Does Peanut butter really help with weight loss?

Peanut Butter is a delicious and versatile cream. It is rich in nutrients and goes well with salty and sweet foods.

 

Although peanut butter has a special place in the cabinet in many homes, you may wonder if it is suitable for weight loss.

 

While some claim that its high calorie content and fat content can lead to weight gain, others say that a large dose of protein can help control weight.

Packed with nutrients

Peanut butter contains healthy fats, proteins, fiber, and various essential vitamins and minerals.

 

These nutrients can help you lose weight, as the best diets include many nutrients to meet your dietary needs.

 

A serving of peanut butter with 2 tablespoons (32 grams) suggests:

 

Calories: 188

Total Fat: 16 grams

Saturated Fat: 3 grams

Carbohydrates: 7 grams

Fiber: 3 grams

Protein: 8 grams

Manganese: 29% of the reference daily allowance (RDI)

Magnesium: 13% of IDR

Phosphorus: 10% IDR

Potassium: 7% of IDR

Vitamin E: 10% of RDI

Vitamin B3 (Niacin): 22% of RDI

Vitamin B6: 7% of RDI

Vitamin B9 (folate): 7% of RDI

It should be noted that most of its calories come from unsaturated fats. Studies show that replacing saturated fats in your diet with unsaturated fats can lower cholesterol and your overall risk of heart disease.

 

One serving of peanut butter also provides about 10% of your daily fiber needs. Higher fiber intake is associated with a lower body mass index (BMI) and other benefits.

 

May decrease appetite

Peanut butter can also support your weight loss goals because of its potential to reduce appetite.

 

In a study of three meals in 15 obese women, those who added 42.5 g (about 3 tablespoons) of peanut butter to their breakfast experienced a significantly greater sense of satiety and less desire to eat more than the control group.

 

Additional studies of the specific role of peanut butter in appetite suppression are limited.

 

However, some studies have linked the consumption of peanuts and hazelnuts with increased satisfaction with food and improved metabolism, which contributes to weight control.

 

Protein contributes to fullness and fat loss

The high protein content of peanut butter is believed to help curb your appetite.

 

Approximately 17% of the calories in peanut butter comes from protein: a serving with 2 tablespoons (32 grams) gives about 8 grams (1).

 

Studies show that consuming enough protein can increase your sense of fullness, potentially reducing the need to continue to eat. This in turn can contribute to weight loss.

 

Consuming enough protein is also important for maintaining muscle mass during weight loss efforts, as muscles are important for maintaining strength. Your metabolism will slow down if you lose too much muscle, making further weight loss difficult.

 

Incorporating high protein foods, such as peanut butter, into a low-calorie diet can increase fat loss more than the same diet without enough protein.

 

May support weight maintenance

Although peanuts are foods high in fat and calories, they are not associated with weight gain, as you would expect.

 

In fact, most studies available show that diets rich in peanuts and hazelnuts support weight maintenance more effectively than those that eliminate them.

 

In addition, people who regularly use peanuts and peanut butter have a lower BMI than those who do not.

 

The exact reasons why peanuts help maintain weight are unclear.

 

Some experts believe that this is due to a unique way of their metabolism. Since the calories in nuts may not be fully absorbed, they cannot generate excess calories, which otherwise could lead to weight gain.

 

Ultimately, more research is needed to better understand the role of peanuts and peanut butter in weight control. However, current evidence suggests that eating these foods can help you maintain a healthy body weight.

 

Tight in Calories

One of the main reasons dieters avoid peanut butter is its high calorie content and fat content.

 

Peanut butter contains a large number of calories, providing about 200 calories per serving, 2 tablespoons (32 grams). In addition, more than 75% of these calories come from fat (1).

 

When you consume more calories than you burn, you can gain weight. This is why calorie control is one of the cornerstones of almost all weight loss diets.

 

However, you should not only consider calories when deciding which foods to include in your diet. Peanut butter also contains protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that contribute to good health.

 

Because peanut butter provides high-quality, high-nutrient calories, 200 calories from peanut butter will have a stronger positive effect on health than 200 calories from ultra-processed “diet” foods.

 

Of course, this does not mean that you can eat all the necessary peanut butter. If you start eating a lot of peanut butter, regardless of the extra calories, it can interfere with your weight loss efforts. As with any other meal, moderation is a key factor.

 

Ultimately, your diet should match your nutritional needs and preferences. Eating peanut butter along with other nutritious foods is completely beneficial if it does not exceed calorie needs.

 

How to eat

Peanut butter can certainly be included in a healthy diet that promotes weight loss, but some strategies may be better than others.

 

Not all peanut butter is created equal

Although its most natural form is very healthy, many commercially prepared forms are full of additives, such as sugar and hydrogenated oils, which may contain trans fats.

 

When buying peanut butter, check the label to make sure it does not contain any additional ingredients. The only thing peanut butter needs is peanuts. Salt can also be safely included for added flavor.

 

As a rule, oil in natural peanut butter without additives can separate and reach the top of the jar, but this should not be a concern. When opening the jar, just mix. Then cool so that it does not separate again.

 

If you are ready to accept the challenge, you can also try to fulfill yours. You only need a powerful blender or food processor, peanuts and some salt.

 

Adding it to your diet

If you want to lose weight without giving up peanut butter, a few simple strategies may come in handy.

 

Serving sizes can help you keep track of how much peanut butter you eat. Thus, you can be sure that you are achieving your goals with regard to calories or macronutrients.

 

You may also need to chop other foods so as not to go beyond the parameters of your diet.

 

For example, you can replace peanut butter with a less dense bread, such as jam or butter. Or try peanut butter instead of a sweet piece of fruit sauce.

 

Other ways to eat peanut butter include:

 

Spread it over rice cakes or crackers

Sprinkle it with popcorn

Using it as a celery or carrot sauce

Shaking it in yogurt or oatmeal

Remember that peanut butter alone will not make you lose weight. Weight management is complex and requires an interdisciplinary approach. You will need to make various diets and adjust your lifestyle in order to succeed, but it is definitely possible.