Do peanut butter sandwiches bring back childhood memories?
I'm sure,a lot of you prefer a simple peanut butter sandwich for a quick snack over anything else.
If for some reason peanut butter is now a long lost favorite, it is time for a reunion. This is especially true if you want to lose weight.
Researchers at the University of Houston found that eating peanuts help with weight loss.
Snacking on peanuts a few times a week can help maintain a healthy body weight.
What did the researchers find?
Adolescents who ate peanuts as part of their snack 3 -4 times a week, had a significant loss of body fat. People in the study were 12 – 15 year olds with a high risk of becoming obese or overweight.
The study found both peanuts and peanut butter to be helpful.
Reason?
Although high in fat, peanuts satisfied their hunger longer. This led to less snacking when compared to other foods.
Researchers attribute this to the presence of dense nutrients and fiber content. Satiety and feelings of fullness, were identified as two important components for this weight loss.
Peanuts and peanut butter are full of nutrition!
Here is what one tablespoon of peanut butter gives you:
- 3 grams of carbohydrates
- 8 grams of fat
- 4 grams of protein
- 1 gram of dietary fiber
- vitamins and minerals.
Most of the fat in peanuts and peanut butter are monounsaturated fats. This type of fat helps reduce cholesterol as well as weight loss.
TweetBesides, peanuts provide important nutrients, such as
- folate
- magnesium
- vitamin E
That is not all, peanuts offer more to health besides promoting weight loss.
Maastricht University Medical Centre in Netherlands reported another interesting finding on peanuts.
Consuming 10 grams of peanuts, about 15 peanuts per day lowered the risk of death.
This was observed in patients with diabetes, heart disease, and cancer and other diseases. The study included more than 120,000 men and women aged 55-69 years old who participated in the study.
By now, you must have already decided what you are going to have for lunch tomorrow, keep in mind it doesn't always have to be a sandwich!
How can I get more peanut goodness in my diet?
You can always start by swapping your crunchy chips with equally satisfying peanuts.
Keep in mind, one serving of:
- Peanut butter is equal to the size of a golf ball
- Peanuts is equal to a small handful
6 creative ways to enjoy peanut butter (aside from on your toast.)
1. Pair it with vegetables like celery sticks, carrots and cucumbers.
2. Enjoy them with sliced apples, and tomatoes.
3. Use peanuts in your stir fry
4. Combine peanut butter with your salad dressing and chip dips
5. Whip up a smoothie using frozen banana pieces and peanut butter
6. Use them as peanut sauce in noodles / noodle salads.
A lot of people make their own peanut butter at home. All you need is a food processor and it is super easy. Soak unsalted raw peanuts overnight and drain.
Place nuts in your food processor and blend, blend, blend. Then blend some more. Usually about 20 minutes to get the consistency you want. You can do this with any nut to make fantastic fresh nut butters.
If you choose to buy the store-made ones, be sure to check the ingredients list. Avoid peanut butters with additives, preservatives and artificial coloring agents. Make sure the product contains zero trans fats and there are few ingredients, other than peanuts.
Yours in Health,
Danette
P.S. Please pass this info. on to your friends and I welcome your comments below.
