American-Style Pistachio Salad

Have you heard the saying, “good things come in small packages?” Well this couldn’t be more true when talking about pistachios! These small, green nuts have so many great healthful benefits and are a great part of any balanced diet. Pistachios are a good source of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats (the heart healthy fats), protein, fiber, and phytochemicals, to name a few benefits.Further benefits include being naturally free of cholesterol and sodium.

Despite all these wonderful benefits, pistachios can also help with weight management. One serving provides you with a whopping 49 nuts for only 160 calories and 6 grams of protein! Research has shown that including these in diets helps to promote healthy weight loss through satiety. Also if you eat pistachios in the shell, this further helps with weight management by slowing down eating, which could lead to greater fullness. Sounds pretty great right? Well the benefits don’t end there!  

Are you watching your carbs, or has your doctor told you to watch how many carbs you eat? Well did you know that eating pistachios with carb-containing foods can help improve blood glucose response and insulin sensitivity! WOW! The protein, fiber, and healthy fat combination of pistachios are a real winner and provide a great option for people following a carb-controlled diet. Research also shows that eating pistachios can also help lower your risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes!

WHEW, I don’t know about you, but pistachios sound like a great addition to any balanced diet! Try adding them atop your favorite salad for an added crunch or make a low-fat pistachio ice cream. The possibilities are endless, and so are all the health benefits!

American-Style Pistachio salad

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

1 clove garlic, minced

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon Balsamic vinegar

6 tablespoons orange juice (one orange, freshly squeezed)

3 cups Mixed baby greens (watercress, arugula, radicchio, curly endive, edible flowers)

1 Tart apple, quartered and sliced

½ cup Blue cheese, crumbled

1 cup Roasted/salted American Pistachios

Instructions:

Mix first four ingredients with wire whisk. Let set to mellow flavors. Wash and dry greens; divide equally among four salad plates. Divide apple, blue cheese and pistachios over salad. Drizzle salad dressing over each.