What? You’ve never heard of tiger nuts? Most people haven’t. These slightly sweet, slightly chewy tubers (yes, they’re tubers, not even nuts) with a mild nutty, earthy, vanilla flavor look like shriveled chickpeas and come from northern Africa. So are they really the stuff dieters’ dreams are made of? We investigate. For starters, tiger nuts are superhigh in fiber, which has been getting for its weight loss benefits, says Gina Consalvo, RD. Resistant starch passes through the stomach and small intestine without being digested, and may even help you lose weight by reducing blood sugar spikes and keeping you fuller longer than other foods with the same number of calories, she says. It also benefits your gut by acting as a prebiotic, stimulating the growth of good bacteria in the digestive tract. (Learn more about how your gut bacteria can impact your health and help you lose weight in .) The perks:resistant starcha lot of buzzThe Good Gut Diet MORE: 7 Foods That Aren’t Exactly Food But You’re Eating Them Anyway One ounce, or about 50 chickpea-size pieces of plain, raw tiger nuts, contains 120 calories, 10 g of fiber (about 40% of your daily value), 9 g of naturally occurring sugars, tons of vitamins and minerals such as magnesium and iron, and 7 g of fat, most of which is oleic acid, a monounsaturated fat that research shows can help reduce appetite and promote weight loss. For some context, a serving of almonds—about 23 nuts—has 163 calories and about a third of the filling fiber of tiger nuts. The pitfalls: There aren’t too many, unless you have digestive issues such as IBS or are sensitive to high-fiber foods, says Consalvo—in those cases, you might experience some gas, bloating, cramping, or diarrhea if you eat too many tiger nuts. MORE: Exhausted? 10 Foods That Will Make You Feel Less Tired. How to eat them: You can nosh on whole tiger nuts right out of the bag, but if you find them too plain or chewy in raw form, here are some ways to make them more delicious:
Soak in water for 12 hours for an easier-to-chew treat.Toast in a frying pan with a bit of olive oil until crispy, then chop and add to salads or oatmeal to keep you full til your next meal.Combine with dried fruit, nuts, and dark chocolate for a nutrient-packed trail mix.Soak overnight in water, blend with dates and cinnamon, and strain for a DIY horchata (try the recipe below).
Tigernut Horchata Serves 4 In a medium bowl, cover 1 cup tiger nuts (we like Organic Gemini) with about 2" of water. Soak for 24 hours, covered, at room temperature. Drain tiger nuts and add to a blender with 4 cups hot (not boiling) water. Blend on high until almost smooth, 1 to 2 minutes, depending on blender. Pour mixture through a fine mesh strainer or cheese cloth and into a bowl, and discard the pureed nuts and save the liquid. Add 2 Tbsp honey, ¼ tsp salt, and ground cinnamon (to taste) to the liquid and whisk. Transfer horchata to a pitcher with a lid and cool completely in the refrigerator. Shake well before serving.
