A personal favorite of mine, these deliciously chunky nuts are good for more than just munching.

Buttery flavor, big crunch, and subtle sweetness sums up these medium-sized round nuts. Although native to Australia, Hawaii has since taken over as the largest exporter in the world. With a famously hard outer shell, you'll most often find these nuts cracked and ready to eat.

One ounce of macadamia nuts (about 10 to 12 kernels) contains 200 calories, 21 grams of fat, 2 grams of protein and 2 grams of fiber. They also offer a decent amount of thiamin, iron and copper. Macadamia nuts are rich in heart-healthy monounsaturated fats. A small study conducted by a popular macadamia manufacturer reported that subjects who ate 1.5 ounces of the nuts per day showed improvements in cholesterol (lower total cholesterol and lower LDL "bad" cholesterol ) over a 5-week period.

Add macadamia nuts to granola, trail mix, oatmeal or a batch of cookies. Grind up a batch of nut butter for a milder alternative to peanut butter. Dip macadamia nuts in dark chocolate and sprinkle with coarse sea salt for a decadent treat.

For a more savory twist, add crushed or ground nuts to breading mixtures for fish and poultry.

Storage Tips: Because of their high fat content, macadamia nuts can turn rancid and bitter very quickly. To optimize shelf life, buy nuts in small sealed batches. Once open, store in the refrigerator and use within 3 months.