For Immediate Release: September 1, 2011
Jon Krueger, NPSA
Phone: (404) 252-3663
Email: jkrueger@kellencompany.com
SENSATIONAL SNACKS
Pecans Provide Healthy Snack Alternative
ATLANTA –If you’re looking for a satisfying snack that’s also healthy, try a handful of pecans. These delicious, nutritious tree nuts will keep your stomach from growling – and, used wisely, keep it from growing.
Substituting about one ounce of pecans into your daily diet is a healthy alternative for many traditional snack foods, according to Beth Hubrich, R.D., a registered dietitian with the National Pecan Shellers Association.
“Pecans are a power-food that stays with you longer than some other higher carbohydrate snacks that your body burns through quickly,” Hubrich said. Pecans provide that long-lasting energy because they contain heart-healthy mono and polyunsaturated fats and the same amount of fiber as a medium-sized apple.
There’s no better time to start eating healthy by substituting pecans for other snack foods. Here are a few suggestions from the National Pecan Shellers Association:
- Instead of salty snacks, bring about 20 pecan halves to work to snack on throughout the day. Pecans are naturally sodium-free.
- For a mid-afternoon snack, try ½ cup of carrots with fat-free dressing and a handful of chopped pecans.
- Sprinkle pecans on top of your yogurt and you’ll get more zinc – an important nutrient for proper growth and strong immunity.
Published research suggests that eating just a handful of pecans each day may help reduce your risk for developing heart disease. Human health studies conducted at Loma Linda University over the past decade have consistently shown a link between eating pecans and a reduction in risk factors for heart disease. The latest study, published earlier this year in The Journal of Nutrition, suggests that naturally-occurring Vitamin E (an antioxidant) in pecans may help contribute to heart disease prevention by increasing antioxidant-levels in the body and reducing LDL “bad” cholesterol levels. Antioxidants are nutrients found in foods that help protect against cell damage.
For more information on the health benefits of pecans and where to find them, visit www.ilovepecans.org.
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The National Pecan Shellers Association (NPSA), a non-profit trade association, is committed to educating culinary and health professionals, food technologists and the general public about the nutritional benefits, variety of uses and all around great taste of pecans.