Walnuts pump up nutrition, flavor in stuffed zucchini

Tag: sell walnuts

I was in a discount store last week, looking for a purse. No purse there caught my fancy, but what did draw my attention was a recipe in one of the random cookbooks for sale in the book area of the store. I left with two cookbooks, including the one with this recipe, and also a chair. But that's another story.

On the way home from the store where I purchased the cookbook, I stopped by the grocery store, picked up the zucchini, and made the stuffed zucchini for dinner.

Normally, items that are stuffed are considered fancy, but this recipe delivers a tasty side dish that is at home in a casual atmosphere, aside grilled chicken or mom's meatloaf. It's not hard to make, and the ingredients provide not only flavor, but healthful benefits as well.

Walnuts have some strong nutritional tenets, not the least of which is a healthy dose of omega-3 fatty acids. This type of fat can help prevent arrhythmia of the heart and can improve the ratio of HDL and LDL cholesterol. Other compounds found in walnuts may help lower the danger of LDL cholesterol by decreasing free radical damage to the LDL lipoprotein.

Walnuts are also high in the amino acid l-arginine. In the human body l-arginine is converted to nitric oxide, which helps keep inner walls of blood vessels smooth and also allows them to relax better. This means lower risk for plaque formation and the clogging of arteries, as well as decreased risk for high blood pressure problems. In several large studies, including the Nurse's Health Study, folks who ate nuts three to four times a week had lower risk of cardiovascular problems. In fact, the FDA recently cleared a health claim for walnuts. This means that foods that contain a certain amount of walnuts per serving can use this health claim on their label: