Thai-inspired macadamia crusted fish

10 MIN PREP TIME | 15 MIN COOK TIME | SERVES 4 PEOPLE

Ingredients 

• ½ cup macadamias
• 1 tbsp macadamia oil
• ½ cup shredded coconut
• 1 lime, zested and juiced
• 1 small red chilli, finely chopped, or to taste
• 2 kaffir lime leaves, finely sliced
• 1 tbsp coconut or palm sugar
• 1 tsp fish sauce
• 1 tbsp extra macadamia oil
• 4 mackerel fillets, mulloway fillets or other firm white fish fillets

 

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
2. Place the macadamias in a food processor and process to a chunky crumb.
3. Place all remaining ingredients, except the fish, in a bowl. Add the macadamias and stir to combine.
4. Heat the remaining tablespoon of macadamia oil in a frying pan large enough to fit the fish fillets.
5. Add the fish and cook on each side for 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and season the fish with salt and pepper.
6. Pile the macadamia crumb onto each piece, gently pressing down so the crumb appears to sit on top of the fish securely.
7. Bake for 8 -10 minutes, until the fish is cooked through, and the crumb is golden. Note: if you have very thick pieces of fish, it may be necessary to cook them a little longer in the beginning, for an extra 1-2 minutes each side, otherwise the macadamia crumb may overcook.
8. Serve immediately with a Thai inspired salad and rice. Note: A Thai inspired salad could include lettuce, capsicum, julienned ginger, coriander, Thai basil leaves, chilli, julienned carrot and radish. Make a dressing with equal parts lime juice and macadamia oil and a touch of fish sauce and coconut sugar to taste.

Thai-inspired macadamia crusted fish recipe by Nuts for Life

 

 

A handful of nuts could save public health $980 million every year

A first-of-its-kind report has found greater nut consumption could deliver major health care cost savings, particularly for one of Australia's deadliest conditions – cardiovascular disease The Economic Impact of Increased Nut Consumption in Australia – Summary Report, released today by Nuts for Life, found at least $980 million could be saved in health care expenditure each year, if all Australians ate a 30g handful of nuts daily1.

As part of this figure, a huge $281 million are potential savings gleaned from the reduction in the health care costs associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) – one of the leading causes of death in Australia, claiming a life every 12 minutes and costing the economy $11.8 billion in 2018-192.

Aside from the economic benefits to the public health purse relating to CVD savings, the report found it extends to other areas, particularly in cancer costs, with potential savings of $699 million. The economic modelling, conducted by KPMG, considered the diseases with the highest potential to be mitigated or prevented if nut consumption increased, the prevalence and impact of these diseases on population health, and government health care expenditure on them.

Nuts for Life Program Manager and dietitian Belinda Neville said decades of research highlights the health benefits of adding a handful of nuts into a daily diet.

As well as being associated with improved weight management3, a 2022 review of the combined findings of more than 145 systematic reviews and meta-analyses found a daily 30g handful of nuts was associated with:
• 25% reduced risk for coronary heart disease4
• 22% reduced risk of death from cardiovascular disease (CVD)4
• 21% reduced risk of CVD4
• 22% reduced risk of dying from all causes4
• 11% reduced risk of dying from cancer4

"The report findings confirm that the benefits of regular nut intake could extend beyond health – alleviating a significant financial burden on public health care expenditure in Australia," said Ms Neville.

Yet, Australia Health Survey data shows that nut intake is chronically low, with just two per cent of Australians meeting the target of 30g (a handful) of nuts a day. The average intake of just 4.6g falls well short of this.

"A substantial shift in nut consumption patterns is needed to reduce this gap, and to realise the significant health and economic benefits of a daily 30g handful of nuts," said Ms Neville. For more information and to view the report, visit nutsforlife.com.au

 

 

References:
1. KPMG, as commissioned by Nuts for Life. The health and economic impact of increased nut consumption in Australia: The evidence base to support elevating daily nut consumption among Australians. July 2023.
2. AIHW (2021) Disease expenditure in Australia 2018-19. Available online. NEWS ALERT – SEPTEMBER 2023
3. Nishi, S.K., et al., Are fatty nuts a weighty concern? A systematic review and meta-analysis and dose–response meta-regression of prospective cohorts and randomized controlled trials. Obesity Reviews, 2021. 22(11): p. e13330.
4. Balakrishna, R., et al., Consumption of nuts and seeds and health outcomes including cardiovascular, diabetes and metabolic disease, cancer, and mortality: An umbrella review. Adv Nutr, 2022. 13(6): p. 2136-48.