Nuts are considered a healthy addition to the diet in all seasons as they are packed with many nutrients, minerals, and other beneficial compounds. For ages, we have been eating nuts as they can help in so many health issues like balancing blood sugar levels, lowering cholesterol, and boosting immunity. It is always advisable to eat nuts especially soaked nuts in the morning but have you wondered why is it so?
It is actually because starting the day with soaked nuts can help in better nutrient absorption. Water eliminates the phytic acid which leads to indigestion and thus, smoothens digestion. Soaking has so many other benefits as well and it is amazing how just doing a simple process can reap so many benefits. Let us have look in detail at the benefits of soaking nuts.
Increases nutritional value
Some known studies suggested that soaking nuts and other seeds can actually increase the body’s ability to absorb nutrients. Nuts are nutritionally dense and come with several nutritional inhibitors that shield them. When we soak nuts, we actually neutralize these nutritional inhibitors and other unwanted toxic substances. This factor makes the nuts more absorbable. Besides, this way the nuts are easily digested by the body and even boost the growth of beneficial bacteria.
Enhances flavour and texture
When nuts are soaked, their texture and flavour also change. When soaked in water, nuts become hydrated, and thus, their flavour turns buttery and creamy. More and more water it absorbs, more and more its texture becomes softer and plumper. Thus, it is always advisable to soak the nuts in a large container so that they can get plenty of space for expansion.
Eases food preparation
As we said that soaked nuts become softer and plumper, they blend easily and ease their application in food preparation. It becomes easier to use the soaked nuts in creating dairy alternatives that contain healthy and beneficial fats. For instance, we can use soaked cashews instead of parmesan cheese in Alfredo sauce. We can use these soaked nuts in a plenty of Indian dishes as well.
Since we have learnt a lot about why soaking nuts is important, it is also essential to know about the right way of doing so. It is very simple and effortless.
- You should take care that the harder the nut is, the longer it needs to be soaked. This is why we often soak almonds overnight while cashews don’t require that much time as they are softer as compared to almonds.
- One should soak nuts in water at room temperature. It should always be made sure that the nuts are rinsed and strained before eating. This is done to get rid of the residual water that contains unwanted substances.
- You can also store the soaked nuts. By rinsing them every day, they would last for a longer time.
So next time, don’t forget to have soaked nuts and make sure you have them the right way. Follow these tips for doing the process right and let us know if it worked for you.