Brazil Nuts

Found only in the Amazon of South America, Brazil nuts have been a staple food of the local peoples for eons. This is because Brazil nuts contain good amounts of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants as well as having a high supply of calories. 

A 100 gram serving of Brazil nuts contain a whopping 656 calories. However, most of those come from healthy mono-unsaturated fatty acids which work to lower bad cholesterol (LDL) and increase good cholesterol (HDL).

These tasty nuts contain the highest amount of selenium of any other food. In fact, eating only one or two Brazil nuts a day will provide you with your daily selenium intake. Selenium helps with the prevention of liver and artery disease as well as certain cancers.

Brazil nuts are also excellent sources of vitamin E (approx. 52% of DV in 100g). Vitamin E is essential for healthy cell and mucus membrane development and for protecting the skin from free radicals. They also contain thiamin (approx. 50% of DV in 100g), vitamin B6, riboflavin, folates, niacin, pantothenic acid, zinc, iron, copper, magnesium, potassium, calcium, manganese and phosphorus.

Dates

Dates provide a wide range of essential nutrients, and are a very good source of dietary potassium. The sugar content of ripe dates is about 80%; the remainder consists of protein, fiber, and trace elements including boron, cobalt, copper, fluorine, magnesium, manganese, selenium, and zinc.

1. Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
   Energy	1,178 kJ (282 kcal)
   Carbohydrates	75.03 g
   Sugars	63.35 g
   Dietary fiber	8 g
   Fat	0.39 g
   Protein	2.45 g
   Vitamins
   Vitamin A equiv. beta-carotene lutein zeaxanthin	(0%) 6 μg 75 μg
   Vitamin A	10 IU
   Thiamine (B1)	(5%) 0.052 mg
   Riboflavin (B2)	(6%) 0.066 mg
   Niacin (B3)	(8%) 1.274 mg
   Pantothenic acid (B5)	(12%) 0.589 mg
   Vitamin B6	(13%) 0.165 mg
   Folate (B9)	(5%) 19 μg
   Vitamin C	(0%) 0.4 mg
   Vitamin E	(0%) 0.05 mg
   Vitamin K	(3%) 2.7 μg
   Trace metals
   Calcium	(4%) 39 mg
   Iron	(8%) 1.02 mg
   Magnesium	(12%) 43 mg
   Manganese	(12%) 0.262 mg
   Phosphorus	(9%) 62 mg
   Potassium	(14%) 656 mg
   Sodium	(0%) 2 mg
   Zinc	(3%) 0.29 mg
   Other constituents
   Water	20.53 g

What is the difference between sweet potatoes and yams?

Although yams and sweet potatoes are both angiosperms (flowering plants), they are not related botanically. Yams are a monocot (a plant having one embryonic seed leaf) and from the Dioscoreaceae or Yam family. Sweet Potatoes, often called ‘yams’, are a dicot (a plant having two embryonic seed leaves) and are from the Convolvulacea or morning glory family.

Yams
Yams are closely related to lilies and grasses. Native to Africa and Asia, yams vary in size from that of a small potato to a record 130 pounds (as of 1999). There are over 600 varieties of yams and 95% of these crops are grown in Africa. Compared to sweet potatoes, yams are starchier and drier.

Sweet Potatoes
The many varieties of sweet potatoes (Ipomoea batatas) are members of the morning glory family, Convolvulacea. The skin color can range from white to yellow, red, purple or brown. The flesh also ranges in color from white to yellow, orange, or orange-red. Sweet potato varieties are classified as either ‘firm’ or ‘soft’. When cooked, those in the ‘firm’ category remain firm, while ‘soft’ varieties become soft and moist. It is the ‘soft’ varieties that are often labeled as yams in the United States.
Why the confusion?
In the United States, firm varieties of sweet potatoes were produced before soft varieties. When soft varieties were first grown commercially, there was a need to differentiate between the two. African slaves had already been calling the ‘soft’ sweet potatoes ‘yams’ because they resembled the yams in Africa. Thus, ‘soft’ sweet potatoes were referred to as ‘yams’ to distinguish them from the ‘firm’ varieties.

Today the U.S. Department of Agriculture requires labels with the term ‘yam’ to be accompanied by the term ‘sweet potato.’ Unless you specifically search for yams, which are usually found in an international market, you are probably eating sweet potatoes!