My mom was horrified to see him eat it BEFORE his meal! I
had to laugh when other people in the convalescent center asked her, "Did
you always eat dessert first?" Guess
you can do those things when you've lived long enough to do what you want!
Never in all the years that we enjoyed pecan pie on his
birthday did I realize how good pecans are for you. It was a once a year event
in December.
Now, I wouldn't recommend going out and having a piece of
pecan pie every day, altho wouldn't that be nice! I think the sugary stuff
would kind of undo the good of the pecans! (I have pie on the brain – my fingers wanted
to write piecans!)
Pecans - Definitely a Nutritious
Snack to Munch On
After reading about how a study at the University of Florida
found that pecans have tons of antioxidants that fight heart disease and cancer,
and the Mayo Clinic's study says that pecans can help lower LDL (lousy)
cholesterol – well, it makes sense to throw a handful of pecans into your diet
every day.
Pecans have a substance in them called oleic acid, which is
also in olive oil; pecans actually have more oleic acid than olive oil. Why is
this important?
While researchers are still studying this theory, they have
found that this substance can slow down the activity of the gene that causes
breast cancer.
Not only do researchers say it helps with breast cancer, eating
about 2 ounces of pecans seems to help with symptoms of non-cancerous enlargement
of the prostate gland.
Prostate cancer cells were found to be killed by the
vitamin E in pecans while healthy cells were left intact in a study at Purdue
University. They are still working on
that also.
Seriously, Is There Anything a Pecan Can't Do?!
As I write this, I find myself thinking why not just say
pecans help everything?! I guess I can't go that far, but add to the list diabetes,
depression & memory problems that the omega 3's in pecans help fight
against.
And pecans reduce the risk of blood clots & improve the lining of your arteries.
That's a whole lot of good that little ole nut could be
responsible for!
Actually, the FDA has come out and stated that "Scientific evidence suggests but does
not prove that eating 1.5 ounces per day of most nuts, as a part of a diet low
in saturated fat and cholesterol, may reduce the risk of heart disease."
Pecans are one of the nuts included in the list.
The DASH Diet actually recommends 4-5 servings of nuts in
your diet per week. A serving is about 1 1/2 ounces or 1/3 cup.
If you're looking to lose weight, other research showed that
people who ate nuts 5 times a week had a lower BMI than those who only indulged
in nuts 1 to 4 times a week.
Note to self: I've GOT to buy some pecans this week!
How to Use Pecan Flour
or Pecan Meal (great flour replacement for the gluten-free person)
Another delicious way to incorporate those pecans into your
diet is to make pecan flour or pecan meal. I've seen recipes that rave about
putting pecan meal as a coating on pork chops or chicken instead of regular
flour, as well as using it in cookies and other baked goods. Yumm!
You can buy pecan flour, or you can make it.
How to Make Pecan Flour (probably cheaper than buying it from a store)
Note: Sam's Club has a 32 oz bag of pecans for $13.88.
- Wash about a pound (0.454 kg) of pecans in hot water.
- Bring a medium-sized saucepan filled half full with water to a boil.
- Add nuts and boil for 10 seconds. Drain the nuts in a colander.
- Pour the nuts into a towel, and while patting dry, rub the nuts to remove the skins. Peel any remaining skins from the nuts.
- Put 1/2 cup to 1 cup of nuts into a nut grinder. ( I saw a video of someone using a spice grinder for this; you might also try a Vitamix) Use a blender if you don't have any of these. Do not overgrind, or the oils released will turn the nuts into butter.
- Put the nuts into a sifter, and sift into a bowl. If there are any nut pieces not ground up, place back into the grinder you used along with the rest of the remaining nuts and repeat the grinding process.
- This flour can be used just like wheat flour. Store in an airtight container, and in the refrigerator, since the oils in the nuts can turn rancid. Lasts approximately a month.
All that being said
about the nutritious value of pecans, if
you have a nut allergy, do not eat pecans, pecan flour or pecan meal.
Images Courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net and Google Advanced Image Search
References:
Durden Pecan. Natural Oxidants in Pecans. https://www.durdenpecan.com/nutrition#About-Us
Mayo Clinic Staff. Dated February 4, 2011. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/nuts/HB00085
Link, Rachael, MS,RD. Are Pecans Good for You?. Written August 11, 2020. Medically reviewed August 20, 2020 by Hatanaka, Milo, RDN, L.D. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/are-pecans-good-for-you#_noHeaderPrefixedContent
OAW Health. Health Benefits of Pecans. Written by Loretta Lanphier, NP, BCTN, CN, CH, HHP. December 8, 2015. https://oawhealth.com/2015/12/08/health-benefits-of-pecans/