The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced a change in the definition of  "healthy" food based on its role in recommended dietary patterns.

The agency says that to qualify as healthy, food products must "contain a certain amount of a food from at least one of the food groups or subgroups outlined by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans including fruits, vegetables, protein foods, dairy, and grains," and walnuts meet the description. 

The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans 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.

"Encouraging walnuts as a substitution for food choices higher in saturated fat can help support recommendations to replace intake of saturated with unsaturated fats," the California Walnut Commission reports. "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.^"

"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," said 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."