That old chestnut!
Nothing warms the cockles like a roast chestnut. Nutrition Editor Eve Kalinik gets under the skin of a festive favourite
Chestnuts roasting on an open fire… Lyrics synonymous with the festive period. While we might hum along with Nat King Cole, chestnuts also have myriad nutritional and flavoursome attributes. They are rich in fibre, predominantly the insoluble type, which helps to support regularity in our daily movements. They also ‘feed’ microbes in the gut, which produce beneficial substances that help build a stronger immune system and a healthier gut overall. In just a small serving of eight to nine sweet chestnuts, you could gain four grams of fibre, which equates to approximately 15 per cent of your daily intake, and it’s nutrition your microbes will love, too – which is handy during party season, when we might be indulging in ‘less gut-supportive’ foods.