Do you happen to be a person who enjoys eating nuts, and are coincidentally conscious about your diet as well? Well, you’re not alone, because there are many nuts out there that aren’t friendly for people who are dieting, especially those who are on the keto diet.
The thing with the keto diet is that even a little surplus of carbs is enough to take the person out of ketosis. Once that is done the whole point of the diet is ruined, and you might as well eat like you mean it.
There are many food and beverage items that are on the no-go list for people on the keto diet, and it requires precise calculation of the intake of the daily macros. Careful consideration and planning goes into the making of a keto diet plan, but what about pecans?
Are Pecans Keto? This article aims to inform you about the relation between the keto diet and nuts, and we will inform you particularly about pecans.
We will find out and answer the question, “Are Pecans Keto?” and other frequently asked questions that may arise along the way. So, without further ado, let's jump right into it!
Are Pecans Keto?
Pecans are nuts that are grown on trees, and they are found abundantly in near Mexico and the Southern region of the United States. These nuts are famous for their buttery flavor, and they are loaded with and are rich in healthy fats, plus they have a modest omega 3: omega 6 ratio when lined up against other nuts. This is a vital factor which makes the pecan nuts a good choice for people on the keto diet.
The thing to consider with nuts in the keto diet, is their profile of high fiber and the content of protein in them, but pecans are a class apart from other nuts, as they have a great nutritional profile which can be useful for people on the keto diet.
Pecans have a really low amount of net carbs, almost one gram per serving, and they are a great source of healthy fats as well, which categorizes them as an excellent choice for the keto diet.
Moreover, pecans are rich in copper as well, which is vital to the body as it aids in the production of red blood cells, it regulates the nervous system, it boosts the immune system, it helps in the conversion of carbs into useful energy, it forms collagen and helps in the absorption of iron into the body as well.
We will now look at the nutritional profile of pecans in detail, the table is listed below.
The Nutritional Profile: Pecans
Pecans are very low in carbs, which is an excellent thing to begin with. Secondly, there is a good and rich amount of healthy fats that are present in pecans as well, that will aid the body into becoming more resistant to insulin. This is also a great addition for people who want to do an insulin resistance diet.
A study conducted over a period of a month deduced that the 26 test subjects who consumed 1.5 ounces of pecans daily had a higher resistance to insulin and lower in serum insulin than those test subjects who did not consume pecans.
This is great for people on the keto diet because lower insulin levels means that the body is able to burn more fat which produces more energy for the body, and it also aids in the shedding of weight.
Pecans are also useful as they provide cardiovascular strengthening as well. These delicious snacks can be added into foods, and can be cooked with desserts as well; the following is a table which talks about the nutrients inside pecans.
| Macronutrients | 1 cup serving (128 grams) | Recommended Daily Value (RDV %) |
| The Calories | 922.9 calories | N/A |
| Fat | 92.2 grams | N/A on keto |
| The Net Carbs | 5.1 grams | N/A on keto |
| The Protein | 11.5 grams | N/A on keto |
| Vitamin B3 (Niacin) | 1.5 milligrams | 9% of the RDV |
| Vitamin E | 1.8 milligrams | 12% of the RDV |
| Choline | 52 milligrams | 9% of the RDV |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.3 milligrams | 20% of the RDV |
| Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) | 0.1 milligrams | 13% of the RDV |
| Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid) | 1.2 milligrams | 22% of the RDV |
| Vitamin B1 (Thiamin) | 0.9 milligrams | 70% of the RDV |
| Iron | 3.2 milligrams | 18% of the RDV |
| Potassium | 525 milligrams | 14% of the RDV |
| Phosphorous | 355 milligrams | 36% of the RDV |
| Zinc | 5.8 milligrams | 41% of the RDV |
| Magnesium | 155 milligrams | 37% of the RDV |
| Copper | 1.5 milligrams | 170% of the RDV |
| Manganese | 5.8 milligrams | 251% of the RDV |
How Can You Eat Pecans On The Keto Diet?
