sprinkle two tablespoons of finely chopped Maple Candied Walnuts over a dish of yogurt or fruit for a naturally sweet dessert, snack or breakfast.

4. Make this appetizer: Stuff one-half teaspoon of goat cheese into a date, then tuck in a walnut half.

5. Before roasting fish fillets, coat them with crushed walnuts.

6. Grill or roast peach or pear halves. Drizzle one teaspoon of honey into each half and add one tablespoon of walnuts.

7. Make a kale salad with diced fresh pears and walnuts. Toss with vinaigrette.

8. Toss shaved and blanched brussels sprouts with a walnut vinaigrette. Crush ¼ cup walnuts. Sauté one minced shallot in two teaspoons walnut or olive oil Add three tablespoons rice wine vinegar or Champagne vinegar and one teaspoon Dijon mustard in a small bowl. Stir in walnuts.

9.  Add walnuts to brown rice to augment the protein in vegetarian main dishes.

10. For a heart-healthy dessert, dip walnut halves in melted dark chocolate and let it cool and harden.

11. Sprinkle crushed walnuts over mashed cauliflower. (No really—try it!)

12. Make a breakfast bowl of cooked oatmeal topped with chopped walnuts and vanilla yogurt.

13. Keep a jar of walnuts on your desk to snack on throughout the day.

14. Pack several single serving-size snack bags of walnuts mixed with dried cranberries (look for the kind that doesn’t have added sugar) to keep handy for breakfast or lunch on the run.

15. Try walnut oil in salad dressings. It’s made from nuts roasted before pressing, so it has a deep nutty flavor.