Should you eat walnuts on keto? Today is #WalnutDay so we celebrate this common, yet underestimated nut. According to National Day, the walnut has been around for almost 10,000 years. The first record of walnut cultivation was in 2000 BC. In the 1800’s, European walnuts were shipped to North America, where it was grown and became a popular tree. Apparently this day has been set aside to show appreciation for the walnut since the 1950’s. Who knew?
Is the walnut keto-friendly? It absolutely is! Bill and I both consider nuts a very important part of our keto diet. While they have to be eaten in moderation due to carb numbers, they provide an important element of nutrition. A ¼ cup of walnuts have 2 net carbs, 18 grams of fat, and 4 grams of protein. They are also rich in nutrients and high in antioxidants. They are a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids (also found in fish). Walnuts are shown to improve healthy gut bacteria as well. Is there anything these little gems can’t do?
How to Eat Walnuts on Keto
So, here are our Top 10 ways for you to use walnuts in your keto diet!
10. Chocolate Walnut Keto Fat Bombs – If you look up a recipe online for these, they sound like a good use of walnuts. They are made with coconut oil, so I haven’t tried them because I hate coconut.
9. Walnut cake – Put walnuts in your keto vanilla cake for a little extra crunch and texture.
8. Sugar-free candied walnuts – What a great snack option!
7. Keto “sugar” cookies – Mix them in for texture. I enjoy putting a walnut half on the top of the “sugar” cookie instead.
6. Cinnamon Buns – Include walnuts in your brown “sugar” mixture for extra fat and crunch when you make keto-friendly cinnamon buns.
5. Keto muffins – Again, these babies are good anytime, but I enjoy them in the keto muffins I make for breakfasts.
4. In salads – Love, love, love nuts in my salads! To me, it just makes the salad more filling and delicious. I use walnut pieces in this.
3. As is – When I get a bit snacky in the afternoons, or on a car ride, I like having just a ¼ cup of walnuts in a bag with me.
2. In keto brownies – Walnuts are a staple in regular brownies made with flour and sugar. They are also good in our keto brownies! Again, put in the batter or mix into the cream cheese frosting if you’d rather have the crunch on top.
And the number one way to eat walnuts on keto is…
#1. In energy bites – These are a staple in our house. Any time we run out, I find a bag of crushed up nuts in the fridge as a “hint” that we need more. We use walnuts, pecans and almonds all crushed up together and mix them with natural peanut butter and a teaspoon of sweetener for the batch. They are delicious and filling and full of healthy fats!
So that is our top 10 list of ways that we enjoy walnuts in our house. If you have any other ideas, please let us know. And don’t forget to celebrate on #WalnutDay.
Wendy
