We simply adore popcorn! We enjoy it so much that we offer nearly a dozen unique varieties, from huge and fluffy mushroom popcorn kernels, to all-natural blue popcorn kernels, to petite ladyfinger popcorn kernels.

When popping up a batch of popcorn, we love to use organic coconut oil to give our snack a little something special. Popping corn in organic coconut oil gives the popcorn a rich, delicious flavor that’s similar to movie theater popcorn. Additionally, organic coconut oil is packed with healthy vitamins, minerals and fats, and it’s free of cholesterol and trans fats.

To start, heat a large saucepan on the stove  over medium heat. Add 1 to 2 tbsp. of organic coconut oil to the pan, and allow the oil to melt completely. Place one kernel of unpopped popcorn in the saucepan and cover the pan.

When the kernel of popcorn pops, add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of popcorn kernels to the saucepan and replace the lid. Shake the saucepan gently over the burner, and wait for the popcorn to pop. When the popping sounds slow and there’s about five seconds between each pop, remove the popcorn from the heat.

Pour the popped popcorn in a bowl and, if desired, toss the popcorn with an additional tablespoon of organic coconut oil. Salt the popcorn lightly and serve it immediately.

What are some of your favorite ways to make popcorn?

Our Health Nut and Registered Dietitian, Molly Morgan, answers our customers’ most pressing health and nutrition questions!

If you’d like Molly to answer one of your questions in a future blog post, please email your question to health@nuts.com. If we feature your question in The Nutty Scoop, we will also send you a pound of your favorite Nuts.com product.

I want to lose weight.  Can you give me some tips on Nuts.com products that might help me do this?  Thank you! – Joyce

Losing weight is a balancing act! It’s all about creating a negative calorie balance to move the scale in the downward direction. How can you achieve this? By taking in fewer calories from food than your body needs each day or burning extra calories through exercise. A mix of calorie reduction and calorie burning with exercise is ideal for successful long-term weight loss.

When reducing your food intake there are a few things to keep in mind.

1. Fiber helps to fill you up!

Having the right mix of foods can keep you satisfied even as you consume fewer calories.  Fiber moves food through your system at a slower rate, which will keep you full longer. Plus, since food moves through more slowly, eating high-fiber foods will help you to maximize nutrient absorption.

Here are a few fiber-rich foods from Nuts.com to add to your weight-loss routine:

• Freeze Dried Strawberries: Have only 31 calories per serving and 3 grams of fiber
• Chia Seeds: One ounce has 11 grams of fiber.  Chia seeds are hydrophilic, meaning they retain water.  In fact, chia seeds can hold about 10 times their weight in water, which means they will really fill you up. If you’re not sure what to do with your chia, try my Chia Seed Pudding Recipe.
• Whole Grains: When the whole grain is intact, it has more fiber and more nutrients. At meals, serve up whole grains such as buckwheat, millet, quinoa, brown rice or amaranth.  All of these grains offer more belly-filling fiber than their non-whole-grain counterparts.

2. Include belly slimming fat!

Monounsaturated fats have been linked to helping improve healthy (HDL) cholesterol levels, lowering bad (LDL) cholesterol levels and slimming fat around the middle (which can be a problem area for many people). Incorporate a serving of monounsaturated rich foods each day to help control or lose belly fat. Take a look at the list of nuts below that are highest in monounsaturated fat content and check out Nutty Nutrition Nuggets about Nuts for more details on how many nuts are in a single serving!

Grams of Monounsaturated Fat
(per one ounce portion)

• Macadamia Nuts = 17 grams
• Hazelnuts = 13 grams
• Pecans = 11.5 grams
• Almonds = 10 grams
• Brazil Nuts = 7 grams
• Peanuts = 7 grams
• Pistachios = 7 grams

Other food sources that are loaded with monounsaturated fats include: avocado, pumpkin seeds, peanut butter and extra virgin olive oil.

3. Portion control is a must!

Even when eating healthy foods, you must still consider your portion size.  When you look at the nutritional facts of a food, you might notice that a package is double or triple (if not more!) the amount of a single portion. This, in turn, means the calories (and all of the other nutritional facts that are listed) are double or triple what you should be eating.

Try these portion size techniques to take portion control into your own hands:

• Snack out of a bowl, not the bag: One small handful equals about one ounce of nuts.  Place a small handful of nuts in a serving dish and snack out of the bowl. This allows you to know how much you ate!
• Stretch the portion: Mix 1 cup of air popped popcorn with a handful of nuts to help stretch the portion size. One cup of air-popped popcorn has only 31 calories.
• Serve up a portion: For parties instead of a bowl of nuts, place small amounts of nuts in mini serving dishes on a tray to help you and your guests keep portions in check.
• Nuts in a shell: Try eating nuts in a shell to slow down the rate you snack. Cracking peanuts, pistachios or other nuts takes much longer than snacking on a handful of already shelled nuts.

