Love Pistachios-It's Healthy and Makes You Happy

 

Pistachios are a delicious snack and colorful, healthy ingredient in salads, desserts, and casseroles. This green food packs a powerful nutritional punch.

Pistachios are rich in lutein and zeaxanthin, two important antioxidants for eye health.

Pistachios are loaded with Vitamin B6. Vitamin B6 helps several bodily functions including blood sugar regulation and the formation of hemoglobin, a molecule that carries oxygen in red blood cells.

Pistachios contain healthy fats, protein, fiber, and antioxidants. The fatty acids and proteins in pistachios can trigger the release of dopamine in the brain, which can create a feeling of happiness and sense of well-being.
 

Read 9 Health Benefits of Pistachios for additional health benefit details.

The pistachio (Pistacia vera) is technically called a “drupe,” a fleshy tree fruit that contains a shell-covered seed. With pistachios we discard the fruit flesh for the tasty seed within. The opposite is true with other drupes including stone fruits like peaches, cherries, and apricots.
 
The pistachio belongs to a group of drupes called “culinary nuts” that include cashews and almonds.
 
Pistachios in America were mainly imported until the mid-1970s, when our domestic production found its feet. This was mainly accomplished by the efforts of botanist William E. Whitehouse, who began importing and experimentally planting pistachio trees in the 1920s.
 
Today, California, where those original plantings were established, is responsible for 99 percent of our domestic production, with the other 1 percent coming out of Arizona and New Mexico.
 
The U.S. now produces over 800 billion pounds of the nuts per year, enough to fulfill our domestic market and export this tasty green product around the world.

Without further ado here's a fabulous way to use pistachios. See “Orange and Kale Salad with Pistachios” from Eva at Captain Bobcat Blog. Although this dish is simple to put together, the colors are bright and it tastes sublime. As an added bonus, it's gluten-free and dairy-free.

Photo Credit Eva at Captain Bobcat Blog

Please visit Eva and Damien at Bobcat Blog to comment on this recipe and share some social love.

Important Note: When you purchase pistachios, please select unsalted or dry roasted, unsalted pistachios. Read every label as packages of flavored and/or pre-roasted pistachios often contain excessive amounts of oil and/or salt.

 

Pistachios are a nutrient rich, flavor-packed plant-based food you may want to consider eating more often. 

A 1 oz. serving of unroasted, unsalted pistachios contains about 160 calories, 13 grams of fat, and 6 grams of protein.

This post is intended for information and entertainment purposes only, and not intended as medical or nutrition advice. Check with a health care professional for nutrition and health guidance.

Do y0u include pistachios in your menu planning? Do you like their taste and what foods do you combine them with? Please share in the comments section below.

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This post is a feature at the March 2025 Edition of the Hearth and Soul Blog Party!

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