The Wonderful World of Almonds

As an amazing job perk, Joy sent me across the country to explore all things ALMOND last week at the Almond Orchard Experience in Lodi, California. I’ve always been a big fan of nuts for their health value, and having an Indian ancestry (India is one of the largest importer of almonds in the world) there was never a shortage of almonds growing up. However, I never really new much about where these nutrient-powerhouses came from or how they were grown (other than that they grew on trees). It turns out that this trip was more than just an opportunity to meet incredible health and nutrition professionals, sip on tasty wine, eat heavenly 4-course meals, and have a little R&R time in the spa…I managed to learn quite a bit about the amazing almond – everything from what it takes to grow them to the science behind eating them, and of course, the scrumptious recipes they fit perfectly into. Though, I have to say, the most fascinating part of the week was actually visiting the mostly family-owned orchards to see how almonds get from the tree to your kitchen cabinet. So, here’s a little virtual tour in the life of an almond…

In late January buds begin to appear on the trees and the early stages of bloom are a sign that spring has sprung in California (those lucky ducks!).

It looks like popcorn on the trees!

Once February arrives, the trees are in full bloom – there are no leaves and all you see is white. They stay this way for about 3 weeks…how BEAUTIFUL!

It looks like snow...but it's not!

Almonds need a few things to grow: hot summers, cool winters, water (but not rain), and most importantly, bees. They are responsible for pollination so almond growers work closely with bee keepers to have boxes brought to the orchard at the perfect time. Without the bee, there are no almonds!

Once pollination has occurred, the petals drop (it looks like snow!) and the trees begin to sprout leaves and little nutlets. Immature green almonds can be picked by hand, refrigerated, and delivered overnight for a short period of time to appear on spring tasting menus. You can find them in ethnic markets - typically pickled or preserved. 

From March to June, the almonds continue to mature on the tree. The shell hardens while the hull surrounding the nut offers protection. The hull begins to split in July and early August, indicating that the almonds will soon be ready to harvest.  

Inside the split hull, you can see the almond encased in a shell.

Then finally from mid-August through October, harvest season begins! To get the almonds off of the trees, a machine called “the shaker,” clamps to a trunk and literally shakes the tree to make the almonds rain down. The machine moves down the orchard row and stops at each tree to repeat the process (can you believe they used to do this with a pole!?). I have to say this was one of the most exciting things to see when visiting the orchard – there was a simultaneous “WOW!” from the whole group.

On the count of three - 1, 2, 3....WOW!

The almonds spend some time drying in the sun (about 7-10 days) before a sweeper comes by and pushes them all into a nice neat line.

A harvester then goes down the row and picks up all the almonds and transfers them to a trailer.

The almonds are now ready to be hulled and de-shelled, sorted and sized, packed and shipped to companies so they can be used in all the almond products we know and love. Almonds are sold in the shell, plain, roasted, sliced, ground, chocolate-covered, and everything in between.

I hope you enjoyed your virtual tour through the almond orchard and that you are inspired to grab a handful of nuts as an incredibly delicious and nutritious snack today.  

**Thank you to the Almond Board of California for these amazing photos**

CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) 101

I am absolutely ecstatic to share this guest blog post from one of my superstar interns, Rachele Pojednic! A Doctoral Candidate at Tufts University Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy, Rachele also holds a Masters Degree in Biochemical and Molecular Nutrition, and a Bachelors degree in Exercise Physiology from Northeastern University. In this post, Rachele teaches us what a CSA is, how to get one, and why they're so great.

Rachele and I at the American Heart Association Luncheon

CSA 101

Growing up, I lived in a meat and potatoes kind of house. For dinner, there was a protein (steak), starch (potato), and vegetable (frozen corn heated in the microwave). Sometimes there was steamed broccoli (which I hated and would drop on the floor for the cat to eat). As an inevitable consequence, I grew up thinking vegetables were gross (I still think steamed vegetables are gross...could be residual traumatic stress). When I left home, the majority of my college years were spent eating some version of “carbs n’ cheese” for dinner, hardly ever a vegetable in sight.

