Tiger Nut | What Exactly Are Tiger Nuts?: Every now and then, I’m presented to a new food that I’ve never tried before. It was most recently tiger nuts.
Obviously, I figured it was a crazy person – who wouldn’t? But I was mistaken; a tiger nut is not a member of the nut family at all. It does, however, exhibit tiger-like stripes on its outer shell. So there you have it.
Tiger Nut | What Exactly Are Tiger Nuts?
What Exactly Are Tiger Nuts?
Tiger nuts are tubers, which grow underground from a plant’s root, such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, Jerusalem artichokes, jicama, and yams. They’ve been around for ages and may have originated in Egypt. It is also known as chufa nuts and earth almonds. They taste nutty, earthy, and have a bit of vanilla flavor. They usually consume roast, ground (into flour or butter), or juice into milk.
Why Are Tiger Nuts So Popular These Days?
They’ve been consumed in form or another since Neolithic Egypt, and Spaniards have enjoyed them. But I can’t help but a astonishment that why I’m only now learning about them.
It appears that their newfound popularity is due to the AIP diet – or autoimmune protocol – which is aim at lowering inflammation, pain, and other symptoms causes by autoimmune illnesses. Some belief the AIP diet to be a stricter version of the Paleo diet. The evidence currently available to corroborate the AIP diet’s health claims is limited; yet, this has not hindered its popularity.
How Do You Maintain The AIP Diet?
The AIP diet, like the paleo diet, features a long list of foods that are either red or green, but it also has two phases:
Foods such as grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, nightshade vegetables, eggs, dairy, alcohol, caffeine, oils, food additives, refine and process sweets are avoided in phase one.
This period lasts from 30 to 90 days, or until the individual reports feeling better.
They avoid products that are gradually reintroduced into the diet, one at a time, depending on the individual’s tolerance. In the long run, what is appropriate for a person’s diet can be reintroduced, but what is not cannot.
Nuts in the list, as can be seen from the list of restricted foods. As a result, many who look for a nut replacement have met the tiger nut.
Is The Tiger Nut Nutritionally Beneficial?
The tiger nuts are 120 calories, 10 g of fibre, 7 g of fat (primarily monounsaturated) and 2 g of protein per ounce. Vitamin E, vitamin C, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, and calcium are also rich antioxidants.
There has been little research on tiger nuts and their health advantages; however, we know that diets high in fibre, antioxidants, and mono-unsaturate fats have overall health benefits.
Fibre-rich foods, for example, have been demonstrating to help relieve constipation, enhance digestive health, lower cholesterol levels, and manage blood glucose levels.
Antioxidant-rich foods have been linking to improve immunity, the prevention of some malignancies, and a lower risk of heart disease due to anti-inflammatory qualities. Finally, monounsaturated fats are considered heart-healthy and produce satiety, which may aid in weight control.
Tiger Nuts: How To Eat Them
Tiger nuts eating in the same way that conventional tree nuts are. It can incorporate trail mix, yoghurt, hot or cold cereal, or sprinkled onto a salad.
It can crush into flour and baking, particularly muffins, or as a breading for chicken cutlets or fish fillets. Tiger nut butter can spread on whole-grain bread or crackers or blend into a smoothie.
Conclusion:
Whether or not you follow a diet, you should think about including tiger nuts in your diet. They are allergy-free, plant-based, and include nutrients that are beneficial to your health. However, unlike “genuine” nuts, they are deficient in protein – in case you’re considering giving up other nuts entirely. The real litmus test, though, will be whether you like them or not.
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