And, last but not least, believe in yourself!  Having the confidence that you can be successful in your weight loss is essential. I wish you success in achieving your weight loss goals!

With fall just around the corner, we’re really feeling these final toasty days of summer. When we’re in need of a frosty treat, we love to whip up a batch of homemade dipped cones. These ice cream cones, dipped in a layer of chocolate and rolled in our favorite nuts and ice cream toppings, are an amazing dessert for the final days of summer.

To start, fill 10 sugar cones with your favorite ice cream. Make sure to include a perfectly rounded ball of ice cream on top of each cone. Fill 10 drinking glasses with rice and slide the cones, ice cream up, into the glasses. Place the glasses in the freezer and freeze the cones for at least 4 hours.

Melt 12 oz. of chocolate wafers in a double boiler on the stovetop. You can use any flavor of chocolate wafers for your dipped cones, but we really love dark chocolate wafers and milk chocolate wafers! Pour the melted chocolate into a small bowl. Choose a variety of ice cream toppings to roll your dipped cones in, and fill small bowls with each topping. Some of our favorites are chopped nuts, chopped candies and sprinkles.

Remove the first ice cream cone from the freezer and dip the ice cream-topped portion of the cone in the chocolate. Once the ice cream is evenly coated in chocolate, quickly roll the chocolate-dipped cone in your favorite ice cream toppings. Place the dipped cone back in the cup and move it back to the freezer to chill until it’s hard. Repeat the process with the other ice cream cones, working quickly to make sure the chocolate doesn’t harden. If it firms up a bit, you can re-melt the chocolate in the double boiler.

Once the dipped cones are frozen and firm, wrap each cone in a sheet of wax paper, then a sheet of aluminum foil. Store the dipped cones in the freezer for up to a week (though we can guarantee that they never last that long at our house!)

Labor Day weekend is coming up soon! How do you plan to celebrate? We see it as the last hurrah of summer, and we love to throw a barbecue every year, complete with some treats that remind us of summers past. Old fashioned candy never goes out of style, and we love to see the younger generations enjoying it just as much as we do!

No selection of old fashioned candy would be complete without salt water taffy. This ultimate summertime treat reminds us of vacations at the seashore. Our delicious salt water taffy is available in an array of colors and flavors, including watermelon, blueberry, chocolate and maple.

Other selections that we just have to include in our old fashioned candy buffet are sweet and tart lemon drops. Gummy bears are always a big hit with guests young and old, and with so many varieties to choose from, you’ll always have some to suit every taste! Soft fruit slices are available in a variety of flavors, including lemon, orange, lime, pomegranate, watermelon and pineapple. Chocolate pretzels and Jordan almonds are two favorite treats that we just can’t forget.

You don’t just have to stick to those treats! Be sure to take a look at our full selection of old fashioned candy to select some of your family’s favorites.

Once you have your selection of old-fashioned candy ready to go, make it even more fun by supplying guests with bags and bowls so they can make their own sweet mixes. You can even provide ice cream or frozen yogurt and convert the old-fashioned candy buffet into a sundae bar. The choice is yours! Sharing some old time sweets is great way to wrap up a day of barbecuing, swimming and fun in the sun.

Our Health Nut and Registered Dietitian, Molly Morgan, answers our customers’ most pressing health and nutrition questions!

If you’d like Molly to answer one of your questions in a future blog post, please email your question to health@nuts.com. If we feature your question in The Nutty Scoop, we will also send you a pound of your favorite Nuts.com product.

I’ve chosen to follow a whole food plant-based diet.  I’m sure you are aware of the need to find vital nutrients outside of the realm of animal fats.  I know that nuts can be a great source of nutrients and “healthy fats.”  Would you share your insights about how to avoid being over-fed and undernourished on a plant-based diet, and suggest how some Nuts.com products might help to keep that healthy balance in our diets?  Thanks! – Tom

Plant-based diets that are well planned can be nutritionally adequate and provide many health benefits. Plus, research has found that these diets can play a role in preventing and treating certain diseases. For example, vegetarians tend to have lower blood pressure, lower rates of type 2 diabetes, and lower bad (LDL) cholesterol levels compared to non-vegetarians. While there are many variations of vegetarian or vegan eating, generally the tips below are geared to your question specifically to vegan nutrition.

Some of the key nutrients on which you need to focus with a vegan lifestyle include adequate protein, omega-3 fats, and vitamin B12.

