lmond Calories And Nutrition Facts & Health Benefits

Know the nutrition facts including calories of almonds and their health benefits. Should you eat almonds with or without skin? Make badam burfi in minutes at home by easy recipe given.

Almonds or (badam in Hindi) are rich source of energy and nutrients. They are loaded with numerous health benefiting nutrients like dietary fiber, protein, calcium, folic acid vitamins and minerals, providing many health benefits. Almonds are one of the most nutritionally dense nuts.

People think that almonds provide too many calories frfom fat. But most of the fat in almonds is monounsaturated, that is the good fat. If you eat about 20 almonds, you are eating a healthy serving of monounsaturated fat, vitamin E, fiber, protein, iron, potassium, magnesium; giving you only 150 calories. Also almonds have absolutely no cholesterol.

Health Benefits of Almonds

Almond's well balanced nutrients offer protection against diseases including cancers and high cholesterol. Eating almonds in moderation promotes lower cholesterol levels and prevents heart disease.

1. Almond nuts are rich in dietary fiber, vitamins, and minerals and packed with numerous health promoting phyto-chemicals. This kind of well balanced food offers protection against diseases and cancers.
2. Because of its high fiber content, Almond helps to feel fuller faster.
3. Almonds are low in saturated fats and high in monounsaturated fatty acids like oleic and palmitoleic acids that help to prevent coronary artery disease and strokes, increase HDL cholesterol and lower LDL cholesterol. A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that almonds can reduce cholesterol levels as much as first generation statin drugs.
   According to the research published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, almonds can reduce C-reactive protein, a marker of artery-damaging inflammation, as much as statin drugs.
4. They are packed with B complex vitamins such as niacin, thiamin, riboflavin, pantothenic acid, vitamin B-6 and folates.
5. Almond is an excellent source of vitamin E, an antioxidant may lower the risk of heart disease.
6. Almonds contain more calcium than any other nut.
7. Because almonds are high in protein with virtually no carbohydrates, they are ideal for diabetics.
8. Almond is good for people having wheat food allergy as almonds do not contain any gluten.
9. The almond oil helps to keep skin well protected from dryness so it is used as a massage oil. This oil is also used as a flavoring in cooking and in medicine, aromatherapy and in pharmaceuticals.
10. They are considered anti-inflammatory, anti-spasmodic and emollient.
11. They are known as brain and memory food. Almonds are said to provide calmness of the mind and nerves.
12. Preliminary results suggest that almonds may be helpful in the prevention of colon cancer.

How To Eat Almonds? Almonds With or Without Skin

Sweet almonds can be eaten either on their own, i.e. plain, blanched, salted or toasted. Crushed almonds are mixed in milk to make almond milk. Skinned almonds or blanched almonds, also known as silvered almonds are sprinkled over desserts. Some desserts like badam milk (Badam milk recipe), badam halwa and badam burfi are favorite in India. Almonds are widely used in cookies, biscuits and cakes.

You can roast almonds at home in a oven at 75C (about 160F) for 15-20 minutes. This temperature will preserve the healthy oils in almonds.

Almonds are difficult to digest because of an enzyme-inhibiting substance in their brown skin. So in India, usually blanched almonds are given, especially to children.

Research shows that almonds with skin provides most benefits. Research by Blumberg and coworkers of the Antioxidants Research Laboratory at Tufts University (J Nutr. 2005 Jun;135(6):1366-73. 2005. PMID:15930439) suggests that eating whole almonds with skin provide most benefits. Almond skin contains twenty potent antioxidant flavonoids including catechins found in green tea and grapefruit. Blumberg says, "eating almonds with their skins significantly increases both flavonoids and vitamin E in the body. This could have significant health implications, especially as people age." It is interesting to note that eating almonds with skin increases the health benefits.

Bitter almonds are inedible as they naturally contain toxic substances such as hydrocyanic acid. Bitter almonds are used to make almond oil.

How to make Blanched almonds

Many recipes use blanched almonds. In India, blanched almonds are eaten. Blanched almonds are raw almonds with their skin removed. Following is a recipe for making blanched almonds.

1. Recipe 1: Place almonds in a bowl and pour boiling water to cover them. After 1 minute, drain and rinse with cold water. Remove the skins off.
2. Recipe 1: Soak the almonds in warm water and leave overnight. Removed the skin in the nexr day morning to make blanched almonds. This method is usually used in India.

The badam burfi is made of milk (or khoya) and badam, but badam katli is made of 100% badam.

Ingredients for Badam Katli:

• Badam meal (almond meal), 250 g
  Almond meal is powdered almond.
• Water, 50 ml
• Sugar 125 g
• Varak (silver foil), 3-4 sheets (optional)

Preparation of Badam Katli

1. Grind dry badam meal in a grinder to a fine powder (due to oil in badam, it may become a lump). Do not add any water while grinding. Keep aside.
2. Take sugar in a pan and add water. Boil till a single thread syrup is formed, about 3-4 minutes after the syrup starts boiling.
3. Switch off the heat and mix badam lump into the syrup, break lumps with a spoon by stirring well. Let it cool so that it becomes thicker.
4. Transfer it on a greased surface and roll it to about 1/8" thickness.
5. Let it cool and apply silver foil gently.
6. After about 1 hour, cut the katlis into diamond shape.

Note: The badam katli remains good for about 5 weeks under normal room temperature.
If badam katlis are loosely set, then add some badam meal, then knead and role again.