The UK is being urged to go nuts for the environment by swapping burgers for bags of nuts on Monday October 22nd 2012 to celebrate National Nut Day.

National Nut Day in the UK is promoted by Liberation Foods CIC, the pioneering farmer-owned Fairtrade nut company. October 22nd is well-established as National Nut Day in the USA and the organisers want Britain to ‘go nuts’ in the same way!

This year’s focus is on switching to nuts to help the environment.  If we in the UK eat less meat and highly processed veggie foods – our planet will benefit. This will keep a lid on greenhouse gasses and won’t use up our valuable land resources.

For people who already eat plenty of meat and dairy products such as most people in rich countries, nuts and ‘nutty’ legumes – like Brazil nuts, cashews, peanuts and walnuts - are a good nutritional alternative to meat says Dr Donal Murphy-Bokern, independent agri-environmental scientist and author of several studies on food system impacts.  

Nuts are the ultimate food: nutritious and delicious. Harrry Hill is a big fan - so much so that he helped Liberation launch Harry’s Nuts!, the Fairtrade salted peanuts and cashews. Try this recipe for Harry’s Nuts! Cookies...

Harry’s Nuts! Cookies:

What to use:

350g plain flour

half tsp bicarbonate of soda

200g butter

350g Fairtrade brown sugar

2 large eggs

Fairtrade vanilla essence - around 2 teaspoons

Two 120g packs of Harry's Nuts! Fairtrade salted peanuts

What to do:

Set the oven to 190 degrees C

Cream together the butter and sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla. Fold in the flour and bicarbonate of soda and finally stir in the peanuts. Drop rounded tablespoons of the mixture on to a lined baking sheet about 6 cm apart. Make sure the spoonfuls aren't too big because the biscuits spread a lot. Put them in the pre-heated oven and bake for eight to ten minutes until golden brown.

And then share them with your friends and family!

Go nuts with us on the UK's third ever National Nut Day - October 22nd 2012.

We are celebrating nuts as the nutritious, delicious and environmental heroes of the food world. Nuts give you protein, vitamins, minerals and healthy fats. They make your hair shine and your skin glow. Many reasons for us all to celebrate National Nut Day 2012!

National Nut Day is traditionally celebrated on October 22nd in  the USA.. It  was launched in the UK by Liberation Foods CIC, the 100% Fairtrade nut company  co-owned by farming organisations in some of the world’s poorer countries.

We have the support of some fantastic organisations to help us including Sustain, The Vegetarian Society and The Vegan Society.