Are You Soaking Nuts for Better Digestion?
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Nuts make a great snack. They are crunchy, filling, nutritious, full of healthy fats, easy to eat on the go. They are great turned into nut butters, added to yogurt, oatmeal or smoothies or make your own trail mixes.
Yet, did you know our ancestors ate nuts differently than we do? As is the case many times (think bone broth, fermented foods, healthy fats like lard and tallow), we are called to remember the habits of traditional people in order to eat more healthy. Traditional cultures often soaked or sprouted nuts before eating them.
Why? Because nuts contain enzyme inhibitors that can put a strain on your digestive system. (This is similar to why it is important to soak grains before eating them too!) They knew this instinctively.
I learned about soaking nuts years ago when I first got my hands on Nourishing Traditions…a traditional foods bible that I still refer to daily! The book is full of information on what our ancestors ate and why these foods are so much better for us.
Making nuts more digestible is very easy as it only takes a little extra step…soaking in salt water and dehydrating or roasting at a low temperature. This results in delightfully crispy nuts and they are much easier for your body to digest!! (Note: this works for seeds as well!!!)
Crispy Nuts and Seeds
Ingredients
- 4 cups nuts
- 1 tbsp sea salt
- Filtered water
Instructions
- Put nuts in a bowl.
- Add salt and water.
- Allow to soak at least 7 hours (or overnight).
- Drain and rinse.
- Spread onto dehydrator trays and dehydrate no higher than 150 degrees for 12+ hours until completely dried.
- OR spread onto cookie sheets and roast in a low oven (as low as your oven will go) until dried and crispy.
- Once they are thoroughly dried, you can store in an airtight container.
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I have been soaking nuts for years and LOVE them! I soak cashews only 6 hours and nuts like almonds 24 hours. It usually takes several days in my dehydrator set on low to make them crunchy. These are my very favorite in-between meal snacks.
Where do you buy your nuts?
Sometimes Trader Joes, Whole Foods bulk section or http://www.nuts.com
What are the pros and cons of sundrying them like our ancestors must have done, vs using a dehydrator?
Unsure. I would imagine that using a dehydrator might be faster? And animals won’t run away with your food!