Almonds are the fruit of the almond tree and have a wide variety of uses. For example, they are used as a baking ingredient, eaten raw, and processed to make roasted almonds or oils such as almond oil.
Although almonds have a fat content of 49%, 7.4% of these are healthy saturated fats and they donʼt contain any trans fats. Almonds are also a good source of iron.
Sweet almonds are safe to eat raw, but you should not eat too many raw bitter almonds as these contain the toxin amygdalin. This is a cyanogenic glycoside which the bodyʼs own enzymes convert into hydrocyanic acid. This is particularly dangerous for children as they have a much lower tolerance to this substance. Heating destroys the hydrocyanic acid, making the almonds safe to eat
Varieties:
From Wikipedia: “The seeds of Prunus dulcis var. dulcis are predominantly sweet, but some individual trees produce seeds that are somewhat more bitter ... All commercially grown almonds sold as food in the United States are of the "sweet" variety.”
“The species Prunis dulcis (= cultivated almond) is subdivided into at least three varieties:
- Prunis dulcis var. dulcis = sweet almonds with sweet seeds (the edible almonds)
- Prunis dulcis var. fragilis = soft-shelled almonds with sweet seeds in a thin fragile shell
- Prunus dulcis var. amara = bitter almonds with bitter seeds that can be toxic even when consumed in smaller amounts.*”
Culinary uses:
“While the almond is often eaten on its own, raw or toasted, it is also a component of various dishes. Almonds are available in many forms, such as whole, sliced (flaked, slivered), and as flour. Almonds yield almond oil and can also be made into almond butter or almond milk. These products can be used in both sweet and savoury dishes.
Along with other nuts, almonds can be sprinkled over breakfasts and desserts, particularly muesli or ice cream-based dishes. Almonds are used in marzipan, nougat, many pastries (including jesuites), cookies (including French macarons, macaroons), and cakes (including financiers), noghl, and other sweets and desserts. They are also used to make almond butter, a spread similar to peanut butter, popular with peanut allergy sufferers and for its naturally sweeter taste.”
For more information on the many products made from almonds, click on the link above.
Nutritional value and allergies:
“The almond is a nutritionally dense food and a 100 gram serving is a rich source (>20% of the Daily value, DV) of the B vitamins riboflavin and niacin, vitamin E, and the essential minerals calcium, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, and zinc. The same serving size is also a good source (10–19% DV) of the B vitamins thiamine, vitamin B6, and folate; choline; and the essential mineral potassium. They are also rich in dietary fiber, monounsaturated fats, and polyunsaturated fats, fats which potentially may lower LDL cholesterol. Typical of nuts and seeds, almonds also contain phytosterols such as beta-sitosterol, stigmasterol, campesterol, sitostanol, and campestanol, which have been associated with cholesterol-lowering properties.
Preliminary research associates consumption of almonds with elevated blood levels of high density lipoproteins and lower low density lipoproteins.
Almonds may cause allergy or intolerance. Cross-reactivity is common with peach allergens (lipid transfer proteins) and tree nut allergens. Symptoms range from local signs and symptoms (e.g., oral allergy syndrome, contact urticaria) to systemic signs and symptoms including anaphylaxis (e.g., urticaria, angioedema, gastrointestinal and respiratory symptoms).
During the digestion process in humans, almond flour may be fermented into short-chain fatty acids, most notably butyrate which is a substrate for cells lining the large intestine.”
Note (italics): * = Translation from a German Wikipedia entry
Nutrient tables
The complete nutritional information, coverage of the daily requirement and comparison values with other ingredients can be found in the following nutrient tables.
Nutritional Information
|
per 100g |
2000 kcal The numbers show the percent of the recommended daily value for a person who consumes 2000 cal per day. This number is for one serving of the recipe. A person normally eats multiple times a day and consumes additional nutrients. You can get all of the nutrients you need over a longer period of time and in this way ensure a healthy balance. |
---|---|---|
Energy | 579 kcal 2'423 kJ | 29.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the GDA: 2000kcal |
Fat/Lipids | 50 g | 71.3% Recommended daily allowance according to the GDA: 70g |
Saturated Fats | 3.8 g | 19.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the GDA: 20g |
Carbohydrates (inc.dietary fiber) | 22 g | 8.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the GDA: 270g |
Sugars | 4.4 g | 4.8% Recommended daily allowance according to the GDA: 90g |
Fiber | 12 g | 50.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the GDA: 25g |
Protein/Albumin | 21 g | 42.3% Recommended daily allowance according to the GDA: 50g |
Cooking Salt (Na:1.0 mg) | 2.5 mg | 0.1% Recommended daily allowance according to the GDA: 2.4g |
Essential micronutrients with the highest proportions | per 100g | 2000 kcal | |
---|---|---|---|
Vit | Vitamin E, as a-TEs | 26 mg | 214.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 12 mg |
Fat | Linoleic acid; LA; 18:2 omega-6 | 12 g | 123.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the CH-EDI-Verordnung: 10 g |
Min | Manganese, Mn | 2.2 mg | 109.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 2.0 mg |
Min | Copper, Cu | 1.0 mg | 103.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 1.0 mg |
Prot | Tryptophan (Trp, W) | 0.21 g | 85.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the WHO-Protein-2002: 0.25 g |
Vit | Riboflavin (vitamin B2) | 1.1 mg | 81.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 1.4 mg |
Prot | Phenylalanine (Phe, F) | 1.1 g | 73.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the WHO-Protein-2002: 1.6 g |
Elem | Magnesium, Mg | 270 mg | 72.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 375 mg |
Elem | Phosphorus, P | 481 mg | 69.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 700 mg |
Prot | Threonine (Thr, T) | 0.60 g | 65.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the WHO-Protein-2002: 0.93 g |
Detailed micronutrients and daily requirement coverage per 100g
Explanations of nutrient tables in general
The majority of the nutritional information comes from the USDA (US Department of Agriculture). This means that the information for natural products is often incomplete or only given within broader categories, whereas in most cases products made from these have more complete information displayed.
