Walnuts meet the updated definition of “healthy” food based on the important role they play in recommended dietary patterns, according to an announcement from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) detailing a new definition for foods that can be identified or labeled as “healthy.”
This announcement, originally previewed in 2022 on the heels of the historic White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health, is a significant step toward ensuring food labeling is consistent with the most up-to-date nutrition scientific evidence and Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) recommendations to support individuals and families in building healthy eating patterns.
“The inclusion of walnuts in the new “healthy” definition affirms consumers’ belief that walnuts are a healthy food. It also aligns with decades of nutrition research reinforcing the important contributions walnuts can make in a healthy lifestyle,” shared Robert Verloop, chief executive officer for the California Walnut Commission. “It’s simple. Just adding walnuts to Americans’ daily diet can potentially have wide-ranging positive impacts.”
Encouraging walnuts as a substitution for food choices higher in saturated fat can help support recommendations to replace the intake of saturated with unsaturated fats, as strongly advised by the recently released 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee Scientific Report. The total fat in walnuts (18g) is mostly comprised of polyunsaturated fats (13g/oz), including omega-3 ALA (2.5g/oz), an essential fatty acid with the potential to support heart health and cognition. Walnuts are the only tree nut to provide an excellent source of omega-3 ALA.
“In my 20-plus years of practicing nutrition at a major medical institution, I have seen trends go in and out for what the public considers healthy. But what has always been foundational is the role plant-based foods like walnuts play in supporting health. Walnuts are one nut I find consistently meets the variable needs of patients in my practice,” states Kristin Kirkpatrick, MS, RDN and author. “In practice, I focus on evidence-based approaches to reducing chronic disease risk, weight management, and improvements in metabolic health.”
Walnuts qualifying as “healthy” food is just one major milestone in a series of similar recognitions. A recent ruling, earlier in 2024, by the USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), ‘Child Nutrition Programs: Meal Patterns Consistent With the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans,’ will make it easier for schools to serve plant-protein rich meals and snacks that include walnuts. Using ingredients like walnuts can help reformulate meal favorites to be healthier, while also supporting vegetarian diets and other food preferences. Additionally, for the first time, states are now allowed to include walnut butter as part of the latest WIC program (Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children) package updates.
To view the full report, click here.
For more information:
Christine Lott
California Walnuts
Tel: +1 916 932 7070
Email: [email protected]
www.walnuts.org