I knew that I should eat more fruit and veggies, but finding and affording fresh produce (especially organic) was a huge hassle and I didn’t really know how to cook anything tasty that was veggie based. To top it all off, I was confined to a first-job-out-of-college-budget, and was afraid to waste my money and end up with a pile of green slop on my dinner plate.

Then, my younger hippie sister came to visit from college in Vermont and announced she was now a strict vegetarian. As long as she was in my apartment, there was to be no meat present. She was my sister, so I begrudgingly indulged her meat-free existence and tepidly waded into the world of vegetarian eating. 

She dragged me to the local farmers market (HayMarket in Boston) and loaded up on all kinds of broccoli (she insisted she knew how to cook it), beets (does anyone really know how to cook a beet?), swiss chard (not a cheese), sweet potatoes (sort of close to a russet?) and spinach (which, according to my sister, we would be eating raw, bleh).  With her ingredients she concocted a gorgeous spinach, basil and strawberry salad alongside what she called a mixing bowl of veggies. The bowl turned out to be a beautiful layering of roasted sweet potatoes and beets covered with sauteed chard and garlic, topped with slivered almonds and a sauce of garlic, fresh ginger, dijon mustard, and soy sauce. And all of a sudden, this veggie-hater was a convert. Everything was so delicious! I was completely shocked. 

When my sister left a week later, we had eaten completely vegetarian for every meal and snack. It turns out vegetables are delicious if you don’t boil them into oblivion! But I was still nervous about buying a ton of produce that I didn’t really know what to do with. In order to encourage my veggie eating habits, my sister suggested buying into a CSA, which I had never heard of. She explained that CSA stood for “Community Supported Agriculture.” Basically, you send money (i.e. “purchase a share”) to a local farm or group of farms and they reserve a weekly box of veggies and fruit for you, typically whatever is growing in their fields, and often organic. It’s a total surprise as to what’s inside, and when you unveil your mystery crops for the week, you plan your meals from there (this is where food blogs and online recipe builders come in super handy). It’s a huge win for small local farmers, because they have a positive cash flow for the start of the growing season and also for the veggie-confused-consumer because it takes the aforementioned hassle and monotony out of the produce section of the supermarket.

After doing my homework, I bought into a group called Boston Organics (a conglomerate of local farms), which is a double bonus because they drop the box off at my door (take that lo mein delivery)! I literally put my empty box out on Friday morning and when I get home from work, it’s filled to the brim with fresh fruits and veggies! My delivery costs $24 per week, with the option for every other week if that price is too steep. I can even add on local eggs, coffee, and bread! Tack on some staples and seasonings from the grocery store, and I am literally all set for the entire week.

Because CSA’s are run locally, you need to find one that’s close to you. They can be searched by zip code or state at: http://www.localharvest.org/csa/.  Sometimes you can even find one with local meat and fish add-ons, and there are often options for you to help out on the farm for a reduced rate.

The best part of my CSA has been that, for the past 10 years, I have been eating a predominantly vegetarian diet because there is SO MUCH produce in the box. And, even though it’s relatively inexpensive ($12/week if you do every other), I feel serious guilt if I let any of it rot in the fridge (I mean, some local farmer picked those carrots especially for me!). So, even when there is some crazy veggie that crashes the party (I’m looking at you, kohlrabi) I’m forced to figure out what to do with it so that it doesn’t go to waste. It’s completely changed my eating habits -- from shopping to snacking to cooking. And while I still enjoy me a good “carbs n’ cheese” casserole here and there, now the cheese sauce is prepared with blended butternut squash and the pasta is tossed with fresh asparagus, shelled peas and (sauteed) broccoli. Overall, one of the easiest and most impactful health decisions I’ve ever made!

