Nuts

Nuts have been used in cooking since earliest times, and are still used today to thicken sauces, to add to rice dishes, to stuff meat, poultry and fish, and to create sweet pastries and cakes. For example, coconuts are added into curries in Asia, pine nuts are used in Italy to make pesto, and in North America, pecans are used to make deliciously sweet and sticky pie.

Nuts are rich in protein, vitamins, calcium, iron and oils, and many, such as macadamias, are high in monounsaturated fat, and contain little or no cholesterol. However, because of their high fat content, it is best to buy nuts little and often, as they are particluarly vulnerable to spoilage if they are kept for too long.