Give the gift of love and health with almonds, this Valentine’s Day

Valentine's Day is just around the corner and it's time to start thinking about the perfect gift for your loved one. While flowers and chocolates are traditional choices, this year, consider gifting something that not only shows your love and affection, but also promotes good health and wellness. Almonds, with their numerous health benefits, make for a thoughtful and unique gift for your special someone.

Almonds are a natural source of 15 nutrients such as Zinc, folate, iron, vitamin E, magnesium, protein, etc., and offer a host of benefits to support heart health,[1], skin health[2] and weight management [3],[4] in addition to helping manage blood sugar.[5] So this Valentine's Day, show your love and appreciation with a gift that is both thoughtful and healthy. Your loved one will be sure to appreciate the gesture and the health benefits that come along with almonds.

Nisha Ganesh, Renowned Indian television & film actress said, “Valentine’s Day has always been special in my life. I always aspire to make my husband feel extra special on this day, for always standing by my side. To celebrate this day of love, I usually plan a candlelight dinner for my husband at home, for which I cook myself. Being mindful of what we eat, this year I am planning to cook Almond Amaranth Kebab in the main course and Badam milk mousse for the sweet ending to the day. Almonds have satiating properties which provide a feeling of fullness and report a lower overall hunger drive, making them our go-to food option to support our health goals. [6] Additionally, regular consumption of almonds may benefit skin health as they contain healthy fats and vitamin E which have been shown to impart anti-aging properties.”

Sheela Krishnaswamy, Nutrition and Wellness Consultant said, “During Valentine’s Day, there are many gifting options available, but I believe in the option of gifting something that would add to the wellbeing of your loved ones. While exchanging gifts is customary on Valentine’s Day, we should be mindful of what we include in them. For this, my suggestion is to hand-pick gifts which are beneficial for our dear ones in the long run, and one such gift is almonds. Almonds make for a tasty and healthy snack, and they are also known to aid in better heart health. In fact, research suggests that snacking on 42 grams of almonds everyday can help in reducing belly fat, a well-established risk factor for heart disease [7] Regular consumption of almonds has been linked to lower total cholesterol levels, bad LDL-cholesterol, and blood sugar levels[8], while maintaining good HDL-cholesterol levels, improving immunity, and aiding in better weight management.  Additionally, they make for a convenient and satisfying snack that can be enjoyed anytime, anywhere. Almonds are a thoughtful and healthy gift that your special someone can enjoy all year round.”

Speaking on adding the goodness of almonds in Valentine’s Day desserts, Chef Saransh Goila said, “Incorporating almonds into Valentine's Day desserts is a perfect way to show your loved ones how much you care about both - their health and taste. Almonds are not only a natural source of zinc, iron and calcium, but they also add a delicious crunch and nutty flavor to any dish. Almonds are also a rich source of protein, a nutrient which is not only energy-yielding, but also known to contribute to growth and maintenance of muscle mass. Keeping the various health benefits of almonds in mind, for this year, my go-to Valentine's Day dessert is almond chocolate truffle, which is easy to make and packed with the goodness of almonds. So, let's cook up some love with almonds this Valentine's Day."

So, let’s make this Valentine’s Day a little more special with thoughtful gifts like almonds!