Protein

When it comes to protein, an eating routine that includes an assortment of plant foods consumed throughout the day can provide all essential amino acids in healthy adults.  Unlike previously thought, complementary protein sources (e.g. rice and beans) do not all need to be consumed at the same meal.

A few plant-based complete protein sources to consider adding to your diet include:

• Quinoa: Technically, quinoa is a seed, but it tastes and feels more like a grain.  Try using it in place of brown rice in stir-fries.
• Spirulina: A protein packed blue-green algae.  Try adding a teaspoon to guacamole.
• Sacha Inchi: These nuts are also known as Inca Peanuts.  Try adding these to trail mix or to salads

Omega-3

Adequate intake of all healthy fats is essential for vegans and omega-3 fats are especially important.  Omega-3 is a polyunsaturated fat that plays an important role in heart health, and eye and brain development. Plant sources provide omega-3 in the form of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), which is then converted to the essential fatty acid eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA).  Including plant sources of omega-3 in your daily routine will help to maintain blood level.

Flax seed, soy flour, chia seeds, and hemp seeds will add omega-3 to your diet.

• Flax seed: Keep ground flax seed on hand and sprinkle it on cooked cereals.
• Soy flour: Use soy flour as a substitute for wheat flour.  Try baking with 1 part soy flour to 3 parts all-purpose flour.
• Chia seeds: Keep a batch of chia seed pudding on hand.
• Hemp seeds: Snack on them throughout the day or add as a topping to salads.

We know that our human customers love to gobble up baked goods made with our products, but what about your loyal pups? Dogs love peanut butter almost as much as we do! We discovered a recipe for peanut-buttery dog treats that’ll make your canine companion go wild!

To start, preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Whisk together 2 eggs, 3/4 cup of plain pumpkin puree and 1/4 cup of creamy and unsalted organic peanut butter. It’s important to use a peanut butter with no or very little added sugar and salt when baking for dogs because plain peanut butter is more healthful for them. Also, try to steer clear of crunchy varieties, as pieces of peanuts can present a choking hazard in small dogs and puppies.

Add 1/2 tsp. of salt and 1/2 tsp. of ground cinnamon to the dough. Slowly knead in 2 to 2-1/2 cups of whole-wheat flour. You want the dough to be smooth, elastic and just slightly sticky.

Turn the peanut butter dog biscuit dough out onto a floured surface and roll the dough into a 1/4-inch-thick sheet. Cut the dough into shapes with cookie cutters and place them on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake the peanut butter dog treats for 30 to 40 minutes, or until they’re hard and crunchy. Allow them to cool completely and store them in an airtight container for several days, or in a baggie in the freezer for up to a month.

If rolling the dog treats out seems like too much work, just roll the dough into balls and space them about an inch apart on the baking sheet. Mash the balls flat with the bottom of a drinking glass, or by using a fork to make a criss-cross pattern in the top (similar to peanut butter cookies).

What are some of your pup’s favorite nutty treats? Are there any specific peanut butter-based recipes that he can’t get enough of? We’d love to hear all about them!

This week is Shark Week, and we’re ready to celebrate with a heaping handful of our Gummy Blue Sharks! These cute, electric-blue gummy treats are the perfect snack for Shark Week.

Don’t just stop with Gummy Blue Sharks! We have a full collection of gummy fish that really complete just about any under-the-sea adventure. Our multi-colored Gummy Hammerhead Sharks are a fantastic treat for Shark Week. We also love to munch on Gummy Octopus, Gummy Clown Fish, Gummy Starfish and Gummy Lobsters.

Of course, no Shark Week celebration would be complete without a selection of Swedish Fish. We offer favorites such as assorted Swedish Fish and Red Swedish Fish, as well as new treats like Mini Swedish Fish and Sugar-Free Swedish Fish. Swedish Fish Aqua Life, in the assorted colors and shapes of your favorite critters from under the sea, are also a great treat!

We love to use Gummy Blue Sharks and other gummy fish to decorate cakes and cupcakes, make treat bags and fill candy dishes during our Shark Week fun.  Many of our gummy fish choices are certified gluten-free, making them an excellent sweet for those with gluten intolerance. Get your Gummy Blue Sharks and gummy fish today, and celebrate Shark Week in style!

Our Health Nut and Registered Dietitian, Molly Morgan, answers our customers’ most pressing health and nutrition questions!

If you’d like Molly to answer one of your questions in a future blog post, please email your question to health@nuts.com. If we feature your question in The Nutty Scoop, we will also send you a pound of your favorite Nuts.com product.

I’m curious about how to best combine nuts and fruits before, during, and after workouts. I bike regularly and try to eat for energy and performance, so I wonder about the most effective use of nuts and fruits, as well as their nutritional benefits. – Larry

Choosing foods with the right nutrient mix before, during, and after workouts will definitely boost performance for bikers and other athletes.