Let us explain a little as to how the keto diet works. The keto diet works on the fundamentals of changing the daily fuel source of the body, from carbs to the stored fat in the body. This change of fuel source burns fat instead of carbs, and is called “Glycolysis” or the body is in ketosis, to put simply. It is the consumption of a diet where a person fulfills their daily nutritional requirement in the following breakdown:
● 70% of the daily nutritional requirement is fulfilled by fats
● 20% of the daily nutritional requirement is fulfilled by proteins
● 10% of the daily nutritional requirement is fulfilled by carbs
The keto diet is one which is very strict and rigid, and any sort of swaying away from the mapped out diet can prove disastrous. As a standard on the keto diet, the limit to carb consumption per day is 20 grams to 30 grams. On an average, 4 grams of carbs per serving of pecans gives 1.2 grams net carbs, which means you can eat up to 2 kilograms of pecans every day, and you will still stay in ketosis.
Having said that pecans and the keto diet can be a great fit, as you can incorporate them into your diet very easily, without the fear of eating too much and having to stress and worry about being in ketosis or not. There are a few type of pecans you can keep an eye out for on the keto diet, and they are as follows:
- Roasted Pecans:
The best and most obvious choice to choose from are the raw pecans. Just like the raw pecans, you can compare its nutritional profile with the roasted pecans’ and you will find that both of them are similar. Having said that, it means that the roasted pecans are keto friendly and safe to consume. Keeping an eye on the contents of nutrition is important for everything while on the keto diet, but you can safely consume pecans and not worry about anything. - Candied Pecans:
It is pertinent to mention here that these candied pecans are produced using white sugar, which is the reason that their content of carbs is a little higher than the content of carbs found in raw pecans. These candied pecans can have about 35.3 carbs per 100 grams, which means they can be a little problematic when it comes to calculating the macros and staying under the daily limit of carbs. You can try making keto candied pecans though by replacing the white sugar with a more keto friendly recipe. However, it's still important to be careful about the carb content when eating these.
What Are The Health Benefits of Pecans?
Nuts are usually very rich in minerals, in proteins, in vitamins and are rich in antioxidants as well. They are rich in healthy fats and are relatively lower in carbs, which makes them an ideal fit for people who are looking for new food substances to incorporate into their keto diet.
These can be consumed as snacks, or can be used to cook up a fine meal or even used to make a keto friendly dessert as well. The following are the health benefits of eating Pecans:
● Weight Loss:
Pecans can help in the shedding of excess weight, as these pecans are loaded with fiber which makes it a very filling and satiating food object. That means the effect it has on your body is that it makes you feel full for a longer period of time, eliminating the need to snack unnecessarily, thereby preventing the intake of excess calories.
● Boosting the Cardiovascular functioning:
Pecans can be very good and very healthy for your heart, as they contain oleic acid which is a type of a monounsaturated fat which reduce the level of bad cholesterol in the body which is the LDL and it helps boost the HDL which is the good cholesterol of the body. This means your heart is working and functioning normally and is healthy.
● Boosting the Immune System of the Body:
Pecan nuts boost the immune system as they are a rich source of many different and useful minerals and vitamins which include riboflavin. This is useful for the growth of cells and the normal functioning of cells. Vitamin A is also abundantly present in Pecan nuts and it is very useful as it rids the body of the common Influenza virus and the flu and cold. The fiber in pecans cleanses the gastrointestinal system and regulates the bowel movements as well.
● Anti-Inflammatory Properties:
Like we mentioned the antioxidants, these include flavonoids and phenols which are found in the pecans. These possess the properties to reduce inflammation and are very helpful to fight diseases such as Arthritis. The Vitamin E found in these Pecan Nuts also reduces the chronic inflammation and the magnesium also has anti-inflammatory effects.
