Oh, My Macadamia! Another High Ranking Member of the Nut Family!

Quite possibly one of the best tasting nuts (right up there with pecans), Macadamias have a better Omega 3 : 6 ratio compared to many others.

In fact, they rank just below walnuts in terms of best nuts.

And every single time I’m in Kona to race, I promise myself I’m going to check out the Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut visitor’s center, but somehow I tend to get preoccupied with the big show…

Anyway, check out Dr. Cordain’s Revised Paleo Diet Book for the complete table of where your favorite nut ranks, and you may be quite surprised, but he sums it up in one sentence: “All nuts and seeds, except walnuts and possibly macadamias  have unacceptably high Omega 6 : 3 ratios”.

To reiterate, this does not mean you should never eat pecans, cashews or almonds; rather, do so in moderation and when you do, make sure that you’re also getting a whollop of a rich source of Omega 3s during that day, such as from a piece of wild salmon or black cod.

Macadamias:

Are a good source of dietary fiber
Are rich source of mono-unsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) which help lower total as well as LDL (bad) cholesterol and increase HDL (good) cholesterol levels in the blood.
Are an excellent source of minerals such as calcium, iron, magnesium, manganese selenium and zinc.
Are also rich in many important B-complex vitamins that are vital for metabolic functions.
Contain small amounts of vitamin-A, and vitamin E, which serve to protect cell membranes and DNA damage from harmful oxygen-free radicals.

Throw some in your smoothie, enjoy a handful with some berries, or whiz them into any concoction where you’d typically have used cashews, such as to make a homemade nut butter.

Need more ideas?  Check out my Hawaiian ‘Ranch’ recipe in Pocket Paleo Snacks!