New definition reinforces more than three decades of health research supporting walnut consumption
FOLSOM, Calif. — Walnuts meet the updated definition for a “healthy” food based on the important role they play in recommended dietary patterns, according to the much-anticipated announcement from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) detailing a new definition for foods that can be identified or labeled as “healthy.”1
This announcement, originally previewed in 2022 on the heels of the historic White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health, is a significant step toward ensuring food labeling is consistent with the most up-to-date nutrition scientific evidence and Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) recommendations to support individuals and families in building healthy eating patterns.
“The inclusion of walnuts in the new “healthy” definition affirms consumers’ belief that walnuts are a healthy food.* It also aligns with decades of nutrition research reinforcing the important contributions walnuts can make in a healthy lifestyle,” shared Robert Verloop, chief executive officer for the California Walnut Commission. “It’s simple. Just adding walnuts to Americans’ daily diet can potentially have wide-ranging positive impacts.”
The 2020-2025 DGA encourage consumers to choose foods that are nutrient-dense, such as nuts, including walnuts. However, close to two-thirds of Americans do not meet the recommended intake for nuts and seeds.2,3
Encouraging walnuts as a substitution for food choices higher in saturated fat can help support recommendations to replace intake of saturated with unsaturated fats. as strongly advised by the recently-released 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee Scientific Report.4 The total fat in walnuts (18g) is mostly comprised of polyunsaturated fats (13g/oz), including omega-3 ALA (2.5g/oz), an essential fatty acid with potential to support heart health and cognition.5-7 Walnuts are the only tree nut to provide an excellent source of omega-3 ALA.8
“In my 20 plus years of practicing nutrition at a major medical institution, I have seen trends go in and out for what the public considers healthy. But what has always been foundational is the role plant-based foods like walnuts play in supporting health. Walnuts are one nut I find consistently meets the variable needs of patients in my practice,” states Kristin Kirkpatrick, MS, RDN and author. “In practice, I focus on evidence-based approaches to reducing chronic disease risk, weight management, and improvements in metabolic health.”
Walnuts qualifying as a “healthy” food is just one major milestone in a series of similar recognitions. A recent ruling, earlier in 2024, by the USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS), ‘Child Nutrition Programs: Meal Patterns Consistent With the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans,‘ will make it easier for schools to serve plant-protein rich meals and snacks that include walnuts. Using ingredients like walnuts can help reformulate meal favorites to be healthier, while also supporting vegetarian diets and other food preferences. Additionally, for the first time, states are now allowed to include walnut butter as part of the latest WIC program (Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children) package updates.
These new inclusions and acknowledgements of the role of walnuts in healthy dietary patterns are due, in part, to the more than 30 years of evidence-based global health and nutrition research funded by the California Walnut Commission. This growing body of research has uncovered many potential benefits of consuming walnuts within healthy dietary patterns across various ages and life stages to maximize health and well-being, including promising research into heart health, cognition, cancer, gut health, body weight, and reproductive health.
Walnuts are extremely versatile and convenient, adding nutrition to dishes at every meal, as well as simple snacks. For more information about the nutritional benefits of California walnuts, along with delicious recipe inspiration, please visit walnuts.org.
About the California Walnut Commission
The California Walnut Commission (CWC) represents more than 4,600 California walnut growers and nearly 70 handlers, grown in multi-generational farmers’ family orchards. California walnuts, known for their excellent nutritional value and quality, are shipped around the world all year long, with more than 99% of the walnuts grown in the United States being from California. The CWC, established in 1987, promotes usage of walnuts through domestic and export market development activities as well as supports health research with consuming walnuts.
To explore recipes and learn more about California walnut growers, industry information and health research, visit walnuts.org.
References
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. Fdc.nal.usda.gov.
U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025. 9th Edition. December 2020. Available at DietaryGuidelines.gov.
Analysis of What We Eat in America, NHANES 2013-2016, ages 1 and older, 2 days dietary intake data, weighted. Recommended Intake Ranges: Healthy U.S.-Style Dietary Patterns.
2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee. 2024. Scientific Report of the 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee: Advisory Report to the Secretary of Health and Human Services and Secretary of Agriculture. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Sala-Vila A, Fleming J, Kris-Etherton P, Ros E. Impact of alpha-linolenic acid, the vegetable omega-3 fatty acid, on cardiovascular disease and cognition [published ahead of print February 16, 2022]. Advances in Nutrition. doi.org/10.1093/advances/nmac016.
Naghshi S, Aune D, Beyene J, et al. Dietary intake and biomarkers of alpha linolenic acid and risk of all cause, cardiovascular, and cancer mortality: Systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of cohort studies. BMJ. 2021;375:n2213. doi:10.1136/bmj.n2213.
Barceló-Coblijn G, Murphy EJ. Alpha-linolenic acid and its conversion to longer chain n3 fatty acids: Benefits for human health and a role in maintaining tissue n-3 fatty acid levels. Prog Lipid Res. 2009;48(6):355-74. Doi.org/10.1016/j.plipres.2009.07.002.
