Walnuts & Blueberries: The Perfect Produce Pairing

As the weather warms, the days get longer and schedules become a little less hectic, it’s time to have fun and experiment a little. California walnuts are here to make your summer-eating adventures more delicious and nutritious. Walnuts are the perfect food to help increase the consumption of other seasonal and everyday produce, too. The subtle nuttiness, gentle crunch and buttery texture pair well with just about anything, sweet or savory.​

Chocolate Blueberry & Walnut Clusters

These clusters are the perfect summer indulgence to pack with you for a day in the sun at the beach or pool, serve as a dessert at a barbeque, or prep to have on hand for a quick snack in between summertime activities. They are quick and easy to make and pack a fresh and flavorful punch!

Simply mix together walnuts, blueberries and your favorite vanilla Greek yogurt before separating into clusters. Freeze for an hour or so until the clusters are solid, dip them into melted chocolate and they’ll harden in seconds. Store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for your new favorite, ready-to-eat summer snack!

Walnuts & Blueberries: A Nutritionally Powerful Pairing

According to the National Institutes of Health, research suggests that a healthy diet contributes to good brain health and overall well-being.¹

Playing a star role in these clusters are the walnuts and blueberries — two foods that are part of a healthy diet as recommended by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.²

Walnuts contain nutrients like an excellent source of the plant-based omega-3 ALA (2.5g/oz), an essential fatty acid, as well as polyphenols (69.3 ± 16.5 µmol catechin equivalents/g) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (13g/oz).^3,4 These nutrients may play a role in brain health, according to a randomized control trial in 2020 published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.⁵

Similar to walnuts, blueberries also contain nutrients that may play a role in brain health as well, as suggested in a 2021 study published in The Journal Of Nutrition, Health & Aging.⁶ One of these nutrients are polyphenols, including anthocyanins (163.3mg/100g), which are compounds that give blueberries their blue color.⁷

Get the Most Out of Your Produce

If you are looking for more ways to combine the powerful pairing of walnuts and blueberries this season and beyond, check out these recipes for inspiration:

• Blueberry Ice Cream with Walnut-Granola Topping: A walnut-granola crumble topping adds crunch and texture to this delectable blueberry ice cream. It’s the perfect summertime treat!
• Walnut Blueberry Energy Bites: These walnut energy bites are portable, delicious bite-sized snacks!
• Blueberry Walnut Pomegranate Smoothie: This six Ingredient Blueberry Walnut Pomegranate Smoothie blends the sweet-tart flavors of blueberry and pomegranate for a refreshing treat. Even better, it has all the health benefits of spinach and walnuts wrapped up in one bold, fruity package.
• Blueberry Brie Walnut Wrap: This instant brunch or lunch favorite features an artisan flatbread wrap stuffed with savory blueberry compote, fresh blueberries, brie, and honeyed walnuts all served with mixed greens and blueberry-balsamic glaze. It can also be built as an open face pizza-style flatbread for another delicious option.

 

1. “What Do We Know About Diet and Prevention of Alzheimer’s Disease?.” National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, November 27, 2019, https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/what-do-we-know-about-diet-and-prevention-alzheimers-disease. Accessed on May 23, 2023.
2. S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025. 9th Edition. December 2020. Available at DietaryGuidelines.gov.
3. S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.
4. The data for antioxidant capacity of foods generated by test-tube methods cannot be extrapolated to human effects. Clinical trials to test benefits of dietary antioxidants have produced mixed results.
5. Sala-Vila A, Valls-Pedret C, Rajaram S, Coll-Padrós N, Cofán M, Serra-Mir M, Pérez-Heras AM, Roth I, Freitas-Simoes TM, Doménech M, Calvo C, López-Illamola A, Bitok E, Buxton NK, Huey L, Arechiga A, Oda K, Lee GJ, Corella D, Vaqué-Alcázar L, Sala-Llonch R, Bartrés-Faz D, Sabaté J, Ros E. Effect of a 2-year diet intervention with walnuts on cognitive decline. The Walnuts And Healthy Aging (WAHA) study: a randomized controlled trial. Am J Clin Nutr. 2020 Mar 1;111(3):590-600. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/nqz328. PMID: 31912155.
6. Yang, W., Cui, K., Li, X. et al. Effect of Polyphenols on Cognitive Function: Evidence from Population-based Studies and Clinical Trials. J Nutr Health Aging 25, 1190–1204 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12603-021-1685-4