Mixed nuts

A small handful, about 30 g, is a practical portion. That provides 197 kcal and 5.5 g of protein.

Spread them in one layer on a baking tray and roast at 160 °C for about 8–12 minutes, stirring once. Start checking early: smaller pieces and cashews brown faster than whole almonds.

Keep them in an airtight container in a cool, dark cupboard, away from the oven and strong-smelling foods. For longer storage, seal them well and freeze; use them straight from the freezer or thaw briefly before eating.

Chop them over porridge, yoghurt or a salad, or stir them into flapjacks and homemade granola. For a savoury meal, add toasted nuts to couscous or a roast vegetable tray.

Look for a mix with pieces that are crisp and smell fresh, not stale or paint-like. If you want to control salt and seasoning, choose plain, unsalted nuts; for baking, a mix of similarly sized pieces is easier to use evenly.

Usually: chop the mix to the size the recipe needs and use it in cakes, biscuits, pesto or a nut crust. If a recipe relies on one nut’s particular flavour, such as almonds in marzipan, a mixed blend will change the result.

Mixed nuts with peanuts have 19 g of protein per 100 g, compared with 18 g in mixed nuts. The difference is small, and the exact blend can change the flavour and texture.

Whole nuts are a choking risk for young children. For a safer texture, finely grind or crush them and mix them into soft food; also remember that mixed nuts may contain several different allergens.