NATIONAL NUT DAY
National Nut Day is celebrated annually on October 22. It was created by by Liberation Foods Company to encourage the public to choose healthier snack options. This is your day for nutty fun!
HISTORY OF NATIONAL NUT DAY
National Nut Day was created by Liberation Foods Company as a way to do the right thing by the collectives of small nut farmers around the world. It was important to the company to stress to the public that their nuts were not only sustainably-grown, but that the company was committed to giving their nut farmers a fair minimum wage for their labor and their crops. Farmers growing Brazil nuts, peanuts and cashews from Malawi, Brazil, India, El Salvador and other Third World countries came together to form a Fair Trade collective under Liberation Foods’ umbrella.
National Nut Day appeared in 2015 on Liberation Foods website. Although the company is based in the United Kingdom, this holiday has spread far and wide, especially in the United States. The day is devoted to all things nuts-related including recipes and cooking tips. Many African countries infuse their daily meals with peanuts on a regular basis in stews and soups.
According to the Nutcracker Museum, nuts were a regular part of the human diet from as far back as almost 800,000 years ago! Early man used “nutting tools” to crack stones. Pecan remains from 6100 B.C. were discovered in a Texas cave. Early Europeans ate pistachios while Greeks and Romans believed that walnuts were a gift from the gods.
Eventually, the English sailed the Mediterranean with walnuts onboard ships. The nuts were used for trading. By the 18th century, walnuts arrived in the New World, specifically, California, when the Franciscan monks set foot on these new shores.
So, no matter what you eat today; include a healthy helping of nuts. They have lots of health benefits and they make you happy. That’s important to remember on National Nut Day!
NATIONAL NUT DAY BY NUMBERS
10,000BC – The year walnuts can be traced back to, making them the oldest tree food.
$800 million – The amount Americans spend each year on peanut butter.
1919 – The year Texas adopted the pecan tree as its state tree.
2 years – How long almonds can be refrigerated for.
20% – One serving of chestnuts provides 20% of your daily vitamin c requirements.
1 – One serving of Walnuts supplies 100% of your daily Omega-3 requirements
40% – Chocolate companies buy 40% of the world’s almond supply.
4 in 10 – The number of Americans that eat nuts.
WHY WE LOVE NATIONAL NUT DAY
Nuts come in different shapes and sizes
No matter what your preference is, there’s a vast variety of these delicious snacks to suit your taste buds. Nuts also come in all shapes and sizes, from teardrop-shaped almonds to the wrinkly walnuts. Taste your choice!
Nuts are delicious and nutritious
They are creamy and dreamy when consumed and they also deliver a punch of nutrition. Almonds are rich in protein, calcium and vitamin E, while all nuts provide large amounts of healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. That’s so much good stuff for your body!
Nuts make the perfect snack
We all get hungry, but it’s always easy to make time for a full meal. What do we do in situations like these? NUTS TO THE RESCUE! We can grab a handful of nuts for a guiltless snack that keeps our tummies happy in the short-term.
