Delicious and nutritious, the almond has been a popular food for thousands of years ! Still to this day the almond remains an important source of nutrition for those who consume it. Great tasting and easy to dress, the almond is also quite nourishing; rich in vitamins, minerals, fibre, protein as well as many antioxidant phyto-nutrients. The almond is also one of our only reliable sources of monounsatured fatty acids, or omega-9, much like olive oil. All of this is great news for those who love almonds as much as we do! PRANA is proud to offer you the highest quality certified organic almonds in 4 versions: raw, dry-roasted with a touch of sea salt (Nirvana), carefully marinated in wheat-free organic tamari and dry-roasted (Samadhi), as well as dry-roasted and coated with pure organic maple syrup and touch of sea salt (Amandine). Try them on their own as well as with your favourite dishes, from salads to desserts. See the “recipe” section of this website for some of our favourites suggestions.
The apricot is actually what is called a drupe or “stone fruit”, in which a fleshy outer part surrounds a hardened shell (the pit or “stone”) with a seed inside. This is a quality it shares with dates, olives, coconuts, cherries and even almonds! More unique to itself though, the apricot is dense and tender, fibrous and juicy, soft and sweet. An excellent source of provitamin A (beta-carotene), the apricot is also a good source of potassium, iron and dietary fibre. Once dried, the apricot looses its beautiful light-orange color to make way for an attractive golden brown, much like dates and raisins. *Beware of bright yellow-orange dried apricots as these contain sulphites and sometimes even colour; dubious and unnecessary additives as far as we are concerned. PRANA is proud to offer you certified organic apricots which have been naturally dried with no additives or preservatives. Dried apricots are deliciously sweet and tender and go very well with almonds and cashews. Thanks to their chewy texture they are also well suited for cooking; in coulis and stuffing for example. See the “recipe” section of this website for some of our favourite ideas.
The Brazil nut or Amazonian nut bears its name well; it comes from subtropical Amazonian regions of
This rich and luxurious nut can easily be eaten on its own with a taste reminiscent of the hazelnut. PRANA offers you certified organic Brazil nuts in raw form (shelled) on their own, as well as coated with pure organic maple syrup and touch of sea salt in our GoNuts mix.
The cashew « nut » is the fruit of the cashew tree, a flowering plant native to north-eastern
Dried Medjool dates are particularly sweet, satisfying even the most intense cravings, all while remaining a sound and nourishing food! Its deep and caramelized flavour as well as its creamy texture make it an important asset in healthy cuisine, often times able to replace the sugar in your baked goods, smoothies and other recipes while enhancing their nutritional value. As a snack, try them with PRANA cashews in the center (raw or lightly salted). As a digestive, present them whole with fresh mint leaves accompanied by a glass of cold Kombucha. See the “recipe” section of this website for some more of our favourites.
This little red berry from
Emblematic fruit of the Mediterranean basin, the fig is said to be the world’s first domesticated fruit ! There are hundreds of varieties of figs, some of which are even able to be cultivated in pots right here in
The hazelnut, or « filbert » as it is sometimes called, is yet another superstar in the world of nuts, and one of chocolate’s most loyal companions! Despite its smaller size compared to other nuts, the hazelnut is one of the most nutritious. It contains many vitamins and minerals with a well deserved emphasis on its exceptional manganese, vitamin E and copper content. Also, it is an excellent source of fibre and one of the world’s best sources of monounsaturated oil (omega-9)! With their crunchy texture, they are very pleasant to eat with other nuts and dried fruits. Somewhat more bitter than others, they are particularly tasty when mixed with something sweet, like chocolate! Coarsely crushed they are tasty in salads and baked goods. Please see the “recipe” section of this website for more of our favourite ideas.
The pistachio is the fruit of a small Mediterranean tree called the Pistacia vera. The fruit has a hard, whitish exterior shell. The seed inside has a purplish skin and light green flesh, with a distinctive flavour. When the fruit ripens the shell changes from green to a yellow/red and abruptly splits open. Like the almond, the pistachio is a drupe with a very thin flesh, and a “pit” containing only one seed. The pistachio is very rich in high quality protein. It also contains many vitamins and minerals, a balanced fatty acid profile and a good dose of dietary fibre! Pistachios can easily be eaten raw or roasted. In cooking, they are excellent in stuffing, vege-pâtés and pastries. Please consult the “recipe” section of this website for some of our favourite ideas.
This dried fruit comes from a variety of seedless white grapes native to
Thompson raisins are in fact the same variety as Sultana raisins, but named after the man who introduced them into
Many species of walnut trees are cultivated for their fruits, the walnuts, but particularly the Common Walnut for its sizeable fruit and thin shell. Although most walnut varieties are native to the
About nuts and health…
When people think about eating nuts, the first thing that comes to mind is often the calories or the fat they contain. It is sad to see how much we are concerned/worried about these factors nowadays, to the point where it affects our reasoning abilities. Although it is true that nuts have a high energy value because of their fatty acid content, this fact alone should never be the sole reason for our food choices in our deliberations. After all, there are calories in everything we eat. In fact, there are just as many calories in omega-3 oil and protein as there are in the same amount of lard and refined sugar! And yet we make a qualitative difference between these foods which influences our decision in order to make a healthier choice. At PRANA, we believe the same kind of distinction needs to be made with nuts. Truth be told, nuts are some of the most nutritiously complete foods on earth! Their vitamin and mineral content is often much higher than that of other common foods in our diet, with enough protein, fibre and essential fatty acids to rival even a typical, so-called “complete” meal. By the way, the most common type of fatty acids present in nuts is monounsaturated; a type of fat that presents no health risk for us, and which is even said to have protective qualities for our cardiovascular system! Certainly we can’t say the same for the oil in chips and French-fries…