Are roasted nuts good for you? 

Whether you eat nuts raw or roasted, they provide you with great health benefits. 

1. Lower risk of contamination 

Roasting or toasting the nuts can reduce the risk of contamination. Processing any food item at high temperatures, such as cooking, baking and roasting, helps to eliminate germs and miscreants that can appear in the produce. Roasted nuts are then more purified and safer to eat. 

2. Easy digestion

Roasted nuts are better for your digestive system. Cooked food is always easier to digest compared to raw food. When food is cooked or roasted, it will be more likely easier to break down in your stomach.

3. Better flavour

Roasting or toasting makes nuts taste better. Roasting enhances the taste and texture of the nuts. Thanks to roasting, nuts are more crispy and crunchy and, therefore, more enjoyable to eat.  

4. Roasted nuts nutrition

Roasted nuts are good for you and provide great health benefits for your body and mind. They contain similar amounts (if no salt, oil or sugar was added) of protein, fibre and carbohydrates and calories as raw nuts however you must remember that roasting nuts may damage their healthy fat content and can slightly reduce their nutrients.

Are there any risks of eating roasted nuts? 

Roasting some type of nuts in high temperatures can the lead to the formation of a harmful substance called acrylamide. Acrylamide is a chemical compound that can form in some foods during high-temperature cooking processes, such as frying, grilling, roasting, and baking. It is often found in cookies, cakes, bread, cereals, potato products such as crisps and chips, and roasted coffee. 

Although acrylamide was detected in roasted almonds and pistachios it was not found in macadamia nuts, walnuts or hazelnuts. Consuming roasted nuts in moderation should not be dangerous. 

5. How to roast nuts at home?

Heat up the oven up to 180 degrees C. Spread the nuts on the baking tray and roast them for about 5-10 minutes. 

All of nuts are great for roasting. The roasting time depends on the type of nuts. 

Tender nuts like walnuts, pecans, cashews or pistachios need a gentle treatment: from 5 to 8 minutes of roasting. Harder nuts like hazelnuts, peanuts, almonds and macadamias need a bit more time - from 8 to 10 minutes to get beautifully toasted. 

Nuts are ready when they start looking a bit darker (not too dark!) and have a lovely toasty smell. 

Roasting temperature has much greater impact on acrylamide formation than the roasting time. Roasting almonds at a temperature below 130°C will reduce acrylamide formation.