Vegetarians Live Longer

A recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association has shown that vegetarians may live longer.  Research showed that those following a plant-based diet were 19 percent less likely to die than their meat-eating peers and boasted 12 percent fewer deaths. And you don’t have to eliminate all animal products to gain the extra health boost. In fact, all of these vegetarian-style diets garner the advantages reported in the study:

•  Semi-vegetarian (flexitarian): eats meat less than once per week
• Pesco-vegetarian (pescatarian): eats fish but no meat or poultry
• Lacto-ovo vegetarian: eats dairy and eggs but no meat, poultry or fish
• Vegan: No animal products whatsoever, including meat, poultry, fish, dairy, and eggs 

Vegetarian or not, here are simple, everyday ways to amp up your intake of plant-based foods and reap the noted health perks:

•  Join the Meatless Monday campaign. Make an effort to go vegetarian one day per week. It’s good for your body, the environment and your wallet. Try this Quinoa-Black Bean Casserole for a satisfying one-dish dinner or these yummy Lentil Sloppy Joes for an easy weeknight meal.

Quinoa-Black Bean Casserole

• Experiment with vegetarian proteins like tofu, beans and lentils. They make hearty, delicious entrees that leave you feeling satisfied, but not stuffed. Plus, beans and lentils are packed with filling fiber, and essential nutrients like potassium, folate, magnesium, and iron. As for tofu...it comes in various textures and makes an excellent meat substitute in just about anything. Explore recipe ideas online or in cookbooks, or try cooking with a vegetarian friend to learn tasty ways to include these legumes. Check out my recipe index for simple meals using lean veggie proteins like Three-Bean Veggie Chili, Sweet and Sour Tofu Veggie Stirfry, and Mango Lentil Bisque.

Mango Lentil Bisque

• Try milk alternatives like unsweetened almond and soy milk. Just be sure to look for varieties that are fortified with calcium and vitamin D, with no sugar added. Simply swap these in for wherever you’d typically use cow’s milk…in coffee and tea, smoothies, and enjoy with your favorite cereal or oatmeal.

• Incorporate colorful produce into every meal.Fruits and veggies provide an ample amount of nutrients and consuming different colors means you’ll take in a greater variety of these essential vitamins and minerals. Try adding frozen berries to your morning oatmeal or smoothies, piling your sandwich or pizza with mushrooms, roasted peppers, and onions, or tossing whatever veggies are in the fridge into a stir-fry.  You can even sneak veggies into your usual meals – try whipping up some Veggie Tuna Salad, Spinach Taco Burgers, or Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes.

Veggie Tuna Salad

Dale's Granola Bars

Our newest Joy Fit Club member, Dale Buettner, has a super simple homemade granola bar recipe he’d like to share with everyone! These bars are packed with nutrient-rich ingredients like whole grain oats, pumpkin puree, and dark chocolate chips. Make a batch of Dale’s Granola Bars and keep them handy for a pre-workout snack or an afternoon boost. At just 150 calories per bar, your waistline and your taste buds will be more than satisfied.

Dale’s Granola Bars

Makes 16 servings

Ingredients:

·      3 cups old fashioned oats

·      ½ cup pumpkin puree

·      ¼ cup unsweetened apple sauce

·      ½ cup dried cranberries

·      ½ cup dark chocolate chips

·      ¼ cup honey

·      ¾ cup packed light brown sugar

·      1 teaspoon vanilla extract

·      2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

·      ½ teaspoon kosher salt

Directions:

Preheat the oven at 350 degrees and line a 9x9 baking pan with non-stick foil.

Whisk together brown sugar, pumpkin puree, applesauce, honey, and vanilla until smooth. Then stir in oats, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Once oats are well moistened, add in cranberries and dark chocolate chips.

Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and evenly press throughout.

Bake 35-40 minutes until golden brown, remove from oven and allow to cool completely before cutting into bars.

Serving size: 1 bar

Calories: 150

Protein: 2 grams

Carbohydrates: 32 grams

Fat: 3 grams (1 gram saturated)

Sodium: 40 milligrams

Fiber: 2 grams

Sugar: 20 grams