30-45 minutes before an exercise session, it’s best to choose foods that offer quick-digesting carbohydrates and that are low fat. Carbohydrates will help fuel high intensity exercise as they’re burned up. Foods higher in fat content will slow down digestion and are not going to provide usable fuel for your workout unless you are planning a long session (2 hours or more). Try these ideas:

• Dried Fruit!  Any variety will do, but a personal favorite of mine is the Berry Mix Dried Fruit.
• Fruit Bars, like Whole Wheat Raspberry Bars.
• Pretzels.

During the exercise session, the length of your session will how much and what types of fuel you’ll need.  If you exercise for less than one hour, just focus on staying well hydrated. When your workout is longer than one hour, quick-to-digest carbohydrates will help maximize your performance.  During every hour of exercise, your body burns about 30-60 grams of carbohydrates (or more), so plan on having some carbohydrates with you to power through your workout.  These packable options deliver
between 30 and 60 grams of carbs:

• Jumbo Golden Raisins or Raisin Medley.  1.4 ounces (about a handful) of either variety contains about 31 grams of carbohydrates.
• Tropical Fruit Salad.  1.4 ounces (about a handful) have 40 grams of carbohydrates.
• Pretzel Flats.  1 ounce (a small handful) has about 34 grams of carbohydrates.
• Healthy Trail Mix.  This mix of raisins, nuts and seeds has 19 grams of carbohydrates in about 1 ounce.  The trail mix is a great option if you are also enjoying a carbohydrate sports beverage during your workout.

After an exercise session, check out some refueling snacks with the optimal mix of protein and carbohydrates from my recent Q & A “Great Post-Workout Snacks.”  You can also consider one of these snacks with a great mix of carbohydrates and protein:

• Thai Pineapple Sprouted Mix, which has 11 grams of carbs and 3 grams of protein per ounce.
• Wild Berry Spouted Trail Mix, which has 13 grams of carbs and 3 grams of protein per ounce.
• Mango Goji Fire Sprouted Trail Mix, which has 11 grams of carbs and 5 grams of protein per ounce.
• Create Your Own Mix: combine ½ ounce of your favorite nuts and ½ ounce of your favorite dried fruit for a mix of carbohydrates and protein.

Did you know that today is National S’mores Day? We think this ooey, gooey treat is one of the best summer desserts, and we love to put our own twist on the classic! Our nutty recipe is loaded with the sweet goodness of nut butter and rich, delicious gourmet chocolate bars. It’s perfect for campouts, bonfires and barbecues!

To start, split a graham cracker in half to form two squares, and spread each square with a layer of nut butter. You can use any variety of nut butter that you like, but we love caramel peanut butter! Top each layer of peanut butter with a square of any one of our deliciously sweet chocolate bars. We know that milk chocolate is the traditional chocolate to use, but we especially love making nutty s’mores with Chocolove Dark Chocolate with Raspberries bar. It’s sweet, rich and tart, and the raspberries pair wonderfully with the nut butter!

Roast a large marshmallow over the fire until it’s toasty brown and melted. Place the marshmallow gently on top of one graham cracker half, and flip the second graham cracker half over on top of the marshmallow. Squish the sandwich together, and start munching your nutty s’more!

Do you have a favorite twist on the traditional s’mores recipe? We’d love to hear all about it!

We’re nuts for gluten-free products at Nuts.com. Our high-quality gluten-free flour is perfect for cooking and baking, and our huge selection of gluten-free snacks, ingredients and baking mixes can’t be beat.

In fact, our gluten-free products are so fantastic that we were recently approved by the Gluten Free Consumer!

If you’re a gluten-free baker, you can’t do better than our gluten-free flour. We love baking with favorites like almond flour and coconut flour, as well as experimenting with flours such as chickpea flour and potato flour. Trying out a variety of flours is a great way to find your favorite gluten-free flour.

We now offer an amazing new product that’s perfect, whether you’re new to gluten-free baking or open to experimenting with new flours and recipes. Our Gluten-Free Flour Bundle includes 1 lb. each of our fabulous almond flour, coconut flour and millet flour. It also includes a copy of the book, “The Essential Gluten-Free Baking Guide: Part 1.” This wonderful cookbook makes it easy to get started baking mouthwatering gluten-free desserts.

Check out all our fantastic gluten-free choices, including our Gluten-Free Flour Bundle, in the gluten-free section of Nuts.com, and see for yourself just how delicious certified gluten-free products can be! We’re committed to providing our gluten-free customers with products that are incredibly delicious and safe to consume. The result is simply scrumptious!