Nut Butters, good or bad?

tbelle_g
tbelle_g Posts: 8 Member
edited October 2014 in Food and Nutrition
I have a serious addiction to any nut butter, peanut butter, sunflower butter, almond butter...but each 2 tablespoon serving is around 200 calories!

I try to eat a serving for breakfast every other day. Will this cause weight gain? I've gained weight over the summer and I have no idea what caused it, I am wondering if it's the nut butter.

It seems like most weight loss advice *encourages* eating peanut butter as a way to lose weight but I don't really see how this makes sense?

What are your experiences?
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Replies

  • acheben
    acheben Posts: 476 Member
    If your goal is only weight loss, you can eat whatever you want as long as you are eating at a calorie deficit. Nut butter is not good or bad, it is just food.
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,487 Member
    Eating more calories than you burn causes weight gain. Not one specific food. If it fits your calories you're fine, if it doesn't then either cut back on something else or cut back on the nut butters to be within your calories.
  • kshadows
    kshadows Posts: 1,315 Member
    acheben wrote: »
    If your goal is only weight loss, you can eat whatever you want as long as you are eating at a calorie deficit. Nut butter is not good or bad, it is just food.

    QFT!

    I LOVE peanut butter.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    They are good if you like them. I love peanut butter so it's on my "good food" list. Yes, it is high in good healthy fat and that makes it high in calories. But, much like hummus, it is filling, delicious and nutritious in addition to being high calorie, so I make room for it.
  • Chief_Rocka
    Chief_Rocka Posts: 4,710 Member
    edited October 2014
    I read on MFP that peanut butter is high in protein
  • scottacular
    scottacular Posts: 597 Member
    edited October 2014
    I eat peanut butter every day, it's the best thing in the world. Ever.

    I don't understand where this thinking come from that certain food causes weight gain. If your calories are at a deficit, then they can be used on whatever the hell you want and you'll lose weight.
  • rebetha82
    rebetha82 Posts: 125 Member
    Just make sure you weigh in your portion instead of using a spoon... :smile:
  • bluntlysally
    bluntlysally Posts: 150 Member
    edited October 2014
    make sure you weigh it. i eat almond butter almost every day!!
  • nickatine
    nickatine Posts: 451 Member
    everything in moderation
  • nomoredoughnuts
    nomoredoughnuts Posts: 130 Member
    Nut butters have really good fats for you. Fats are often seen as the devil in weightloss but it's only due to their higher caloric content.

    Do you need 2 tablespoons of nut butters? What do you eat them with?

    If that's the only thing you eat for breakfast and it's in within your caloric goal I don't see it as a problem. Also, what kind of tablespoon are we talking about? Cause you can have a heaped one and you can have each tablespoon count as basically two. Try and weigh how much you eat. My 'serving' is between 20-30g of nut butters for breakfast depending on what I am eating. That way I know I don't go over my calories.

    It's a shame to exclude nut butters from your menu as they come with loads of health benefits. Meridian nut butters have no palm oil, no sugar and no salt so this is the brand I go for. If you cant get this brand try looking for a brand that doesn't use sugar (and then prioritise for palm oil for instance). Almond butter is usually lower in calories compared to peanut butter so maybe switch to that?

    No specific food causes weight gain if you are carefully counting calories. However, I cannot stress enough how important is to at least have a sense of what you are putting into your body.

    200 calories of chips aren't equally nutritious to 200 calories of nut butters. You might be able to consume a larger portion of chips but that has nothing to offer you compared to all the nutriments you get from lets say nut butters. They both have the same caloric value, but you have to see food as fuel for your body and distinguish what's best for it.
  • The_Enginerd
    The_Enginerd Posts: 3,982 Member
    Hard to fit in sometimes because they are high in calories, but if you can fit them in, go for it! Are you weighing it with a food scale? Nut butters are high in calories so it is very easy to underestimate how much you are eating.
    I read on MFP that peanut butter is high in protein

    Don't forget Nutella too!
  • tbelle_g
    tbelle_g Posts: 8 Member
    Nut butters have really good fats for you. Fats are often seen as the devil in weightloss but it's only due to their higher caloric content.

    Do you need 2 tablespoons of nut butters? What do you eat them with?

    I use a knife to spread it on toast or ricecakes, and usually just eye-ball it. I buy the high quality nut butters from trader joe's or some other health-food brand with no added sugars.

    I'll try reducing to just 1 large tablespoon instead of 2.
  • tbelle_g
    tbelle_g Posts: 8 Member
    Don't forget Nutella too!

    Nutella doesn't count as a healthful nut butter, IMO. Nutella has chocolate, sugar, and other stuff added to it, I heard somewhere it has trans fats.

    I am ONLY talking about all-natural nut butter or sunflower seed butter, all delicious!

  • Raynne413
    Raynne413 Posts: 1,527 Member
    LOL I probably eat 1/4 cup of peanut butter throughout my day. I couldn't LIVE without peanut butter. Well . . . I could, but everyone would probably kill me.
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    tbelle_g wrote: »
    Nut butters have really good fats for you. Fats are often seen as the devil in weightloss but it's only due to their higher caloric content.

    Do you need 2 tablespoons of nut butters? What do you eat them with?

    I use a knife to spread it on toast or ricecakes, and usually just eye-ball it. I buy the high quality nut butters from trader joe's or some other health-food brand with no added sugars.

    I'll try reducing to just 1 large tablespoon instead of 2.