If we take flaxseed, for example, the important essential amino acid ALA (omega-3) is only included in an overarching category whereas for flaxseed oil ALA is listed specifically. In time, we will be able to change this, but it will require a lot of work. An “i” appears behind ingredients that have been adjusted and an explanation appears when you hover over this symbol.
For Erb Muesli, the original calculations resulted in 48 % of the daily requirement of ALA — but with the correction, we see that the muesli actually covers >100 % of the necessary recommendation for the omega-3 fatty acid ALA. Our goal is to eventually be able to compare the nutritional value of our recipes with those that are used in conventional western lifestyles.
Essential fatty acids | per 100g |
2000 kcal The numbers show the percent of the recommended daily value for a person who consumes 2000 cal per day. This number is for one serving of the recipe. A person normally eats multiple times a day and consumes additional nutrients. You can get all of the nutrients you need over a longer period of time and in this way ensure a healthy balance. |
---|---|---|
Linoleic acid; LA; 18:2 omega-6 | 12 g | 123.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the CH-EDI-Verordnung: 10 g |
Alpha-Linolenic acid; ALA; 18:3 omega-3 | 0.00 g | < 0.1% Recommended daily allowance according to the CH-EDI-Verordnung: 2.0 g |
Essential amino acids | per 100g |
2000 kcal The numbers show the percent of the recommended daily value for a person who consumes 2000 cal per day. This number is for one serving of the recipe. A person normally eats multiple times a day and consumes additional nutrients. You can get all of the nutrients you need over a longer period of time and in this way ensure a healthy balance. |
---|---|---|
Tryptophan (Trp, W) | 0.21 g | 85.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the WHO-Protein-2002: 0.25 g |
Phenylalanine (Phe, F) | 1.1 g | 73.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the WHO-Protein-2002: 1.6 g |
Threonine (Thr, T) | 0.60 g | 65.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the WHO-Protein-2002: 0.93 g |
Isoleucine (Ile, I) | 0.75 g | 61.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the WHO-Protein-2002: 1.2 g |
Leucine (Leu, L) | 1.5 g | 61.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the WHO-Protein-2002: 2.4 g |
Valine (Val, V) | 0.86 g | 53.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the WHO-Protein-2002: 1.6 g |
Lysine (Lys, K) | 0.57 g | 31.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the WHO-Protein-2002: 1.9 g |
Methionine (Met, M) | 0.16 g | 17.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the WHO-Protein-2002: 0.93 g |
Vitamins | per 100g |
2000 kcal The numbers show the percent of the recommended daily value for a person who consumes 2000 cal per day. This number is for one serving of the recipe. A person normally eats multiple times a day and consumes additional nutrients. You can get all of the nutrients you need over a longer period of time and in this way ensure a healthy balance. |
---|---|---|
Vitamin E, as a-TEs | 26 mg | 214.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 12 mg |
Riboflavin (vitamin B2) | 1.1 mg | 81.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 1.4 mg |
Niacin (née vitamin B3) | 3.6 mg | 23.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 16 mg |
Folate, as the active form of folic acid (née vitamin B9 and | 44 µg | 22.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 200 µg |
Thiamine (vitamin B1) | 0.20 mg | 19.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 1.1 mg |
Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) | 0.14 mg | 10.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 1.4 mg |
Pantothenic acid (vitamin B5) | 0.47 mg | 8.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 6.0 mg |
Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) | 0 mg | < 0.1% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 80 mg |
Vitamin A, as RAE | 0 µg | < 0.1% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 800 µg |
Vitamin D | 0 µg | < 0.1% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 5.0 µg |
Essential macroelements (macronutrients) | per 100g |
2000 kcal The numbers show the percent of the recommended daily value for a person who consumes 2000 cal per day. This number is for one serving of the recipe. A person normally eats multiple times a day and consumes additional nutrients. You can get all of the nutrients you need over a longer period of time and in this way ensure a healthy balance. |
---|---|---|
Magnesium, Mg | 270 mg | 72.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 375 mg |
Phosphorus, P | 481 mg | 69.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 700 mg |
Potassium, K | 733 mg | 37.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 2'000 mg |
Calcium, Ca | 269 mg | 34.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 800 mg |
Sodium, Na | 1.0 mg | < 0.1% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 800 mg |
Essential trace elements (micronutrients) | per 100g |
2000 kcal The numbers show the percent of the recommended daily value for a person who consumes 2000 cal per day. This number is for one serving of the recipe. A person normally eats multiple times a day and consumes additional nutrients. You can get all of the nutrients you need over a longer period of time and in this way ensure a healthy balance. |
---|---|---|
Manganese, Mn | 2.2 mg | 109.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 2.0 mg |
Copper, Cu | 1.0 mg | 103.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 1.0 mg |
Zinc, Zn | 3.1 mg | 31.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 10 mg |
Iron, Fe | 3.7 mg | 27.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 14 mg |
Selenium, Se | 4.1 µg | 7.0% Recommended daily allowance according to the EU: LMIV-2011: 55 µg |
Comments