Nuts, peanut butter-benefits vs calories?

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gamerguy123
gamerguy123 Posts: 48 Member
in Food and Nutrition
So I have read a lot of people's posts saying they eat nuts & peanut butter, and the are within the goal. I can understand the benefits of these items, but sometimes they are high in calories and fat. I can see working them in calorie wise and be under my goal. But I am VERY nervous when I see the fat content. I feel there protein sources that are lower in fat. I guess moderation is the key? But what are the benefits of eating nuts VS other sources of leaner (lower cals/fat) protein?

NOTE: I am not judging anyone for eating this, I am really honestly trying to understand the benefits for myself.
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Replies

  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
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    They are not a good protein source at all. Heck bread and ice cream have as much protein for the calories, pretty much... I don't know why people always put nuts as a good protein source.

    They are good fat though, and they are pretty filling. Yes, they are high calories, but typically paired with some fiber (either from whole grains or from fruit) they make a pretty filling snack. Plus they have a lot of health benefits - I'll leave you to Google for those.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
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    You have 3 macros -

    Protein is one - yes it's very important. But fat is also important nutritionally. It helps your body absorb vitamins for one (many other uses). For many years people on a diet shunned fat (I was one of them). But dietary fat won't make you fat. Nut butters (avocado too) are healthy, good for you fats.

    http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/skinny-fat-good-fats-bad-fats
  • independant2406
    independant2406 Posts: 447 Member
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    Healthy fats are super good for you and fat has nothing to do with weight loss (actually a lot of research shows increasing healthy fats helps with weight loss). Its hard to get away from that "fat is bad for me" idea in our heads because it was thought for so long to be the thing that made us... well.. fat. But it really isn't. :)

    http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/its-full-fat-and-helps-you-lose-weight

    My only thing is nuts are hard to get in due to the high calories. But, I just eat a little in moderation (and weigh them) so I meet my macro goals and its not a problem. This morning I had 30grams of cashews with breakfast. :)
  • climbinghigh88
    climbinghigh88 Posts: 36
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    Peanuts and peanut butter are not good for you! They increase the amount of fungus in the body, which in result builds up candida(bad bacteria).
  • chubby_checkers
    chubby_checkers Posts: 2,354 Member
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    Peanuts and peanut butter are not good for you! They increase the amount of fungus in the body, which in result builds up candida(bad bacteria).

    This is a first for me. Care to share where you got your information?
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
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    They are yummy and I seem to be able to squeeze some in most days even on a deficit.
  • independant2406
    independant2406 Posts: 447 Member
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    Peanuts and peanut butter are not good for you! They increase the amount of fungus in the body, which in result builds up candida(bad bacteria).

    Please provide a clinical study published in a peer reviewed journal that proves this.

    Nvm. Just found it.

    "Aflatoxins are found not only in peanuts, but also in many other foods, including corn, milk, eggs, meat, nuts, almonds, figs and spices."

    "Aflatoxins are not considered a problem in the United States, according to the Berkeley Wellness website. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration allows low levels of aflatoxins in foods because it considers them as unavoidable contaminants. In many developing countries, aflatoxins pose a more serious risk, but in the United States, peanuts, peanut butter and other foods that may contain aflatoxins undergo rigorous testing. FDA guidelines allow no more than 20 ppb, or parts per billion, of aflatoxin in human foods."

    http://www.livestrong.com/article/553348-fungal-contamination-of-peanuts/

    Sounds kinda like natural bacteria. Its in everything and its not something to freak out about unless you live in a 3rd world country where foods are not tested.
  • Snow3y
    Snow3y Posts: 1,412 Member
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    But fat is also important nutritionally. It helps your body absorb vitamins for one (many other uses). For many years people on a diet shunned fat (I was one of them).

    I think you mean fiber, with regards to nutrient, vitamin and mineral absorption... not fats..
  • independant2406
    independant2406 Posts: 447 Member
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    But fat is also important nutritionally. It helps your body absorb vitamins for one (many other uses). For many years people on a diet shunned fat (I was one of them).

    I think you mean fiber, with regards to nutrient, vitamin and mineral absorption... not fats..

    Fats help with processing foods.

    http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/news/20040727/fat-helps-vegetables-go-down
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    Healthy fats, taste, and fills calories if needing a boost and not that hungry
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,293 Member
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    But fat is also important nutritionally. It helps your body absorb vitamins for one (many other uses). For many years people on a diet shunned fat (I was one of them).

    I think you mean fiber, with regards to nutrient, vitamin and mineral absorption... not fats..

