Posted by Jennifer (the student) on October 8, 2012

 

As Halloween and Thanksgiving approach, I starting thinking about desserts filled with pecans. Fall is harvest season for pecans. They are from the hickory family and they are the only tree nuts native to North America.

These nutritious nuts are high in protein, fiber and unsaturated fat. Pecans contain vitamin A, B, E and folic acid and minerals such as calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and zinc.

Benefits:

• Reduces bad cholesterol levels with plant sterols.
• Helps to prevent coronary artery disease and strokes.
• Enhances satiety and increases metabolism, which aids in weight loss.
• Protects the body from free radical damage with antioxidants.
• Helps to maintain healthy skin, hair and muscle tone with vitamin A, B and E.

Think of adding pecans to your regular diet, not just holiday desserts. Pecans can easily be added to oatmeal or topping yogurt. Also, pecans add a nice nutty crunch to chicken salad and tuna salad. Get creative and add these healthy nuts to your diet.

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