Americans enjoy pecans in various ways. Some like to eat them raw while others enjoy them either roasted or toasted. People with a sweet tooth indulge on pecan praline and pecan cookies, while pecan pies are everyone’s favorite. Nowadays, you will even see fitness enthusiasts using pecans in salads and protein shakes or smoothies.
While there are so many ways of consuming pecans, which is the best to ensure that you get maximum benefits? If you are using pecans in salads, smoothies, and healthy dishes that have no fancy dressings and syrups with the least amount of oil, you are certainly eating clean.
Many people believe that eating a fruit, vegetable, or nut in its raw form is the best way to get all of its nutrients. This is true in most cases but it leads to one argument. Many people believe that eating nuts roasted are less healthy than eating them raw. While some people say that roasting nuts do not make much difference in the nutritional content of the nuts. Let us dig a little more and find an appropriate answer to this matter.
Oil Roasting Vs. Dry Roasting
Roasting improves the flavor and texture of pecans. There are two methods of roasting pecans. One is oil roasting, and other is dry roasting. Oil roasting, as the name implies, uses oil to lightly roast the pecans over medium heat on a pan. On the other hand, in the process of dry roasting, the pecans are roasted without heat and water (moisture). Dry roasting uses hot air or an oven to roast the pecans.
Where toasting the pecans can definitely lead to a loss in some proteins and fats, using roasting methods have a little impact on the nutritional content. Dry roasting is better than oil roasting, as you are adding extra oil for heating the pecans and so adding more fats. If your dietary needs are not very strict, roasting pecans with a little bit of olive oil won’t do much harm.
To What Extent Does Roasting Pecans Affect The Nutritional Content
According to several studies, the nutritional content of raw and dry roasted pecans is more or less the same. Nevertheless, there can be a decrease in the proteins and good fats of pecans fats after roasting them. Polyunsaturated fats are susceptible to heat and oxygen and can be lost upon roasting.
To prevent this, you can lower the temperature and time of roasting pecans. When you roast pecans between 248 and 284 F, for only 15 minutes, there is going to be no loss or damage to fats, protein, vitamins, and anti-oxidants.