    Fats help with processing foods.

    http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/news/20040727/fat-helps-vegetables-go-down

    they also help lubricate the digestive tract helping people "go"
  • ladymiseryali
    ladymiseryali Posts: 2,555 Member
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    Fat is good for you. I don't eat nuts everyday, but sometimes I want almonds with my breakfast. They provide with the good fats I need, as well as the fiber, and they're low in net carbs.
  • BlueBombers
    BlueBombers Posts: 4,065 Member
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    Peanuts and peanut butter are not good for you! They increase the amount of fungus in the body, which in result builds up candida(bad bacteria).

    :huh:
  • AllOutof_Bubblegum
    AllOutof_Bubblegum Posts: 3,646 Member
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    But I am VERY nervous when I see the fat content.

    Fat does not MAKE you fat. Only a surplus of calories over a prolonged period of time can do that. Fat is not the devil, especially not the good fats found in nuts.
  • Deena_Bean
    Deena_Bean Posts: 906 Member
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    Neither are bad for you, everything is about moderation. If I get hungry in the afternoon (after lunch, but still stuck at work and kinda far until dinner), I will have a tablespoon of peanut butter at my desk to hold me over. It works, too. It's filling enough so that I don't feel hungry and low enough calories that it doesn't screw me up for the day. I also put nuts in salads. Sure other foods have more protein, but that doesn't make them better for you. I am totally on the pro-nut team, I'd pick a sprinkle of pecans on my salad over a slice of modified bread any day. They have fats and proteins that are valuable, but like everything else, you can't sit and eat a pound of it and expect it to be ok long term.
  • melimomTARDIS
    melimomTARDIS Posts: 1,941 Member
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    portioning is key with those nutrient dense foods. I like using a 1/4 cup measuring cup for nuts/ trail mix, and buying jif-to-go packs of already portioned peanut butter.

    I consider peanuts/seeds/nut butters a good source of healthy FAT. My diet is pretty low in fat, so I am picky about where my fats come from.

    Today I am getting my fat from a jif to go cup, and 2 tablespoons of hummus.

    Also, for me, peanut butter is very delicious, and if I cant eat delicious things that I enjoy, Id be unhappy with my lifestyle choice. Luckily, This is not the case.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
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    But fat is also important nutritionally. It helps your body absorb vitamins for one (many other uses). For many years people on a diet shunned fat (I was one of them).

    I think you mean fiber, with regards to nutrient, vitamin and mineral absorption... not fats..

    "Dietary fat, which comes from the food you eat, is crucial to the absorption of the fat-soluble vitamins, which includes vitamins A, D, K and E (water-soluble vitamins B and C don't need fat). Vitamin A is essential for good vision, vitamin D for bone health, K for blood clotting, and E for limiting the formation of harmful free radicals."

    "When fat-soluble vitamins are ingested, they move from the mouth to the stomach to the small intestine. Their ability to dissolve in fat allows for their absorption: Fats are able to move across the cell walls of the small intestine and enter the body's general circulation. Any vitamins dissolved in that fat are absorbed into the body as well. The dietary-fat vehicles carry the vitamins through the intestine, into the bloodstream, and then to the liver, where they're stored until the body needs them."

    http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/food-nutrition/vitamin-supplements/fat-absorb-vitamins.htm
  • melimomTARDIS
    melimomTARDIS Posts: 1,941 Member
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    Also, my son has some issues that limit his ability to eat most foods. Peanut butter is a blessing, as it is caloric dense, and shelf stable. (easy to send to school/playdates.)

    He eats peanut butter every single day, sometimes multiple times a day, with no detriment to his health. If the aflatoxins were that big a deal, I'm pretty sure he'd be dead by now.
  • gamerguy123
    gamerguy123 Posts: 48 Member
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    Thank you all for your help. Seriously. This confirms most of what I have read. I think nuts are ok in small portions now. What I will prob end up doing is buying those small 100 calorie packs of natural almonds to control how many I eat.

    Good luck to all.
  • daw0518
    daw0518 Posts: 459 Member
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    Thank you all for your help. Seriously. This confirms most of what I have read. I think nuts are ok in small portions now. What I will prob end up doing is buying those small 100 calorie packs of natural almonds to control how many I eat.

    Good luck to all.

    I loooove those almonds! I have a pack almost everyday in my afternoon class. I get the smoked flavor, but they're all really good.

    Other than that, I'm also a nut lover. I buy small portions of sliced almonds and walnut pieces in the bulk section of my grocery store for my overnight oats & my salads. I was never a huge fan of peanut butter in the first place, so I switched to PB2 to stave off those extra calories on the days I want to have peanut butter with my morning banana.

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