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A. Actually, pecans and other nuts count as meat
servings in the Food Pyramid. That’s because pecans are
high in protein and other important nutrients.
However, nuts contain more healthful types of fats
than meat does and they are cholesterol-free, so they
make excellent choices over fatty meats like steak or
even chicken.
In general, ½ ounce of nuts (10 pecan halves) can
take the place of 1 ounce of meat in your diet. Though
the recommended number of servings you should get from
the meat (and beans) group varies depending upon your
age, whether you’re male or female and how active you
are, the average person should aim for 5 ½ servings from
this group each day.
Because of research showing that the saturated fat
found in meat can increase the risk for heart disease,
the Pyramid recommends that you frequently choose nuts
and beans over meat. That doesn’t mean you can’t have
pecans as snacks, but if you’re eating according to the
Pyramid, just keep in mind that pecans and other nuts
take the place of meat in your diet plan.
To personalize your dietary plan to include pecans,
go to
www.mypyramid.com and create your own Pyramid
Plan. |
