Pecans

Like other nuts, pecans are a delicious and healthy addition to your diet. They are wonderful raw or roasted, and have a buttery, delicate crunch to them. I love using pecans in oatmeal, raw desserts, nut butter, desserts, baked goods, salads, and ground up into flour.

  • Pecans contain heart-healthy monounsaturated fats, which have been linked with reduced risk of heart disease. Of this fat, about 70% of it is oleic acid, a monounsaturated fat noted to promote heart health.
  • Don’t be scared of the fat in pecans! A 28-month study published in the journal Obesity, showed that people who ate nuts at least twice a week were much less likely to gain weight than those who almost never ate nuts.
  • Five large human studies, which looked at how disease spreads and can be controlled, estimated that substituting nuts for the same amount of carbohydrates in an average diet resulted in a 30% reduction in heart disease risk. A reduction of 45% occurred when fat from nuts was substituted for saturated fats, which are found primarily in meat and dairy products.
  • Pecans contain many magnificent antioxidants that help to remove free-radicals and promote a healthy immune system.
  • They are a good source of Vitamin E, which is necessary for healthy and beautiful cells, skin, and hair.

Vegukate Tips:

Store pecans in an airtight container in a cool, dark place. They can be stored in the refrigerator shelled or unshelled for up to six months, or in the freezer up to a year.