Sweet Tacos
Who says tacos have to be savory? When I get the craving for bananas and nut butter, I make a fruit taco.
This recipe is the perfect light meal for a family of three or four who need something fun, quick, and nutritious. It can be adapted with any fruits based on preference. You can play with different colors, textures, and flavors so the meal never gets old. It's also an easy kids' meal they can make themselves.
Flavor
This recipe calls for home-made walnut butter that can be made in a few minutes by blending walnuts, water, and vanilla extract. However, you can use any nut or seed butter you have on hand.
A handful of walnuts is a versatile snack and can satisfy any taste preference, from savory to sweet. Regardless of your flavor preference, walnuts are the only nut to provide an excellent source of plant-based omega-3s (2.5g of ALA/oz).
For this particular recipe, I chose to use bananas and strawberries for their texture and sweetness that combine so well with nutty flavors and crunchy texture. However, you can experiment with other fruits like apples with cinnamon, oranges with yogurt, cherries and blueberries, or peaches and blackberries.
Nutrition
Recently, I've been upping my omega-3 game with walnuts in place of other nuts. Walnuts have three times more polyunsaturated fat content than peanuts. (1) Polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs) and omega-3s (a type of PUFA) are healthy fats. They help support heart health, infant brain development, and eye vision.(2)
Walnuts, bananas, and strawberries are dietary sources of fiber.
Strawberries and bananas contain potassium. Diets containing foods that are a good source of potassium and that are low in sodium, like strawberries and bananas, may reduce the risk of high blood pressure and stroke.(3)
Strawberries are also one of the best sources of vitamin C with a serving of 8 strawberries containing about the same amount of vitamin C as a medium orange. A serving of strawberries has a full day's worth of vitamin C (RDA= 90mg). (4) Strawberries are also a source of folate and contain only 8g of sugar per serving- perfect for those trying to lose weight or manage diabetes.
Here's the recipe.
Sweet & Savory Fruit Tacos with Walnut Butter
Prep Time: 10 mins.
Yield: 6 tacos
Walnut Butter Ingredients:
1 cup walnuts
2 Tbsp water
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Taco Ingredients:
6 wraps or corn tortillas
3/4 cup walnut butter (or nut or seed butter of choice)
3 bananas, peeled and diced (for low FODMAP, use less ripened bananas)
6 strawberries, washed, dried, and diced (or fruit of choice)
Directions:
Puree walnuts in a high-powered food processor. Add water and vanilla and continue to blend until creamy. (If the walnuts aren't blending well, add more water in 1 teaspoon increments until creamy.)
Heat tortillas/wraps in a frying pan over medium heat for 3-4 minutes on each side.
Spread 2 tablespoons of walnut butter on each wrap.
Add banana and strawberry pieces to each wrap.
Fold like a taco and enjoy!
Nutrition per 2 tacosusing corn tortillas:
Calories: 463 Carbohydrates: 50g Fiber: 6g Added Sugar: 0g Protein: 10g Total Fat: 28g Saturated Fat: 3g Polyunsaturated Fat: 19g Cholesterol: 0mg Sodium: 12mg Potassium: 466mg Vitamin C: 27mg
References
(1) USDA FoodData Central. (2020). Walnuts. Peanuts. [database]. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/784392/nutrients
(2) National Institutes for Health. (2019). Omega-3 fatty acids: Fact sheet for health professionals. Office of Dietary Supplements. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Omega3FattyAcids-HealthProfessional/
(3) United States Food and Drug Administration. (2000). Health claim notification for potassium containing foods. https://www.fda.gov/food/food-labeling-nutrition/health-claim-notification-potassium-containing-foods
(4) USDA FoodData Central. (2020). Strawberries. [database]. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/786790/nutrients
The fruit taco would be delicious in a just-cooked crepe.