(Photo source: Carphauler/webs.com)
In my work with clients, one of the external tools we often use is an elimination diet. For clients with a diagnosis of an autoimmune disease we may experiment with following the Autoimmune Protocol (AIP) for a period of time to reduce inflammation. While the AIP is focused on increasing nutrient dense foods, it does require a temporary elimination of certain foods including nuts and seeds.
Many AIP recipes and packaged foods available often use coconut products in the place of seeds and nuts. I often find after a client has been following the AIP for a period of time, they become tired of coconut products or some clients are sensitive to coconut products which can cause some GI distress. This is where tiger nut products come to the rescue!
Tiger nuts (Cyperus esculentus, also called chufa sedge, nut grass, yellow nutsedge, or earth almond) are actually not a nut but a tuber like sweet potato, yuca or white potatoes. Tiger nuts are full of fiber: one serving has 10 grams. They are also high in vitamin E, as well as iron, magnesium, zinc, potassium and B6.
Tiger nut products are available as nuts to snack on, tiger nut flour to bake with, tiger nut butter along with some prepackaged tiger nuts products, including pancake and waffle mix and cold or hot cereal. Many of these products can be found online. ShopAIP is a website devoted to foods that support following the AIP protocol and many of the tiger nut products listed above can be found at this site.
Interested in giving tiger nut a try? Below is a recipe to provide some inspiration. This is from an amazing site called A Squirrel In The Kitchen that has delicious AIP recipes.
AIP / Paleo Crispy Cinnamon Thin Cookies – Coconut-free
This recipe is 100% autoimmune protocol compliant.
- Prep time: 10 mins
- Cook time: 12 mins
- Total time: 22 mins
Author: Sophie
Recipe type: Dessert
Cuisine: Paleo Autoimmune Protocol
Serves: 20
Ingredients
- 1 cup tiger nut flour
- 3/4 cup arrowroot flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup palm shortening
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon gelatin powder (Great Lakes – red can)
Instructions
- Warm up the oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a large bowl, mix together the tiger nut flour, arrowroot flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.
- In a small dish, melt the palm shortening (45 seconds in the microwave) and add the maple syrup. Mix well.
- Sprinkle the gelatin powder over the liquid and whisk for a few seconds, making sure there is no clump.
- Pour the liquids over the dry ingredients and mix well with a spatula until your form a homogeneous dough.
- Use a tablespoon to scoop out small portions of cookie dough. First roll the dough between your hands to form a ball, then gently flatten into a cookie.
- Arrange the cookies on a parchment lined baking sheet. The cookies will spread just a little while baking.
- Bake in the oven for 12 minutes.
- Bon appétit!
Curious about other foods to experiment with while on AIP? Get in touch with us to schedule an appointment to help you on your journey to holistic health!
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Written by our nutritionist, Katie Southworth, MS, RDN |