Show Your Heart Some Love This National Heart Month

The number of people who have heart-related issues tends to increase with age, but heart disease is becoming more common in younger people[1]. This month marks National Heart Month which raises awareness of cardiovascular health and the small, everyday changes that can make a big difference.

Claire Baseley, nutritionist for California Walnuts comments: “With heart disease remaining one of the UK’s leading causes of death[2], it is more important than ever to focus on lifestyle choices that promote a healthy heart, including the daily increase in walnuts”.

California Walnuts, which have the heart-healthy seal of approval from HEART UK, are the only tree nut to contain significant amounts of the plant-based essential omega-3 alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) (2.7g/30g*). Research[3] shows that ALA contributes to the maintenance of normal blood cholesterol levels – a key factor in cardiovascular health.[4]

The Heart-Healthy Benefits of Walnuts

A growing body of scientific evidence suggests that including walnuts as part of a balanced diet can support heart health:

  • A 2020 epidemiological study[5] linked eating just half a serving a day of nuts, such as walnuts, with a decreased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Compared with those who consumed no nuts, the study participants who ate just half a serving a day of nuts had a lower risk of CVD, coronary heart disease and stroke. (A serving of walnuts is approximately 30g). Research has shown that consuming omega-3-rich foods, including walnuts, may reduce the risk of death by up to three years following a heart attack
  • Findings from the largest and longest study exploring the benefits of walnuts show regular consumption of walnuts in older adults may reduce the risk of heart disease by reducing the concentration of certain inflammatory biomarkers[6]. The research was carried out on 245 non-diabetic women who were overweight/obese
  • A handful of walnuts a day (30g) can have a positive effect on the elasticity of the blood vessels and can thus help keep the cardiovascular system healthy.[7]

 

Small Changes, Big Benefits

This month, National Heart Month encourages everyone to take proactive steps to reduce their risk of heart disease. By making simple dietary changes, such as incorporating a daily handful of walnuts, individuals can support their heart health while enjoying a delicious and versatile snack.

  • Research suggests that walnuts, when substituted for meat, may improve diet quality, support cardiovascular health and lower the risk for developing type 2 diabetes and overall all-cause mortality[8] [9]
  • According to an epidemiological study[10], women in their late 50s and early 60s who consumed at least two servings of walnuts per week had a greater likelihood of healthy aging compared to those who did not eat walnuts. In this study, ‘healthy aging’ was defined as longevity with sound mental health and no major chronic diseases, cognitive issues or physical impairments after the age of 65.

 

To help you make small changes to support a healthier heart, Claire Baseley has shared five simple tips to get you started:

  1. Eat more fruit and vegetables – ranging in a variety of colours
  2. Reduce your saturated fat intake
  3. Try to eat more fibre
  4. Take more exercise
  5. Eat a healthy handful of walnuts every days.

 

To make it easy to incorporate walnuts into your meals, we’re sharing a collection of heart-smart recipes designed to nourish your body while delighting your taste buds.

Smoked Spanish Vegetable Stew

Course dinner
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Servings 8
Calories 278kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 large onion chopped
  • 2 peppers cut into small chunks
  • 2 courgettes thickly sliced
  • 2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 2 cloves garlic crushed
  • 2 x 400g cans butter beans drained and rinsed
  • 2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
  • 150 g California Walnuts
  • 75 g pitted green olives sliced
  • 1 tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley
  • Rice to serve

Instructions

  • Heat the oil in a large saucepan and fry the onion, peppers and courgettes for 5 minutes until softened.
  • Stir in the paprika and garlic and cook for 1 minute then add the butter beans, chopped tomatoes and ½ can of water, Walnuts and olives, bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
  • Serve sprinkled with parsley with cooked rice.

Nutrition

Serving: 287g | Calories: 278kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 9.9g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 2.1g | Fibre: 8.1g | Sugar: 8.6g

Notes

Cooks tip
Serve half as above then use the rest the next day on jacket potatoes or stirred into cooked pasta for a quick lunch or supper. Or simple freeze half for another time.
Salt: 1.7g
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Squash, Walnut & Chickpea Burgers

Course dinner
Cuisine American
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 2
Calories 452kcal

Ingredients

  • 150 g peeled butternut squash diced
  • ½ x 400g can chickpeas drained and rinsed
  • 50 g California Walnuts chopped
  • 1 tbsp plain flour
  • 1 tbsp chopped parsley
  • 2 wholemeal pittas

Instructions

  • Cook the squash in boiling water for about 10 minutes or until tender, drain and allow to cool.
  • Place the chickpeas in a large bowl and add the squash, crush with a potato masher or fork then stir in the Walnuts, flour and parsley, season and mix well. Divide into 4 small burgers.
  • Line the air fryer tray with baking parchment and add the burgers. Air fry for 15 minutes at 180oC until golden. Remove and add the pittas. Air fry for 2-3 minutes to toast.
  • Split the pittas open, fill with some salad and top with the burgers and a dollop of yogurt to serve.

