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Healthy Snacking With the Power of Peanut Butter

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When snacking, snack wisely!

Did you know that the average American consumes more than six pounds of peanuts and peanut butter products each year and that by the time the average child graduates high school they will eat more then 1,500 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches! Now aren’t those some interesting fun facts. So its clear, America is nuts about peanut butter!

Peanut butter, invented in 1890 as a meat protein substitute, is made from ground-up peanuts. And just to clarify, peanuts are not nuts at all, but legumes. Peanut butter offers a nutrient-rich addition to your snacks, meals and desserts. Due to it’s high calorie and fat content its consumptions, should be in moderation but surly on the top of the list when it comes to snacking wisely!

Your Health

Peanut butter holds the same ratio of saturated to unsaturated fats as olive oil, says Harvard Medical School. The poly - and monounsaturated fats in the spread lower your risk of developing heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

Your Power

Excess sodium in your diet puts stress on your cardiovascular system, but potassium can counter the negative effects of sodium. Peanut butter brands with added salt contain two times more potassium than sodium, and unsalted varieties are even healthier for your heart, says Harvard Medical School.

Your Peanut Butter

A 2-tablespoon serving of peanut butter contains about 2 grams of dietetic fiber. While its not the most fiber-rich of foods, peanut butter can help supplement your fiber intake from other foods. The fibers help normalize your digestive system by stimulating healthy digestion, and, just like proteins, fibers keep that “growling hunger” in between meals, under control.

There are many different ways to consume peanut butter. From your ordinary PJ sandwich to your crunchy celery stick, filled with the good stuff to the very rim. We too, have given this process some thought, and based on a trail and error process we have come to our conclusions, and would like to share.

There are many types of Peanut Butters but one that clearly excites our tastes was the organic Once Again Nut Butter with it’s thick and creamy crunchy consistency, and raw nut tastes. It’s a must have in your kitchen, work or suitcase when traveling.

Now, if you are on the run but need to suppress that growling in the pit of your belly, while wanting to splurge your taste buds or enjoy a quick, forget about life pick-me-up, then the Truffle Pig Milk Peanut Butter bar is here for you. Hands down, one of the best peanut butter bars you can indulge while walking, siting, talking or whatever it is that you may be doing. The Truffle Pig Peanut Butter bar will swirl your imagination and make you feel like the world has stopped for your enjoyment of this very moment. The bars are packed with a rich taste, sustaining rather low calorie and fat levels, for such a snack, while packing 6g. of protein and 2 g. of fibers. With a vast selection of flavors, the Truffle Pig will keep you coming back for more, even when your peanut butter earning is satisfied – if that’s ever possible.

When looking for a snack we also suggest trying the Petit Pig Trough – “Watch the herd assemble at the trough to enjoy 16 delectable Truffle Pig bars” in featured flavors of milk, dark, mint, raspberry, mocha, orange, peanut butter and hazelnut. With its all Natural European chocolate, Hagensborg Chocolates have created treats that deliver a delightfully, fully satisfying “wise snacking” experience.

On the other hand, if milk and cookies is your way of savoring the moment, we have a Peanut Butter solution for you too. The all-natural crunchy Sea Salted Peanut Butter Cookie Chips from Hannahmax Baking. A twist on a classic! With added pure sea salt made with all natural peanut butter and roasted peanuts. Devine!

Peanut Butter Power

The power of peanut butter has been confirmed by multiple, major studies showing that eating peanuts can and does lower risk for heart disease. So it's no leap to think that peanut butter holds the same attributes. "Suffice it to say that eating peanut butter or peanuts has been associated with lower total cholesterol, lower LDL or 'bad' cholesterol, and lower triglycerides, all of which are associated with lower cardiovascular disease risk," says Richard Mattes, Ph.D., R.D., a professor of nutrition at Purdue University.

Even better, these health benefits seem to occur without also promoting weight gain. One reason could be that peanut butter is a stick-to-the-ribs kind of food. When Mattes offered a group of volunteer’s seven different snack foods (including peanut butter, rice cakes, pickles, and almonds), study participants reported that peanut butter or peanuts were much more filling snacks than rice cakes or pickles and tamed hunger for much longer. Sure, peanut butter is high in fat and calories, but if a small amount can quell hunger, that might explain why dieters seem more satisfied with weight-loss plans that include the spread.

So, with that being said, what are you having for lunch today?


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