Figuring which type of foods to incorporate into your ketogenic diet can be challenging, especially when it comes to nuts. Nuts are rich in antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, protein and are generally high in fats and low in carbs, making them the right choice for people on a keto diet who want to enter ketosis quicker. Low-carb nuts can be eaten as snacks, in between various meals, or even toasted in salads and other dishes. Many researchers point ketogenic diet towards having potential health benefits such as aiding in weight loss, reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes, and heart disease. A standard ketogenic diet contains about 75% fats, 20% proteins, and 5% carbs; thus, people on the keto diet need to limit their daily carb intake to between 20-50g.
Pecans contain fiber, which causes a satiety effect on your body, making you avoid overeating. This promotes weight loss for people on a keto diet. Apart from weight loss, here are some of the benefits of pecan nuts:
Pecans are healthy for the heart
Pecans have oleic acid, which is a monounsaturated fat that lowers the risk of ‘bad’ cholesterol (LDL) oxidation while increasing HDL, which is the good cholesterol in the body. This, in turn, reduces the risk of heart disease.
Boosts the body’s immune system
Pecan nuts have vitamins and minerals such as riboflavin, which is essential for the healthy growth of cells and function, and even vitamin A, which keeps the body free from common cold and flu. The fiber in pecans also cleans the gastrointestinal system, thus facilitating regular movements of the bowel. Pecans are a great source of manganese (one ounce provides 63% of your recommended daily intake) and copper (one ounce contains 12% of your daily intake) (Self Nutrition Data, 2015).
Pecans have anti-inflammatory benefits.
Antioxidants such as flavonoids, phenols in pecans reduce the inflammation rates significantly and also reduce certain diseases such as arthritis. Vitamin E, found in the nuts, also mitigates chronic inflammation effects, thus reducing the chances of certain conditions such as arthritis. The nuts also have magnesium, which has anti-inflammatory effects.
Improves the brain function
Pecans also lower the oxidative stress in the brain. Niacin found in the pecan nuts boosts brain function. Manganese, also found in the nuts, helps stabilize the brain’s synaptic process. Copper and Thiamine helps reduce radical damage to the brain. All these help us to reduce the risk of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease
Are Pecans Good for Keto Diet?
Many people have been asking whether you can eat pecans on keto because some nuts have higher carb content than the required amount for the keto diet, which is 20g per day. Some experts say that this daily requirement can go up to 50g per day. When it comes to pecans, they’re one of the best nuts that are good for a ketogenic diet.
Pecan nuts are very low in carbs and high in fats. An ounce of pecans( about 19 halves) has approximately 1g of net carbs, 4g of total carbs, 20g fats with about 196 calories.
Pecan nutrition is ideal for people who want to achieve ketosis quicker, which will help you lose weight faster. These nuts with a grooved surface and brown kernel can be enjoyed raw, candied, toasted in your favorite smoothie, or even roasted. Some of the pecan keto diet recipes include :
Keto candied pecans
Keto pecan pie clusters
Keto pecan bars
Keto pecan pie
Keto butter-roasted pecans
Keto pecan brittles
Keto glazed pecans
Keto pecan pralines
Pecans vs. other keto nuts
Knowing the carb content of different nuts can be helpful since some nuts have higher carb content than others. This information will help you know which types of nuts to include in your diet and which ones to avoid.
With carb restriction of about 20-50g per day, adding pecans to your keto diet is a good idea, since you’ll get 1g of net carbs if you eat about 19 halves of pecan nuts. The nuts also have about 70% fats, which is an excellent addition in achieving ketosis. Other nuts that can be used & consumed alongside pecans are Brazil nuts, which also have 1g of net carbs, 19g of fats, and about 183 calories per ounce of serving. Macadamia and walnuts can also be added to your keto diet as they have 2g net carbs, each with 204 and 185 calories per one ounce of serving, respectively.
Other nuts such as cashews, almonds, pine nuts, and pistachios are high in carbs and should be avoided because they won't help you much in your ketosis journey. Just eating about three handfuls of cashew nuts already surpasses the daily requirement of carb consumption for people on a ketogenic diet.
