Emma Miller
Children who eat peanuts and peanut butter weigh less and have a more nutritious diet. Crunchy or smooth, in a sandwich or mixed with oatmeal – however you like to eat peanut butter, go ahead and do it: it won’t hinder your weight loss efforts. In fact, adding peanut butter to your diet can help you curb weight gain.
The researchers surveyed nearly 375,000 people and found that adults who regularly ate peanuts (or other nuts) gained less weight over a five-year period compared to their non-nut-eating counterparts, and some of the eaters even lost weight. Children who eat peanuts and peanut butter weigh less and eat a more nutritious diet.
According to a study, people who eat peanuts tend to get more fiber in their diet, and fiber can help with weight loss. Peanuts are also full of healthy fats and protein, two other nutrients that will fill you up and make you feel full until your next meal (goodbye, cravings).
But here’s the catch: these foods can quickly lose popularity, and your weight may start to rise instead of fall. If your goal is to lose weight, keep these four peanut butter mistakes in mind.
Mistake 1: You buy peanut butter with added salt
According to the American Heart Association, most of the sodium we consume comes from processed, packaged, and restaurant foods. Although peanut butter is hardly processed, it falls into the category of packaged foods.
Check the ingredient list on your peanut butter jar – according to MyFoodData, some are made with no added salt, while others can contain up to a couple of hundred milligrams per serving.
Since sodium doesn’t add calories, it doesn’t naturally seem like a nutrient to worry about when you’re trying to lose weight. But when you eat too much sodium, your body retains excess water, and this can cause puffiness, bloating, and – yes – weight gain.
The best choice is peanut butter – either chunky or smooth – made only from peanuts.
Mistake 2: You choose peanut butter with reduced fat content
“Reduced fat” may seem like a healthier choice if you think fat is bad for weight loss, but that’s not the case here. Peanut butter alone cannot burn fat, but peanuts are full of healthy unsaturated fats that are satiating, good for the heart and have anti-inflammatory effects.
Another problem with reduced-fat peanut butter is that it can give you the right to eat more, knowing that it is “reduced fat”.
Also, when you compare a serving of reduced-fat peanut butter to regular peanut butter, there’s not much difference in calories. According to MyFoodData, low-fat peanut butter has only four calories in 2 tablespoons.
Mistake 3: You eat straight from the jar
There is such a thing as too much peanut butter. According to MyFoodData, a 2-tablespoon serving of plain peanut butter, which is perfect for a sandwich or enough to spread on apple slices or put in a smoothie, provides 191 calories.
But right out of the jar, two tablespoons can be one spoonful with a slide, depending on the size of your spoon. Dip your spoon into the jar three times and you’ve really gotten the calorie content of the meal compared to the supposed light and easy snack.
Mistake 4. You always eat peanut butter with jelly or chocolate
Both jelly and chocolate contain added sugar (although you can sometimes find sugar-free jelly). According to the American Heart Association, eating too much-added sugar can lead to unwanted weight gain and an increased risk of obesity.
