Of all the nuts, almonds are the ones I use most frequently in my kitchen.

 

There are a variety of reasons for this. They're a lot cheaper than macadamias and pine nuts, have a longer shelf-life than both hazelnuts and walnuts and don't have the bitterness of brazils.

 

If I was eating nuts raw I'd choose pistachios, cashews and macadamias, however, in cooking, the softer flavour and texture of almonds seems to be more useful.

 

Scattering a few nuts into your food is a good way of getting a regular dose of this important food group, while also increasing the variety of foods you're eating.