Healthy foods #25 Almonds

Why they’re good for you: Like other tree nuts, almonds are a rich source of protein. They’re also high in calcium and monounsaturated fat (the heart-healthy kind found in olive oil). A daily handful could help lower your bad LDL cholesterol and risk of heart disease.

How to eat them: If you’re eating almonds plain, go for the dry-roasted, unsalted variety. Buy sliced almonds and sprinkle them on salads or into baked goods. They also make scrumptious nut butters. For people who avoid dairy, almond milk is a tasty alternative.

Serving size: 1 oz. (about 23 nuts)

Calories: 163

Recipe: Dr. Janet’s Chocolate Almond Decadence
Yield: 12 servings (slices)

Cake
Ingredients
6 squares of Baker’s unsweetened baking chocolate
¾ cup Take Control light margarine
2 cups sugar
½ cup flour
½ cup almond flour (grind raw, natural almonds in a food processor until they’re a fine powder)
1 cup (4 oz.) unsweetened applesauce
3 egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup Nestlé Toll House semisweet chocolate mini morsels

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9-in.-by-13-in. baking pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside. Combine the first two ingredients in a large microwavable bowl and microwave on high for 2 minutes. Remove and stir until chocolate is totally melted. In another large mixing bowl, combine sugar, flour and almond flour. Add in remaining ingredients and mix well until completely blended. Pour batter into baking pan and bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until center is firm to the touch. Let stand until set and serve warm, topped with raspberry coulis and fat-free whipped topping if desired.

Raspberry coulis
Ingredients
2 ½ cups fresh raspberries
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

In a saucepan, combine raspberries, sugar and lemon juice and cook over low heat, stirring gently until sugar is dissolved. When mixture just begins to simmer, remove from heat and pour into a food processor. Process until smooth. Drizzle coulis over chocolate almond cake; add a dollop of fat-free whipped topping.

Nutrition per serving (1 slice of cake, with 2 tablespoons raspberry coulis):
Calories: 378
Fat: 19 g
Sodium: 125 mg
Carbohydrates: 57 g
Dietary fiber: 5 g
Sugars: 45 g
Protein: 5 g