Peanut butter is healthy for weight loss? Well…yes and no. You’ve heard the rumor. You’ve seen the headline. Peanut Butter is good for weight loss! That’s right, peanut butter is healthy and can help you shed a few pounds. How is that possible? Well, let’s dive into the science behind this delicious spread with a little help from one of our resident nutritionists, Ashley Palumbo.
Can Peanut Butter Really Help You Lose Weight?
The beloved nut spread is a powerful dieting tool if used properly.
Let’s count the ways to enjoy this favorite nut butter spread—smothered over apples, in peanut butter cookies, in oatmeal, blended into a smoothie, and in the favorite PB&J sandwich. According to the National Peanut Board, a 2016 survey by Peter Pan Simply Ground Peanut Butter found that the average person will eat almost 3,000 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in their lifetime. If you’re trying to lose weight, however, can peanut butter be part of your weight loss plan? Here’s a look at some nutty, buttery facts.
Nutrition Lowdown
Two tablespoons of crunchy or smooth peanut butter has about 180 to 200 calories, 8 grams of protein, and 16 grams of fat. The type of fat found in peanut butter is mainly unsaturated, which is the type that is good for your heart. Some varieties of peanut butter have more artery-clogging saturated fat than others though, so do check the label. Or simply use our list of best and worst peanut butters of all time.
How to make a peanut butter freakshake
Peanut butter is also an excellent source of niacin and manganese and a good source of the antioxidant vitamin E, magnesium, and phosphorus. It also provides the phytonutrient resveratrol, the same you’ll find in red wine, which acts as an antioxidant.
What About Weight Loss?
Will eating peanut butter automatically lead to shedding those extra pounds? No. However, peanut butter is certainly a nutrient-packed food and can be part of a healthy weight loss plan. It’s also a protein-packed plant-based food. If you’re trying to add more plant-based foods to your diet, peanut butter is certainly a good choice with 8 grams of protein per two tablespoon serving.
But don’t forget that it also provides a hefty dose of calories, especially if you’re eating it by the spoonful right out of the jar. Doing that can certainly sabotage any weight loss efforts. Reduced fat peanut butter may seem like a better option for weight loss, but it tends to contain more sugar than the full fat variety and as such the calories aren’t significantly different.
Peanut Butter For Weight Loss
Peanut butter is a delicious spread that is an excellent source of protein and nutrients. It not only helps shed weight but also prevents from getting fat again. Peanut butter is high in monounsaturated fats and is accepted by a lot of people worldwide. But how to eat peanut butter for weight loss.
A lot of people say peanut butter is good for weight loss, while others say it is a high calorie and fat content food item. So, let us see how peanut butter affects your health, how to consume and how much peanut butter to consume for weight loss.
How does peanuts butter help in weight loss?
Can I eat peanut butter and still lose weight? Yes, peanut butter is full of healthy fats, protein, fiber, and a variety of essential vitamins and minerals. Its monounsaturated fat is healthy for the body as it decreases the bad cholesterol. Two tablespoons of peanut butter contain:
- Calories: 190
- Total fat: 16 grams
- Saturated fat: 3 grams
- Carbs: 7 grams
- Fiber: 3 grams
- Protein: 8 grams
A single serving also fulfills 10% of daily fiber needs. High fiber intake is associated with lower BMI and further weight loss.
What are the benefits of peanut butter in weight loss plan?
- It reduces appetite: Peanut butter reduces appetite and prevents weight gain. It is said that people who consume peanut butter are more satiated than those who eat diet foods. The butter has more food satisfaction and boosts metabolism that helps in pain management.
- It makes you feel full already: Peanut butter is a protein-rich food that promotes feeling of fullness and curbs appetite. This reduces your calorie intake and further boosts your fat loss.
- Helps maintain weight: Those who include peanut butter in weight loss plan can notice how it helps in maintaining a healthy weight. It lowers the Body Mass Index(BMI) and gives a feeling of completeness after in a meal.
- High-quality food: It is a high-quality food good amounts of protein, fiber, healthy fats, vitamins and minerals that offer numerous health benefits. Eating brown bread with peanut butter, peanut butter sandwiches, peanut butter milkshake or smoothie and eating peanut butter with other nutritious food is a good choice.
| Note: Consult a doctor if you are allergic to peanut. Also, understand what is the right amount of peanut butter for weight loss in your condition as everyone has individual body needs and requirements. |
How to eat peanut butter for weight loss?
