Walnuts vs Pecans: What’s The Difference? |

Walnuts vs Pecans: What’s The Difference? From taste to nutrition, these two nuts may seem similar, but their unique traits might surprise you!

What is a Walnut?
What is a Pecan?
Walnuts vs Pecans: The Difference in Nutrition
Health Benefits
Baking and Cooking
Where to Get Them
Which Should You Choose: Walnuts vs Pecans
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)
Walnuts vs Pecans: The Key Takeaways
Walnut Recipes
Pecan Recipes
Resources
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What is a Walnut?

Walnuts are a nut from many regions around the world but in North America they are mostly grown in California. When described they are usually compared to a brain! This is neat because their awesome nutrition content is also good for your brain.

One ounce of walnuts (think: 1/4 cup) has 2g of fiber, 4g of protein, 45mg of magnesium, and 2.5g omega-3 fatty acids. This is a great arrangement of nutrition in a small serving!

The part that you actually eat is enclosed in a hard shell. If you ever have difficulty distinguishing between walnuts and pecans think of nutcrackers! They crack this hard shell of a walnut so you can get to the delicious inner nut.

What is a Pecan?

A pecan is a nut that is grown on a pecan tree. In the United States they are typically grown in Texas, Georgia, and Louisiana.

You can see the difference between a pecan and a walnut because a pecan has straight lines while a walnut is more brain-shaped.

Pecans tend to be used more in baking as they have a soft and buttery taste compared to walnuts.

Walnuts vs Pecans: The Difference in Nutrition

Both nuts are an awesome nutrient-packed option to have!

As you can see in the comparison below the nutrition facts of both of them are very similar. So, if you are basing your choice on calorie, protein, carbohydrate, dietary fat, fiber, or magnesium content you can’t go wrong either way!

The main difference in the two (nutrition-wise) is the omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acid ratio’s. Omega-6 and Omega-3’s are essential polyunsaturated fatty acids. They both are crucial in brain and heart function.

Many tend to say omega-3 fatty acids are the ‘better’ of the two. This is a bit trickier than that.

You want to look at the ratio between the two rather than just aiming for a certain amount. It has been found that the ideal ratio is 4:1 (omega-6:omega-3) or lower.

Many American’s diets are higher in omega-6’s and lower in omega-3’s, which is why omega-3’s are often times more emphasized.

Nutrition	Walnuts (1oz)	Pecans (1oz)
Calories	185	196
Protein	4g	3g
Carbohydrates	4g	4g
Dietary Fat	18g	20g
Fiber	2g	3g
Magnesium	45mg	34mg
Omega-6 to Omega-3	4:1	21:1

Health Benefits

Walnuts and pecans both have incredible health benefits and should be included in a well balanced diet.

Their benefits stretch wide and far! These nuts have beneficial nutrition to support brain health, heart health, gut health, and even bone health! Other benefits include antioxidants, supportive of a healthy blood sugar, weight management, skin health, and digestive health.

As you can see, these two nuts have ample nutrition that supports many aspects of health.

Baking and Cooking

When it comes to baking and cooking both walnuts and pecans bring unique qualities to the table.

Walnuts have a more bold, earthy flavor with a hard texture. Pecans have a more mild, buttery taste with a soft texture

Due to their taste and texture walnuts tend to be best in savory dishes and pecans are better in sweet recipes. But, that doesn’t mean they can be interchangeabe!

Where to Get Them

Both walnuts and pecans are typically easily found at most grocery stores! Check out the snack aisle or baking aisle.

They are also always available right off Amazon. You can find small to large quantities and chopped and whole walnuts and pecans. Easy!

Which Should You Choose: Walnuts vs Pecans

There are many factors that must be considered when choosing between walnuts and pecans.

Are you deciding between the two for baking? For a savory recipe? To add to a snack mix? For health reasons? Depending on why you are selecting between the two can alter which you should opt for.

Looking to improve your cholesterol? Opt for walnuts.

Looking for some additional monounsaturated fats or antioxidants in your diet? Grab some pecans.

Wanting to add a nut to your sweet recipe? Use pecans!

Need an earthy element in your savory dish? Add walnuts.

Of course, you can select whichever you want in the moment. Both are great options and the benefits of the other are minimal.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)

Have a questions about walnuts vs pecans that haven’t been answered yet? You may find it here!

What’s the difference in walnuts vs pecans for cholesterol?

Both nuts are heart-healthy options! But, walnuts have more omega-3’s than pecans which help lower LDL (‘bad’) cholesterol and increase HDL (‘good’) cholesterol.

Basically, both nuts are a great option but walnuts are slightly better based on their nutrition for your cholesterol.

What’s the difference in taste between walnuts and pecans?

Walnuts are a bit more hard and bitter while pecans are softer and ‘buttery’.

What’s the difference between walnuts vs pecans calories?

Walnuts and pecans have a very similar calorie content. Walnuts have 185 calories in a 1-ounce serving while pecans have 196 calories in a 1-ounce serving.

Walnuts vs Pecans: The Key Takeaways

Both walnuts and pecans have ample health benefits.
Pecans have a softer texture and a bit of a ‘buttery’ flavor.
Walnuts have a harder texture and more earthy flavor.
Pecans tend to be better in sweet dishes and walnuts tend to be better in savory dishes.
You can get both nuts at most local grocery stores or from an online marketplace.
Walnuts have an ideal 4:1 ratio of omega-6’s to omega-3’s.