There are health benefits to consuming nuts in general. They are a high quality vegetable protein that’s high in fiber, making them a great choice to snack on. And, they contain heart healthy fatty acids which may lower your risk for cardiovascular disease.

Both raw nuts and roasted nuts have these benefits, however I prefer to buy raw nuts and then roast them myself at home. I find that when I buy the preroasted ones, they taste slightly stale and rancid already, leaving a bitter aftertaste in the mouth.  Also, by buying them raw, they are not treated with preservatives like the pre-roasted ones.

Holiday Spiced Nuts Recipe

Prep Time: About 3 minutes

• 1 cup raw walnuts
• 1 cup raw cashews
• ½ cup of high quality Grade A maple syrup
• 1 tsp Wild Oats organic white sesame seeds
• 1 tsp Wild Oats organic nutmeg
• 1 tsp Wild Oats organic cinnamon
• ½ tsp Wild Oats organic cayenne

Warm the maple syrup in a sauce pan over medium heat. When the syrup starts to bubble around the edges of the pan, add the nuts and spices. Toss until all the nuts coated. Transfer to a plate, separating the nuts into bite sized clusters.

You can substitute the walnuts and cashews with other nuts you like, such as raw peanuts or almonds.

However, don’t substitute a highly processed maple syrup for the Grade A maple syrup. Although Grade A maple syrup can be costly, it is worth your while to purchase some because a little bit goes a long way when it comes to a good quality maple syrup. It should taste better and have no added color or chemicals.

Although this recipe is relatively high in natural sugar because it is made with maple syrup, the flavor comes from the delicious seasonal spices and natural ingredients. The sesame seeds boost the nutritional value of this recipe because they are rich in micronutrients, such as calcium, magnesium, iron and zinc.

When packaged in a pretty bag, they make a nice healthy seasonal gift to give out to neighbors, coworkers and friends.