● Improves the Brain Functioning:
Pecans can reduce the oxidative stress of the brain, which is done by Niacin, it also boosts the functioning of the brain. The Manganese helps normalize the brain’s synaptic functioning. The Thiamine and the Copper found in Pecan Nuts helps reduce damage to the brain that might be of a radical nature. These benefits corroborate as a whole to lessen the chance of neurodegenerative diseases that a person might develop.
Pecans Vs. Other Nuts
As a keto follower, keeping an eye on the nutrition content is of the utmost importance. Different nuts have different contents; some have much higher carbs than others.
If you are looking at the restriction of carbs from anywhere between 20 grams to 50 grams a day, adding these Pecan Nuts into your diet is an excellent idea. You’ll only be consuming 1 gram of net carbs if you eat 19 halves of pecans. The amount of fat in these nuts is 70% which is very helpful in getting to the stage of ketosis.
However, other nuts can also be consumed with Pecan Nuts such as the Brazil Nuts, the Macadamia Nuts and the Walnuts as well. The nuts you should be avoiding are the pistachios, the pine nuts, the cashews and the almonds.
The reason being, that all these nuts have an insane amount of carb in them and are not ideal for a person on the keto diet.
Think of it this way, if you were to consume three handfuls of cashew nuts, you would have completed the daily allotment of carbs for that day. Imagine if you accidentally ate more than that, what havoc that would cause on your diet.
It would definitely kick you out of ketosis, as the amount of carbs that you would have consumed would reinstate carbs as the main and primary source of fuel for the body, and that is not something anyone on the keto diet wants to do.
Keto Recipes: Pecan Nuts
Talking all about food makes us hungry and it might have made you a little hungry as well. We took the liberty of researching and finding out the best and easiest recipe that you can make at home. This recipe is completely safe and keto friendly, and will surely add into the variety of dishes you can make which are keto friendly.
Here is a list of ingredients you will need to make this delicious recipe of Keto Spiced Pecans:
● Butter (unsalted or as per your choice)
● Salt (Maldon sea salt or as per your choice)
● Brown Sugar Substitute
● Pecans
● Cayenne Pepper
● Mixing Bowls
● Parchment Paper
● Baking Sheet
● Small Saucepan
Now that we have gathered all the ingredients that will be used to make this recipe, let us now move towards the process of how to make it.
How to make these Keto Pecans:
Firstly you will need to preheat the oven to 300 degrees and line the baking sheet with the parchment paper.
Secondly, you will need to melt the butter in the saucepan and then put this melted butter into a bowl and mix it with brown sugar substitute, cayenne pepper and sea salt.
Thirdly, you will put the pecans in a bowl and put the butter mixture on top of it, and stir and make sure there is an even spread of pecans.
Now, what you have to do is, you have to spread this mixture into a single layer, and pour it onto the baking sheet. Once you have done this, you will need to cook these pecans for about 20 minutes.
Around the 10 minute mark, make sure you give the mixture a stir, so it cooks evenly and no part of it is left uncooked or undercooked. You can also look at a keto-friendly Pecan pie, you will find many recipes online.
Conclusion
Now that we have gone through all the details and the in-depth study of Pecans, we can safely say that they are keto friendly. A huge sigh of relief because incorporating nuts into a keto diet can be very tricky.
Nuts can be very rich in minerals and proteins and antioxidants but on the other hand, they can be rich in carbs as well. So it is of the utmost importance to conduct a detailed research about the food item before you add it into your keto diet.
Pecan Nuts are keto friendly, and can be a great keto snack as well as the main ingredient for several tasty recipes.
They are rich with minerals and vitamins and are loaded with healthy fats and are very low in carbs, almost sounds too good to be true when you are on the keto diet. That is because there aren’t many items that fit perfectly into the diet. Having to keep the ratio of things can be difficult and confusing, but that is not the case with Pecans.
If you'd like to learn more about keto friendly foods, please click on one of the links below: