Nuts in the vegan diet
Nuts are real powerhouses. Due to their high-quality nutrients they play a central role in human nutrition. Especially in the vegan diet nuts are a valuable vegetable source of potentially critical nutrients. They provide essential fatty acids and fat-soluble vitamins, dietary fibres, proteins, minerals, vitamins and secondary plant substances. They also contain the essential amino acid leucine in significant amounts. Leucine plays an important role in building and maintaining muscles.
In the vegan food pyramid, nuts are also located in the upper third and should therefore be consumed regularly but in healthy amounts. Since nuts have different compositions, the consumption of different varieties is ideal. This guarantees a balanced supply of the high-quality nut nutrients. The Swiss Society for Nutrition recommends that a handful should be eaten daily, about 30 g.
Small kitchen guide
Nuts are not only appreciated as a healthy snack for in-between meals, they are also extremely well suited for processing in the kitchen. This begins in the morning with a tasty muesli. In Asian cuisine, nuts can be found in almost every dish. But European cuisine is also increasingly taking a liking to nuts, which give salads and main dishes the right “bite”. And it is impossible to imagine baking without nuts. What would Christmas cookies be without nuts? Nuts are also popular in drinks, e.g. in the form of almond or cashew milk, and open up interesting culinary alternatives, especially for vegans.
Important storage information
Nuts in shell should be stored dry, cool and airy, preferably in nets. This way they can be stored for several months. Processed nuts (shelled, ground, chopped, sliced, roasted, seasoned) should be stored protected from oxygen and sunlight at ideally 15 degrees. Closed, opaque packaging is particularly suitable for this. The contents of opened packages should be used up quickly. This is because nuts can become rancid due to their high fat content. In addition, nuts mould quickly, forming substances that are harmful to health. Discoloured and mouldy nuts must therefore no longer be eaten.
Why nuts from organic farming?
In addition to the general health benefits, the issue of nuts raises the question of environmental sustainability in production. Like all agricultural products, nuts require valuable natural resources, which require careful handling. For example, the careful use of soil, water, fertilizers and pesticides is central to securing long-term yields. All products in the Pakka range are therefore grown in accordance with the strict guidelines of organic farming and carry the organic quality label (EU organic). With the exception of Brazil nuts, which grow wild, organic nuts are grown on small plantations in alternating crop rotation or in mixed cultures. This method of cultivation yields less than intensive, conventional cultivation. Therefore organic nuts are usually more expensive.
Why Fairtrade?
Due to climatic requirements, the nuts in the Pakka range come from developing and emerging countries. Because the living conditions of small farmers in these regions of the world cannot be compared with European standards, it is essential to establish fair trade relations. This is why Pakka not only markets the products of its southern partners, but also pays them guaranteed and stable minimum prices, pre-finances some of their harvests and concludes long-term contracts with them. Through Fairtrade certification (Max Havelaar seal of approval), the small farmers also benefit from a Fairtrade premium for their products in order to invest in charitable projects (e.g. better education or infrastructure). In addition to these practices, Pakka makes a financial contribution: for every product sold in Switzerland, 5 centimes are donated to the Pakka Foundation to support projects in the countries of origin. The sum of all these efforts stands for “fair trade” as it is lived and practiced at Pakka.
Click on the map below to find out more about our cooperatives in the countries of origin.
Origin of the nuts
Vegan food pyramid
Source: Schwarz, G. (2012). Gesund mit Nüssen. Herbig, München. | Deutsche Gesellschaft für Ernährung: https://www.dge.de/ | Schweizerische Gesellschaft für Ernährung SGE (2019). Merkblatt Nüsse, Samen und Kerne.
