Looking to amp up your hair health from within? Try adding more nuts to your diet. High in omega-3 fatty acids and protein, they can help keep your strands hydrated and visibly strong. Check out these three delicious and nutty recipes that will nourish your hair in no time. 

Baked aubergine stuffed with roasted pumpkin, feta & walnut

Loaded with healthy proteins to add that shine and luster you're looking for, try out this tasty recipe. It calls for pumpkin, which is a great autumn flavor, but butternut squash is another delicious choice for just about any season of the year. 

Ingredients:

2 large aubergines

200g pumpkin or squash (try kabocha or butternut squash)

100g red onion, thinly sliced

1 teaspoon cumin seeds (or use slightly less ground cumin)

2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

4 tablespoons virgin rapeseed or olive oil

2 teaspoons fresh herb (thyme, oregano, sage, or rosemary work well)

100g feta cheese, diced

Large handful of walnuts, lightly toasted and halved

For the courgette salad:

4 courgettes 1 lemon

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

Small handful mint leaves, chopped

Small handful flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Directions:

Heat oven to 400°F. Cut the aubergines in half lengthways, leaving the stem in place (this can be removed when eating). Using a small sharp knife, scoop out the inner flesh, leaving a shell about 1cm thick. Chop the flesh and put into a bowl.

Peel the pumpkin or squash, remove the seeds, then cut into 1-2cm dice and mix with the chopped aubergine and red onion. Mix in the cumin, garlic, and 2 tablespoons oil and toss together with some salt and black pepper. Lay on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Rub 1 tablespoon oil over the aubergine halves and season—place, cut-side down, on another tray lined with parchment paper. Bake for 15-20 mins, until the pumpkin and aubergine shells are almost cooked through.

Tip the pumpkin mixture back into the bowl and stir through the mixed herbs, feta, and walnuts. Turn over the aubergine halves, then pile up the mixture inside. Drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and bake for 20 mins, at which point the pumpkin will be fully cooked. If it starts to color too much, cover loosely with foil.

Meanwhile, make the courgette salad. Top and tail the courgettes, then slice very thinly into wide ribbons. Toss with the zest, juice of half the lemon, and the oil. Leave for 10 mins to let the courgettes soften a little.

To serve, toss the herbs through the courgettes and cut the remaining lemon half into wedges. Place an aubergine half on each plate, pile up the salad beside it and serve with a lemon wedge.

Tropical fruit and nut muesli 

Start your morning the right way with this nut-infused muesli. And you want to go with Brazil nuts as they’re just loaded with hair-loving selenium, but cashews have your zinc, so either or both is best! Feel free to add your favorite fruits in addition to what the recipe calls for. There’s no such thing as too much fruit!

Ingredients:

250g jumbo oats

50g shredded coconut

25g dark muscovado sugar

50g pumpkin seeds

100g mixture of chopped Brazil nuts and whole raw cashews

250g packet ready-to-eat tropical fruit

Yogurt, fresh blueberries, sliced banana, and honey to serve (optional)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Put oats, coconut, sugar, and pumpkin seeds on a large baking tray with sides, ideally nonstick. Mix in sugar and break up lumps with your fingers, then add nuts. Bake for 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, until the sugar starts to melt and nuts are lightly toasted. Tip into a big bowl and leave to cool.

Snip bite-sized pieces of tropical fruits into the mixture. Serve with chilled milk, yogurt, and fruit. Store for up to 2 months, airtight.

Fig and walnut slice

Not only is this recipe packed with omega-3s and healthy proteins, but it’s also rich in flavor and is a winner for your hair.

Ingredients: 

50g whole almond, toasted

250g dried figs, hard stalk removed, chopped

50g dried apricots, halved

50g walnuts, halved

½ tablespoon brandy

½ tablespoon clear honey

Pinch ground cloves

Directions:

Pulse the almonds in a food processor until most are finely chopped. Remove and transfer to a bowl. Whizz the figs until they form a sticky paste, then add this to the almonds with the remaining ingredients. Mix well, then shape into a sausage and allow to dry, uncovered, in the fridge or a cool, dry place for a week.

Wrap and tie in baking parchment if giving away, then slice and serve alongside your favorite cheeses. It should keep well refrigerated for up to 2 months.

Final thoughts

You can’t go wrong with these delicious, nutty, nutrient-dense recipes. Your hair will love  the omega-3s, selenium, B vitamins, and zinc you’ll get from the variety of these nuts. We also know how time-crunched we are these days, so we try to make it easier by offering an array of essential haircare products and supplements to help fill the gaps. Hair La Vie’s Clinical Formula Hair Vitamins has you covered with its blend of 20 comprehensive, hair-supporting ingredients—and naturally derived. Of course, the whole foods in these recipes are always the way to go, but it’s also good to know you’re hair’s consistently covered with everything it needs to stay gorgeous!