- Stir it into a bowl of yogurt or oatmeal
- Have peanut butter on toast during breakfast with bananas and chia seeds
- Add peanut butter to a sandwich for lunch with crushed whole raspberries
- Spreading peanut butter on a roti, chapati, bread
- Pair peanut butter with an apple for a snack that can prevent you from overeating
Above all, the best time to eat peanut butter is in the morning during breakfast.
We share one of the peanut butter breakfast recipes to make peanut butter banana smoothie for weight loss.
Where will I get peanut butter in India?
Peanut butter is easily available at grocery stores. You can also buy them online if you are sure of which one to buy. Here are certain tips before you buy peanut butter:
- Go for natural peanut butter. That means, while purchasing peanut butter, try to select one that has peanuts as its only ingredient.
- If you choose one with some added oil or salt, check the ingredients used.
- Go for one that has healthier oil, not some hydrogenated oil.
- Avoid “low-fat” peanut butter or “light” peanut butter. They may contain added sugar in place of the fat that was eliminated.
What is powdered peanut butter?
When peanuts are pressed for excess oil and crushed into powder, it forms powdered peanut butter. All you need to do is add water to make a paste of peanut butter. You can mix peanut butter powder into a smoothie, milkshake, oatmeals and also make peanut sauce.
Other benefits of peanut butter
- Reduces diabetes risk
- Helps in healthier muscles and nerves
- Fats present in peanut butter may help in mental health
- Help decrease stress hormone
- Helps fight toxins and improve skin health
- Even pregnant women can have it for better growth and development of their child
- Aids bone health
- Lower your curb for the sweet tooth
Is there any side-effect of eating peanut butter for losing weight?
- Not all peanut butter available in the market is healthy. Commercial varieties of peanut butter often contain unhealthy ingredients.
- People tend to overeat with peanut butter than needed.
- A lot of peanut butter is paired with high-sugar jelly and white bread.
Is peanut butter good for you?
Peanut butter is a firm favorite among adults and children alike. Although tasty, many people wonder about the health benefits of peanut butter.
Peanuts and peanut butter contain nutrients that may boost a person’s heart health and improve blood sugar levels.
Depending on how people use peanut butter in their diet, it can help them lose weight, or put on pounds during weight training or bodybuilding.
However, peanut butter is high in calories and fat, so people should enjoy it in moderation.
In this article, we look at the benefits of eating peanut butter and explain the risks associated with consuming it.
Nutritional benefits of peanut butter
Peanut butter provides a good amount of protein, along with essential vitamins and minerals, such as magnesium, potassium, and zinc.
Most notably, each 2-tablespoon (tbsp) serving of smooth peanut butter provides the following nutrients, minerals, and vitamins:
- Protein. Peanut butter contains 7.02 grams (g) of protein per 2-tbsp serving. This counts toward the recommended dietary allowances (RDA) for women of 46 g and 56 g for men, which varies by age and activity level.
- Magnesium. With 57 milligrams (mg) of magnesium, each serving helps towards the RDA of 400–420 mg in men and 310–320 in women. Magnesium is essential for health, playing a role in over 300 chemical processes in the body.
- Phosphorous. Each serving contains 107 mg of phosphorus, which is about 15.3 percent of the RDA of 700 mg for adults. Phosphorus helps the body to build healthy cells and bones and helps cells to produce energy.
- Zinc. A serving of peanut butter provides 0.85 mg of zinc. This is 7.7 percent of the recommended daily intake of 11 mg for men, and 10.6 percent of the RDA of 8 mg for women. Zinc is necessary for immunity, protein synthesis, and DNA formation.
- Niacin. Peanut butter contains 4.21 mg of niacin per serving, which makes a useful contribution towards a person’s recommended intake of 14 to 16 mg. Niacin benefits digestion and nerve function and helps produce energy.
- Vitamin B-6. With 0.17 g of vitamin B-6 per serving, peanut butter provides almost 14 percent of an adult’s RDA of 1.3 mg. Vitamin B-6 plays a role in over 100 enzyme reactions in the body and may be necessary for heart and immune system health.
However, there are also nutritional disadvantages if a person eats more than the recommended amount of peanut butter.
Peanut butter is high in calories, saturated fats, and sodium.
