Is peanut butter good for you?

Drake940
Drake940 Posts: 39 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I don't usually eat it but I heard its good for your health. My question is it good for you. I would probably eat meridian smooth peanut butter (100%). I would also eat 2 tablespoons a day.
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Replies

  • Drake940
    Drake940 Posts: 39 Member
    diannethegeek wrote: »
    Do you like it? Does it fit into your calorie and nutrition goals for the day? Do you feel good after eating it? If the answer to all three is "yes" then it sounds great. If the answer to any of them is "no" then you might consider eating something else.

    Do I like it? Haven't really had it before.
    Does it fit into my calorie goal? Doesn't matter, I can make it fit if I have to. Everyone has one dimensional answers these days. It's eating healthy foods doesn't matter as long whatever you're eating fits in your daily calorie limit. I don't care about calorie limit, I just wanted to know if it's healthy. I know food like salmon is healthy no questions asked. Is it the same for this.
  • SophieSmall95
    SophieSmall95 Posts: 233 Member
    edited July 2016
    So long as it is part of a balanced diet, yes it is healthy and good for you. It's a great source of good fats (poly unsaturated and mono unsaturated) and protein. Though bare in mine it does contain some saturated fat also, so try to keep track of how much you're eating to not eat too much. They are also a good source of magnesium and iron. Just try to avoid brands that load it full of unneeded salt and sugar.

    You can even make your own peanut butter if you want, it's literally just blended peanuts.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    It's fine, no different from eating peanuts. I don't really like it that much (and I prefer other nuts to peanuts, yes, peanuts are a legume), so don't go out of my way to eat it, but if you like it it's a great source of healthy fat and a little protein. It's calorie-dense, so you have to be careful about that.
  • salembambi
    salembambi Posts: 5,585 Member
    yup fit it into your day and enjoy
  • berolcolour
    berolcolour Posts: 140 Member
    It's got protein and fibre, so I'd say yes and the meridian one is better as its wholenut (more fibre) and doesn't have added sugar. I think if you don't love it, there are other foods that provide the protein, fats and fibre that peanut butter does. I love it so I would eat it either way!

    There's cashew and almond butter to try too if you don't love peanut butter but want something similar.
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,011 Member
    Sure, why not? Just read the label. At it's most basic, it's just peanuts blended with oil. Some brands can add salt or sugar, so if that's something you worry about, you should make a note of that.
  • allaboutthecake
    allaboutthecake Posts: 1,535 Member
    Some countries use peanut butter as a "fat" in their diet. US/Americans are the rarity they use it as "protein". So list it where you wish on your macros. That may give you a more definitive answer for your dietary needs. hth.
  • MelaniaTrump
    MelaniaTrump Posts: 2,694 Member
    edited July 2016
    I can't imagine ground peanuts being bad. Unless you are allergic to them.
  • queenliz99
    queenliz99 Posts: 15,317 Member
    edited July 2016
    .
  • CattOfTheGarage
    CattOfTheGarage Posts: 2,745 Member
    I find it very satisfying, so it's useful when you're trying to control calories. Whether it's healthy or not depends how much you're eating, what else you're eating and what your goals are.
  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    I mean...do you need a calorie dense food with a decent amount of fat and a bit of protein added to your diet? By all means-eat it.
  • hokiemom14
    hokiemom14 Posts: 105 Member
    I guess I'm in the minority, but I say no...it's not good for you. It has added sugar in it so if you are looking for just a filling snack I would be much more inclined to say buy a jar of almond butter which has no added sugar. It offers the same satisfaction and is great on apples and celery. It is more expensive, but if you are truly eating a serving a day then it will still last you a good bit of time. Of course you could make it fit into your day calorie wise if you really wanted to, but it's still not a great food for you. Just my opinion, but I am of the camp of clean eating. I really eat 95% of foods that contain no added sugars and perservatives and foods where I can read every ingredient on the list ;)
  • cgvet37
    cgvet37 Posts: 1,189 Member
    I eat peanut butter before bed. I buy the 100% as it has less sugar and sodium, then the spreads. Which are only 60%-90% actual peanuts, depending on the brand. Read the label, it may say 100%, but then read the ingredients.
  • Electric_Warfare
    Electric_Warfare Posts: 30 Member
    Personally id go with almond or cashew butter
  • hokiemom14
    hokiemom14 Posts: 105 Member
    edited July 2016
    SophieSmall95 wrote: »
    hokiemom14 wrote: »
    I guess I'm in the minority, but I say no...it's not good for you. It has added sugar in it so if you are looking for just a filling snack I would be much more inclined to say buy a jar of almond butter which has no added sugar. It offers the same satisfaction and is great on apples and celery. It is more expensive, but if you are truly eating a serving a day then it will still last you a good bit of time. Of course you could make it fit into your day calorie wise if you really wanted to, but it's still not a great food for you. Just my opinion, but I am of the camp of clean eating. I really eat 95% of foods that contain no added sugars and perservatives and foods where I can read every ingredient on the list ;)


    There are lots of brands that don't add any sugar at all. And if you make it yourself (literally as easy as sticking peanuts in a blender) this isn't a problem at all.

    Also you can make your own almond butter if you find store bought too expensive, again super easy.


    I love nut butters but since I'm currently trying to lose weight they're a no go as they're so calorie dense. :(


    You are right and I've made my own almond butter many times :) Overall, I believe almonds are better for you than peanuts. However, as I mentioned above, I follow a mainly clean eating diet. I basically follow a whole 30/paleo diet and for me peanuts just do not fall into that category as they are considered a legume (you can read about removing legumes from your diet and see if it is something that could be good for you). They are simply not as healthy as almonds for the diet I follow and because of that (even without the added sugar when you make it at home) it's just not my first choice for people simply looking for that sort of consistency in a snack. For me, there are better options out there :)

  • PellerinSarah
    PellerinSarah Posts: 3 Member
    Its very good to eat peanut 2 tablespoon peanut butter everyday because peanut butter provides protein, vitamins, minerals, fiber and phytochemicals.
  • cityruss
    cityruss Posts: 2,493 Member
    Yes.
  • AJF230
    AJF230 Posts: 81 Member
    kimny72 wrote: »
    Sure, why not? Just read the label. At it's most basic, it's just peanuts blended with oil. Some brands can add salt or sugar, so if that's something you worry about, you should make a note of that.

    Yeah, exactly. I get the all natural stuff...which is just "peanuts." sometimes it includes the ingredient "salt." Whenever I look at a label and see that "palm oil" has been added to my PB, I get all nonplussed. Who would do that?!
  • JC77721
    JC77721 Posts: 65 Member
    What do you guys mean when you say that there is no "bad food," "eat in moderation"? Do you guys mean something like eating peanut butter daily in huge amounts, like 60 grams daily, could be bad? But then you say that if it fits your macros and if you eat it with moderation then it should be fine. What exactly is eating in moderation in this case? about 20-30 grams of peanut butter daily? If we assuming that the individual likes peanut butter a lot, he will likely eat it every day either in moderation or not
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    hokiemom14 wrote: »
    I guess I'm in the minority, but I say no...it's not good for you.

    This is a weird claim. Some do, some don't. Similarly, I am sure there are some almond butters with added sugar and some without (there just aren't so many mass market brands).

    Anyway, I've always liked the kind without better (I was a weird kid, and hated it as a kid because I thought it was too sweet--I don't like foods that are supposed to not be sweet being sweet, see also sweet salad dressings, ugh), so buy that when I do (but I've stopped because no peanut butter is worth the calories to me -- I prefer almond or cashew butter but like almonds and cashews whole even better).

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