The number of vegan consumers is growing exponentially. So, food producing companies are looking for ways to respond with good products. A vegan plan removes some key nutrients from the diet, so vegans must obtain these elements from other sources.
One nutritious and versatile food ingredient to consider is pistachio paste or pistachio puree as some call it. It is a great source of many essential elements needed for a vegan diet. In this article, we discuss the advantages of including pistachio paste in vegan diets from nutritional and application perspectives.
I should mention that there are two types of green and grown pistachio pastes with nearly the same applications.
Pistachio Adds on What Vegans Need
People on a vegan program need to have a balanced diet to avoid nutritional deficiencies and to let their body maintain its proper functioning. It’s important to plan the vegan diet carefully. This may require consuming a wider range of plants and dairy substitutes containing necessary nutrients. Some nutrients are more difficult to get through a vegan diet, such as Vitamin D, vitamin B12, iodine, selenium, calcium and iron.
These are abundant in animal sources. However, nuts and nut butter are good sources to compensate for food deficiencies resulting from not eating meat. For example, pistachio provides iron, fiber, magnesium, zinc, calcium, selenium and vitamin E. Besides, pistachio paste is a lower-fat and lower-sugar option to supplement meatless diets.
How Pistachio Paste Satisfies Vegan Needs
Nutrition value is the main reason to consider including pistachio paste in vegan diets. Other reasons include great taste, color and texture. Pistachio paste provides some essential nutrients needed by vegans to maintain their natural body functions. Not to mention its sugar- and gluten-free. Below we list key nutrients that may be low in a vegan diet and how pistachios can fulfill them.
Iron
Iron is vital for blood health. Pistachio is considered an iron-rich vegan food ingredient. Iron in pistachio paste represents 6% of the daily value.
Calcium
Calcium is crucial for bone health. Eating pistachio-based foods can help keep calcium levels up. Calcium in pistachio paste represents 2% of the daily value.
Vitamins
Pistachio puree is rich in vitamins vitamin A, vitamin E (especially γ-tocopherol), vitamin C, vitamin K, folate and the B family of vitamins. Except for vitamin B-12 which is mainly present in animal products, others can be provided through a plant-based regime enriched with pistachios. For example, pistachio can provide 85% of the daily requirement for B6. Vitamin D can be satisfied by spending time in the sun.
Unsaturated fats
Roasted pistachio puree has a lower fat content than other nuts. Its fat content is composed mainly of saturated fatty acid, polyunsaturated fatty acid, and monounsaturated fatty acid. Oleic and linoleic acids represent more than half of the total fat content in pistachios.
Proteins
Pistachio is also a good source of vegetable protein (about 21% of total weight or 28% of the daily value). Its essential amino acid ratio is higher than most other commonly consumed nuts, such as almonds, walnuts, pecans, and hazelnuts.
Zinc
Zinc is important for the immune system and the repair of DNA damage. Pistachios are among the high-zinc nuts, along with beans, nutritional yeast, and oats.
How to Include Pistachio Paste In Vegan Diets
The best way to benefit from pistachio puree in vegan and other diets is to include it in pistachio paste recipes. One attribute that makes pistachio paste superior to other pistachio products is its soft and liquid consistency, making it amenable to various uses. Because of its texture, pistachio puree can be worked into the base as a flavoring and coloring or as a spread on breakfast favorites.
For ice creams, work pistachio paste into the base. It is much more efficient than food colorings. And you don’t need to refine it. For most cakes and cookies, you may also need to blend it with other ingredients. Vegan pistachio cheesecake is the perfect example. Here it mixes with other main ingredients to form the filling, a delicious pistachio cream. The filling is made of oat cream-cheese, pistachio paste, vegan white chocolate, and whipped cream. The oatmeal cookies form the crust.
Conclusion
Vegans have a long way to go with their diet composition. They too need to get a balanced diet to live healthily. Pistachio paste in vegan diets provides a healthy option to supply some of the necessary elements for vegan practitioners. The best way to benefit from this pistachio product is to integrate it into vegan recipes.
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