Natures powerhouses, protein for days or birdseed mix?
Everyone has their own way to describe these little packages of nutrition, but most of us would agree the versatility of nuts and seeds make them a staple in most of our homes and a must have for anyone with a regular hot or non heated yoga practice.
Not only do they offer a source of protein and healthy fats, they are packed with fibre and many essential vitamins and minerals as well. To unlock all the goodness and keep your tummy happy it is best to soak the majority of your nuts and seeds in water prior to consumption. With the main exceptions being Brazil, macadamia and pine nuts which require no soaking at all.
Soak times do vary between 4 – 8 hours, however allow up to 12 hours for your corn and your almonds. Cashews and sunflower seeds are your fast activators, only needing to be submerged in water for 2 hours before they are ready to eat……………What’s that you say – you don’t like your nuts and seeds soggy?
We hear you, unless you’re making soup, raw cheescake, nut mylk or nut cheeze you probably prefer to have the crunch back into your favourite snack. Getting your hands on to a dehydrator makes the process relatively quick and easy, however this option might not be practical for everyone. Using your oven is the perfect solution as there’s no extra financial outlay and you don’t loose any bench space.
Lay your nuts and seeds evenly onto oven trays lined with baking paper and turn your oven to 54 – 57 degrees Celsius and you’re good to go.
Now we’re not going to lie – the dehydration process takes about the same amount of time required as the soaking did, so a good routine to get into is to do you’re soaking during the day and dehydrate over night – or visa versa and make up an amount that will see you through a couple of weeks at a time.
Once you’re done dehydrating simply package up these tasty little morsels into air tight containers or glass jars and store in them your pantry so you always have a nutritious, delicious and filling snack whenever you need.
Get creative – chop up some of your older fruits in your fridge and dehydrate as well to make your own healthy, unprocessed fruit and nut trail mix.