Nutrition

Serving: 208g | Calories: 452kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 2.2g | Fibre: 12g | Sugar: 5.8g

Notes

Cooks tip: Try adding a pinch of chilli flakes to add some spice. 
Salt 0.37g
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Walnut Tabbouleh Stuffed Peppers

Course dinner
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Calories 327kcal

Ingredients

  • 100 g giant wholewheat couscous
  • ½ vegetable stock cube
  • 2 tomatoes finely chopped
  • Juice 1 lemon
  • 25 g pack flat leaf parsley chopped
  • 100 g California Walnuts chopped
  • 2 red and 2 yellow peppers
  • 1 tsp pul biber
  • 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil + 1 tbsp
  • 1 tbsp white wine vinegar

Instructions

  • Cook the couscous with the stock cube according to pack instructions, drain and cool. Stir in the tomatoes, lemon juice, parsley and half the Walnuts. Season well.
  • Cut the tops of the peppers, scoop out the seeds and discard. Spoon the tabbouleh into the peppers and place them, standing upright, in the tray of an air fryer. Add 3 tbsp water to the base of the tray.
  • Mix together the remaining Walnuts, pul biber and 1 tsp oil and sprinkle over the peppers.
  • Bake in the air fryer at 200oC for 10-15 minutes or until the peppers are tender, covering with foil towards the end if they look a little dark. Whisk together the 1 tbsp oil and vinegar, season and drizzle over the peppers.
  • Serve with a fresh salad.

Nutrition

Serving: 256g | Calories: 327kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 9.2g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 2.2g | Fibre: 8.5g | Sugar: 8.9g

Notes

Cooks tip: Use different colours of pepper to add colour.
Salt 0.30g 
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Mediterranean Fish Crumble with California Walnuts

Course dinner
Cuisine Mediterranean
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Servings 4 people
Calories 356kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp rapeseed oil
  • 2 peppers - 1 red, 1 green sliced
  • 1 onion chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic crushed
  • 400 g can chopped tomatoes
  • 240 g pack cod fillets cut into chunks
  • 180 g raw king prawns
  • 75 g California Walnuts chopped
  • 40 g oats
  • 2 tbsp chopped parsley

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 200oC, gas mark 6.
  • Heat the oil in a large frying pan and fry the peppers and onion for 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic and fry for 1 minute.
  • Stir in the tomatoes and swill the can out with 100ml water adding this to the pan. Simmer for 2-3 minutes before adding the fish and prawns. Cook for 2-3 minutes until fish is just cooked. Season with black pepper.
  • Transfer to an ovenproof serving dish. Mix together the walnuts, oats and parsley and sprinkle over the fish, bake for 20 minutes until golden.

Nutrition

Serving: 316g | Calories: 356kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Fibre: 5.9g | Sugar: 11g

Notes

Cook’s tip
Try using salmon or haddock instead of cod or mixed seafood instead of the prawns.
0.49g salt per serving
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Quick Walnut Trifle served in Cups

Quick California Walnut Trifle Cups

Course Dessert, Snack
Cuisine British
Prep Time 10 minutes
Servings 4 people
Calories 303kcal

Ingredients

  • 14 sponge fingers halved
  • 2 tsp instant coffee granules
  • 50 g California Walnuts chopped
  • 200 g raspberries
  • ½ x 400g can low fat custard
  • 400 g fat free Greek yogurt
  • 1 tsp clear honey
  • Cocoa for dusting

Instructions

  • Mix the coffee with 150ml boiling water. Soak the sponge fingers in the coffee for 5-8 seconds until just soft and place in the base of 4 glasses. Sprinkle over half the walnuts and then the raspberries.
  • Fold the custard into the Greek yogurt with the honey and spoon over the raspberries. Dust with a sprinkling of cocoa and add the remaining walnuts to serve.

Nutrition

Serving: 238g | Calories: 303kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 1.7g | Fibre: 4.6g | Sugar: 23g

Notes

Cook’s tip
Great to prepare ahead and keep chilled until needed.
0.29g salt per serving
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Find more of our recipes HERE.

 

References:

[1] Cardio Metabolic Institute

[2] NHS

[3] https://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/pub/1252

[4] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/great-britain-nutrition-and-health-claims-nhc-register

[5]  Liu X, Guasch-Ferré M, Drouin-Chartier JP, Tobias DK, Bhupathiraju SN, Rexrode KM, Willett WC, Sun Q, Li Y. Changes in Nut Consumption and Subsequent Cardiovascular Disease Risk Among US Men and Women: 3 Large Prospective Cohort Studies. J Am Heart Assoc. 2020 Apr 7;9(7):e013877. doi: 10.1161/JAHA.119.013877. Epub 2020 Apr 1. PMID: 32233756; PMCID: PMC7428648.

[6] Cofán M, Rajaram S, Sala-Vila A, Valls-Pedret C, Serra-Mir M, Roth I, Freitas-Simoes TM, Bitok E, Sabaté J, Ros E. Effects of 2-Year Walnut-Supplemented Diet on Inflammatory Biomarkers

J Am Coll Cardiol. 2020 Nov, 76 (19) 2282–2284

[7] https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/great-britain-nutrition-and-health-claims-nhc-register

[8] Spence LA, Henschel B, Li R, Tekwe CD, Thiagarajah K. A Dietary Model of Partial Meat Replacement with Walnuts Demonstrates Changes in the Nutrient Profile and Quality of the United States Population’s Diet. Nutrients. 2023; 15(21):4518. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15214518

[9] U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

[10] Freitas-Simoes TM, Wagner M, Samieri C, Sala-Vila A, Grodstein F. Consumption of Nuts at Midlife and Healthy Aging in Women.

J Aging Res. 2020 Jan 7;2020:5651737. doi: 10.1155/2020/5651737. PMID: 32399296; PMCID: PMC7199627.