    If you have a food scale, you can set the jar on the scale and tare or zero the scale, then spread as much as you want on your toast and the negative number on the scale will be how much you used. It's way easier, for me, than trying to scrape it into and back out of a measuring spoon and I know I'm not overeating or short-changing myself when I log it.

    Personally, I don't subscribe to the idea of bad foods and good foods. If you like it, it fits into your nutritional goals, and you don't have any adverse reactions after eating it, then I think that's great!
  • BlueBombers
    BlueBombers Posts: 4,064 Member
    Peanut butter is awesome!!
  • k8blujay2
    k8blujay2 Posts: 4,941 Member
    Every time I see this post I think it's about nutter butters.... now I want some!!!

    IMG_3590-600x400.jpg
  • Laughter_Girl
    Laughter_Girl Posts: 2,226 Member
    Peanut butter is absolutely wonderful to me, and I eat it often. Eating peanut butter has in no way affected my weight loss that I have noticed. Although I could probably eat a jar of it every few days, I enjoy it in moderation instead. It is full of healthy fat and protein. Like previously recommended, measure and enjoy your nut butters!
  • The_Enginerd
    The_Enginerd Posts: 3,982 Member
    tbelle_g wrote: »
    Don't forget Nutella too!

    Nutella doesn't count as a healthful nut butter, IMO. Nutella has chocolate, sugar, and other stuff added to it, I heard somewhere it has trans fats.

    I am ONLY talking about all-natural nut butter or sunflower seed butter, all delicious!
    You missed that thread reference ;)
    From what I could find, Nutella no longer contains trans fats.
  • nickatine
    nickatine Posts: 451 Member
    Cm
    k8blujay2 wrote: »
    Every time I see this post I think it's about nutter butters.... now I want some!!!

    IMG_3590-600x400.jpg
    Came so close to buying these last week at the super target haha, but I opted for the planters mens health mix and some coke zero cherry.
  • SteveMoto
    SteveMoto Posts: 41 Member
    edited October 2014
    It seems like most weight loss advice *encourages* eating peanut butter as a way to lose weight but I don't really see how this makes sense?
    
    It doesn't. There are no superfoods for weightloss unless you count speed (the drug) as a food.
  • FeraFilia
    FeraFilia Posts: 4,664 Member
    k8blujay2 wrote: »
    Every time I see this post I think it's about nutter butters.... now I want some!!!

    IMG_3590-600x400.jpg


    Dip them in white chocolate, and put a little face on them with melted milk chocolate, and they are great "ghost" halloween treats! Yum.
  • Beckilovespizza
    Beckilovespizza Posts: 334 Member
    Hard to fit in sometimes because they are high in calories, but if you can fit them in, go for it! Are you weighing it with a food scale? Nut butters are high in calories so it is very easy to underestimate how much you are eating.
    I read on MFP that peanut butter is high in protein

    Don't forget Nutella too!

    Peanut butter + Nutella + bread or brioche = 'Reece's' sandwiches, soooo my downfall. Nice to know its high in protein though :smile:

  • dashaclaire
    dashaclaire Posts: 127 Member
    girlgonecountry.com/recipes-2/cookie-dough-butter-primal-gluten-free-low-carb/

    Do not follow this link if you want to stop eating nut butters! Found it on Pinterest last night, thought this crowd would enjoy!
  • SnuggleSmacks
    SnuggleSmacks Posts: 3,731 Member
    tbelle_g wrote: »
    I have a serious addiction to any nut butter, peanut butter, sunflower butter, almond butter...but each 2 tablespoon serving is around 200 calories!

    I try to eat a serving for breakfast every other day. Will this cause weight gain? I've gained weight over the summer and I have no idea what caused it, I am wondering if it's the nut butter.

    It seems like most weight loss advice *encourages* eating peanut butter as a way to lose weight but I don't really see how this makes sense?

    What are your experiences?

    Nut butters can be a great source of protein and healthy fats, and small servings of nuts daily have been correlated with a healthy weight. Pay attention to ingredients!! A good nut butter should contain nuts and salt. That's all. No additional oils or sweeteners are needed. If you can't find a good nut butter, it's super easy to make your own in a food processor or even a little bullet blender. Try nuts other than peanut and add some herbs or spices like cinnamon or ginger with almonds or hazel nuts, or savory herbs like rosemary and thyme with pistachios or Brazil nuts.
  • I LOVE Nutzzo.

    My reason isn't so much squeezing in the calories it's that it's $12-$17 a jar.

  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
    Peanut butter and Nutella sandwiches are so good. If they are bad, I don't want to be good.

    To the OP, there is no such thing as a bad food. Calories are all that matter for weight loss.
  • Francl27
    Francl27 Posts: 26,371 Member
    Hard to fit in sometimes because they are high in calories, but if you can fit them in, go for it! Are you weighing it with a food scale? Nut butters are high in calories so it is very easy to underestimate how much you are eating.
    I read on MFP that peanut butter is high in protein

    Don't forget Nutella too!

    Peanut butter + Nutella + bread or brioche = 'Reece's' sandwiches, soooo my downfall. Nice to know its high in protein though :smile:

    It's really not high in protein. I don't know what people keep saying that...
  • PB2 is a good substitute if you're restricting your fat intake or have already met your fat for the day but still want the flavor.
  • SnuggleSmacks
    SnuggleSmacks Posts: 3,731 Member
    I use PB2 in my proteins shakes for the flavor. It's really yummy!