Many of the foods that can
spur weight loss are pretty obvious. (Hello, veggies! ) Others, not so much.
Take peanut butter: it’s
nutritious, delicious, and goes with everything, but because a single serving
(two tablespoons) contains a whopping 190 calories—144 of those from fat—it’s
easy to assume that it should be off-limits.
Sure, watching your fat
intake is important, but adding peanut butter to your repertoire can be helpful
when trying to shed pounds. A review published in The American Journal of
Clinical Nutrition suggests that nuts can help curb appetite and control
hunger, while a Purdue University study showed that
long-term nut and nut butter consumption can actually help maintain weight
loss. Peanut butter, for the win!
“In the past, fats earned a
bad rap because one gram of fat contains double the amount of calories than the
same amount of carbs or proteins,” says Lisa Booth, R.D., registered dietitian
and health coach for 8fit. “But if you skimp on fat, it’s likely you’re not giving
your body the calories and energy it needs, which can slow down your
metabolism.”
Besides providing
more protein than any other nut (seven grams per two tablespoons),
peanuts are a good source of fiber (two grams) and healthy, plant-based
unsaturated fats (16 grams). This nutritional trifecta makes peanut butter
digest in slow-mo, keeping you full and satisfied for longer stretches, so
you’re less likely to snack or succumb to hunger cravings throughout the day,
says Rebecca Lewis, R.D., registered dietitian at Hello Fresh.
Think of noshing on PB as
an investment in future calories saved, says Boston-based registered
dietitian Sheri Kasper, R.D.N. If you stir a half tablespoon of peanut
butter (roughly 50 calories) into your morning oatmealand that helps keep
you full until lunch—and from reaching for a higher-calorie snack
mid-morning—you’re actually consuming fewer calories over the course of the
day.
Plus, peanut butter is
super-decadent and adds excitement to your diet. “One of the biggest reasons
people fail to meet their weight-loss goals is because they feel bored and
deprived,” says Kasper. “No one wants to eat dry salads and plain chicken every
day.” Enjoying what you eat is important, and PB can help with that.
Use PB to Your (Waistline’s) Advantage
“Although peanut butter
contains a variety of nutrients, it’s also a calorie-dense food—and those
calories can add up quickly when you’re trying to moderate your intake and lose
weight,” says Edwina Clark, R.D., head of nutrition and wellness at Yummly.
Try to limit your peanut butter intake to one serving per day (two
tablespoons), and make sure to count those 190 calories toward your daily
caloric quota.
Ideally, you shouldn't
consume more than one tablespoon per meal and one teaspoon per snack.
Otherwise, you could easily hit your body with more calories than it actually
needs for fuel in a given feeding, Kasper says. (Using legit measuring spoons
to scoop out your servings can help you stay mindful of exactly how much you’re
consuming each day.)
Plus, because of its rich
flavor profile, you don’t need a full serving of peanut butter to nix feelings
of deprivation, says Kasper. One teaspoon can make even the most ho-hum health
foods taste like a treat—apple slices, celery sticks, whole-grain english
muffins—and keep you satisfied until mealtime.
“Many companies now have
single-serving pouches of peanut butter that are easy to carry in your bag or
stash at work,” says Lewis, which can help you keep it together (as in, not
hoover an entire jar) when cravings strike. (Hey, we’ve all been there.)
If you have a hard time
keeping your servings in check, give powdered PB a try. It tastes
crazy similar to the real deal, but a two-tablespoon serving contains a mere 45
calories.
When you’re shopping for
PB, the fewer ingredients it contains, the healthier it usually is, with the
ideal peanut butter containing only peanuts. “A lot of peanut butters contain
less-than-healthy additives like refined sugar, salt, and artificial
flavoring,” says Booth. Don’t be fooled by reduced-fat peanut
butters—typically, when the fat is taken out, higher levels of sodium and
sugar are added in, adds Lewis.
When you open the jar, it’s
a good sign if the oil separates from the peanuts. This usually means the PB is
free of pesky additives such as partially and fully hydrogenated oils (code for
trans and saturated fats) or high-fructose corn syrup, which can all put a
damper on your weight loss, says Booth.
Happy PB-ing!
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