Nutty facts about almonds

Whether you like the crunch of a cinnamon roasted almond or the smoothness of almond nut butter, it seems there are many reasons to love almonds.... here are few things you probably didn’t know about almonds:

Almonds rely on bees. If there are no bees there are no nuts. Bees help pollenate the almond trees and are shared almond California farmers during the short cycle of pollination in the spring.
Almonds are a great snack source for maintaining and even losing weight. Although 1.5 ounces of almonds are the recommended snack. Having a handful a day may help curb the hunger that comes in the afternoon when metabolism drops and cortisol levels rise.
Northern California provides 80% of the almonds to the world including some 90 countries and 100% to the US -Like wine, the valley and cool breezes help the almonds grow at their best.
Almond production has since doubled over the last ten years. Over1.85 billion pounds of almonds are expected in the 2013 harvest this fall.
Almonds have 6 grams of protein and 3.5 grams of fiber in a 1 ounce serving.
Almonds are high in antioxidants including: magnesium copper, Vitamin B6, folate, Riboflavin, Niacin, Vitamin E, calcium and iron.
Almonds may have 20% fewer calories than originally suggested. The latest research is under review for label changes as early as 2015.
Almonds are in more forms than any other nut including: milk, whole, raw, slivered, blanched, roasted, oils, butters, pastes, extracts and even covered in dark chocolate, my favorite!
The tall, blonde almonds are the highest desired shape of the almond family. - Not all almonds are created equally.
It takes a whole year for almonds to come to harvest.