Peanut butter

JesterMFP

I've been told that peanut butter is good for you and then I've been told that's it's bad for because it's real fattening and stuff. Is it healthy? Because I love peanut butter but I also want to lose weight and get fit.. Is there a healthier choice of peanut butter?

A healthier choice of peanut butter would be one without added sugar or salt.

Most foods aren't just "good" or "bad" - most have some form of nutritional benefit, and all will make you gain weight if you eat too much of them. So, peanut butter (even the added sugar stuff) is only "fattening" if you eat so much of it that you exceed the amount of calories you burn. It is calorie dense though, so it would be far easier to exceed your calorie goal with peanut butter than, say, cabbage. You can eat peanut butter and lose weight - just make sure you log it.

MFP is actually a pretty good tool for helping you understand the nutritional quality of different foods. Log things, and see how they fit into your nutritional targets. See how they fit in with the other foods you're eating. It's all about balance.

mrsfoster102613

It's all a matter of perspective whether something like peanut butter is good for you or not. I personally don't like the taste, so I don't eat it. That being said, I love raw almond butter.

You can read a comparison between peanut butter to almond butter via this article:

http://nutrition.about.com/od/changeyourdiet/f/Are-Nut-Butters-Better-For-You-Than-Peanut-Butter.htm

As mentioned in the article, peanuts are technically legumes, not nuts. They are related to peas, dry beans and lentils. Legumes typically do not digest as quickly or as nuts, so in that sense, I feel almond butter is better for you. But mostly, I eat it for the taste. In moderation, of course!

rchilders217

I use peanut butter on my pancakes. This is something that I learned years ago on a diet that I was on at the time. The pancake is the "bread", peanut butter is the protein, and I use applesauce on top of that for the fruit. I drink 8 oz. of fat free milk with it and I have hit all of the food groups. One bisquick pancake is about 140 calories, 2 tsp. of peanut butter is somewhere around 90, and sugar free applesauce is not many calories at all. It fills me up and I am able to eat it within my allotted daily calorie intake.

tiffsting

I recently discovered PB2 - a dehydrated peanut butter. It's seriously amazing in your shakes, you can make a thai peanut type sauce with it, I add it to my Medifast brownies.... the possibilities are endless! And it's only 45 calories for 2 TB.

TheRightWeigh

A tablespoon is 195 calories...I can deal with that...For me...Peanut butter is ALWAYS worth the calories.

swilk627

I PB and refuse to give it up. I typically plan part of my day around reserving calories for an organic apple and PB at night. It's my indulgence that I look forward to all day.

beautifulmess87

peanut butter is high in calories and fat.

Fat doesn't make you fat.

Too much fat makes you fat, just like too much of anything makes you fat.

Excuse my snarky reply- but - did i say fat makes you fat? nope! i said- peanut butter is high in calories and fat.... which is true...

KickyLegs

I know that natural peanut butter is healthy in moderation. Here's something that bothers me though, I read that all peanut butter varieties contain unhealthy mould and therefore, should be avoided.

Not true. Peanut butter contains small (like minute) amounts of aflatoxins that can contribute to mold growth, however this only happens if you leave peanut butter in a really humid environment for a long time or if you grind your own peanut butter in a supermarket. But the odds are really against you getting sick from it.

http://www.emagazine.com/daily-news/a-new-peanut-butter-scare

I've been eating peanut butter all my life-never got sick. I love peanut butter on toast and it keeps me full all morning! (Important with a preschooler rampaging across the house, ha ha).

Thanks for sharing that!

bcattoes

Peanut butter packs a lot of nutrition. It also packs a lot of calories. A lot of nutrition is a good thing. A lot of calories is not always a good thing.

Moral of the story - peanut butter can definitely be part of a healthy diet.

WendyTerry420

Fats are good for you. Our brains rely on them for thinking. Eat the fats. Enjoy the peanut butter.

KyleB65

In moderation I feel that it is a good food.

However, do not buy brand name version as there is added sugars and hydrogenated oils.

Natural peanut butter from a bulk goods store is what I eat.

KANGOOJUMPS

i have a tablespoon a day, its good for you.

Squishybooty

PB2 PB2 PB2!!!!!!!

That is all!

bcattoes

Fats are good for you. Our brains rely on them for thinking. Eat the fats. Enjoy the peanut butter.

Agreed, though peanut butter is not all about the fat. It's is a source of micronutrients such as vitamins E and B6, magnesium, potassium, iron, fiber, folic acid, calcium, zinc as well.

WendyTerry420

Fats are good for you. Our brains rely on them for thinking. Eat the fats. Enjoy the peanut butter.

Agreed, though peanut butter is not all about the fat. It's is a source of micronutrients such as vitamins E and B6, magnesium, potassium, iron, fiber, folic acid, calcium, zinc as well.

Excellent point! :flowerforyou:

Altruista75

I could destroy a jar of JIF in a heartbeat but now that I've switched to all natural PB - just 2 ingredients (peanuts & salt) it's a lot easier to eat in moderation I'm finding. I won't ever buy the other stuff now with all the added oils & sugar!

bmwauug

I also use PB2 (NOTE: i gave up anything PB for lent!) - if you do PB, go PB2 or Natural PB - !!!

lewcompton

A tablespoon or two per day = healthy! Omega 3, nice macro balance and great micro nutrients...
A jar + milk chocolate = fattening...
Allergic reaction to peanuts = deadly...
It really depends how you take it!

lewcompton

A tablespoon is 195 calories...I can deal with that...For me...Peanut butter is ALWAYS worth the calories.

Two tablespoons is 190ish... one tablespoon is 95 for most brands.