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Nuts and Seeds
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Published 2025
Nuts and seeds are rich in protein, so almonds, cashews, hazelnuts, pecans, walnuts, pistachios, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, and sunflower seeds are useful in vegetarian diets. They are high in fat, however, and can’t be relied on as heavily as other vegetable proteins.
Nut butters, such as cashew butter and almond butter, are simply nuts or seeds that have been roasted and ground to a paste. They are a flavorful and attractive way to include these foods in a diet. Sesame butter, or tahini, is especially prominent in Mediterranean diets and used in many recipes. See, for example, the recipe for Hummus, which uses legumes (chickpeas) and seeds (tahini) to supply complementary protein.