Each serving contains 3.05 g of saturated fats, which is 23.5 percent of the American Heart Association’s maximum recommended daily intake of saturated fat for those consuming 2,000 calories a day. People should aim for less than 13 g of saturated fat per day.
Health benefits of peanut butter
Eating peanut butter in moderation and as part of an overall healthful diet may provide the following benefits:
1. Weight loss
Several studies suggest that eating peanuts and other nuts can help people maintain their weight, or even help with weight loss.
This may be because peanuts improve satiety, which is the feeling of fullness, thanks to their protein, fat, and fiber content.
A 2018 study suggests that eating nuts, including peanuts, reduces a person’s risk of being overweight or obese. This study compared the dietary and lifestyle data for over 373,000 people from 10 European countries over 5 years.
Earlier research based on data gathered from over 51,000 women suggested that those who ate nuts twice weekly or more experienced slightly less weight gain over an 8-year period than women who rarely ate nuts.
2. Boosting heart health
Peanut butter contains many nutrients that can improve heart health, including:
- monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs)
- polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs)
- niacin
- magnesium
- vitamin E
The proportion of unsaturated fats (PUFAs and MUFAs) to saturated fats in the diet plays a particularly important role in heart health. Peanut butter has a similar ratio to olive oil — which is also known as a heart-healthy option.
A high intake of nuts may have links to a reduced risk of mortality from heart disease or other causes. The researchers recommend peanuts in particular as a cost-effective way to improve heart health for some people.
Research also suggests that including 46 g per day of peanuts or peanut butter into an American Diabetes Association (ADA) diet plan for 6 months could benefit the heart, improve blood lipid profiles, and control weight for people with diabetes.
However, as peanut butter is high in calories, it is crucial that a person limits their intake if they do not want to put on weight. Eating more than the recommended amount will also increase fat and sodium intake, which does not benefit the heart.
3. Bodybuilding
Peanut butter is an easy way to increase calorie intake.
Many bodybuilders and fitness enthusiasts include peanut butter in their diets for various reasons.
Although calorie amounts will vary based on stature, activity level, and metabolic rate, the typical daily recommended calorie intake ranges from around 1,600–2,400 calories per day for women and up to 3,000 calories per day for men. However, active adult men should consume up to 3,000 calories daily, while active women need up 2,400 calories per day.
Thanks to its high-calorie content, peanut butter is an easy way to increase calorie and unsaturated fat intake.
Nut butter is also a source of protein, which is essential for building and repairing muscles. Although peanut butter is not a complete protein — meaning it does not contain all of the essential amino acids the body needs — it does count toward a person’s daily protein intake.
Spreading peanut butter on whole-grain bread makes a more complete protein meal, as the bread contains the amino acid methionine, which peanut butter lacks.
4. Managing blood sugar levels
Peanut butter is a relatively low-carbohydrate food that contains good amounts of fats and protein, as well as some fiber.
These characteristics mean that peanut butter, with no added sugar, does not have a significant impact on blood glucose levels. This means it can be a good option for those with diabetes.
The ADA recommend that people replace saturated fats with monounsaturated fats in their diets. They suggest peanut butter, peanuts, and peanut oil as good sources of monounsaturated fat.
A small 2013 study suggests that eating peanut butter or peanuts for breakfast could help women with obesity and an increased risk of type 2 diabetes to manage their blood glucose levels. According to the survey, the women who added nuts to their breakfast had lower blood sugar levels and reported less hunger compared to women who ate a breakfast that contained the same amount of carbohydrates but no nuts.
Peanut butter is a good source of magnesium, which is an essential nutrient for people with diabetes. Continuous periods of high blood sugar may reduce magnesium levels in the body. Low magnesium levels are linked to prediabetes and type 2 diabetes.
5. Reducing the risk of breast disease
Eating peanut butter, especially from a young age, may reduce the risk of benign breast disease (BBD), which increases the risk of breast cancer.
A study in the journal Breast Cancer Research and Treatment, reports that eating peanut butter and nuts at any age may result in a lower risk of developing BDD by age 30.
The researchers examined the data for over 9,000 schoolgirls in America. Other types of pulses, such as beans and soy, along with vegetable fats and other nuts, may also offer protection from BBD.
Even those with a family history of breast cancer had a significantly lower risk if they ate peanut butter and these other foods.