Uses of Nuts

Most nuts generally have high oil content, thus they are a highly prized food and energy source. A large number of nuts are edible by humans and are used in cooking, eaten raw, sprouted, or roasted as a snack food.

A snack food is a type of food that is not meant to be eaten as a main meal of the day. It is intended to be a snack, something to temporarily tide a person's hunger to to provide a brief supply of energy for the body. Snack food can also be eaten for enjoyment of the taste.

Nuts can also be pressed for oil that is used in cookery and cosmetics. They are also a significant source of nutrition for wildlife. This is particularly true in temperate climates where animals such as jays and squirrels store acorns and other nuts during the autumn season to keep themselves from starving during winter.

Seeds from the sunflower can be pressed and squeezed to produce sunflower oil, which is a more healthy option as compared to lard during cooking.

The nuts from the palm tree can also be pressed to produce palm oil, which has a wide range of uses from consumption to production of pigment ink. Currently Indonesia and Malaysia are the major exporters for palm oil.

Peanuts are harvested directly from the plant and can be eaten raw or furthur processed to get roasted peanuts as a snack food peanut oil for culinary purposes.