Peanut butter is a common thing to add in protein bars and snacks to boost you with energy. It can be a source of fiber!
Some may think that peanut butter is just fat, sugar and salt and unhealthy. But this is not always the case, peanut butter can be a good addition to your diet. If you are not allergic to them of course.
Did you know that peanuts are not nuts actually! They are legumes and related to soy and beans. Peanut butter is usually made from roasted peanuts. You can also make your own peanut butter. It is effortless to make in a blender or food processor.
Nutrient content in peanut butter
Unsalted peanutbutter that is made from just peanuts with no additives contains for one serving 2 tablespoons, 30 grams:
- 165 calories
- 3,8 grams carbs
- 7,7 grams protein
- 2,5 grams of fiber
- 12,9 grams of fat.
Peanut butter contains a lot of fat. The fat consists though mostly of unsaturated fats. From 2 tablespoons, you get 3,5 grams of unsaturated fat and 1,9 grams of saturated fat. Peanut butter does not contain any cholesterol.
Peanuts are a good source of vitamin E, phosphorus, zink, folate, niacin, and thiamin. Sounds like a nutrient bomb!
From 2 tablespoons of peanut butter you also get:
Nutrient/Vitamin | Amount | % of daily need |
---|---|---|
Magnesium | 54mg | 19 |
Phosphorus | 99mg | 17 |
Zink | 0,9mg | 13 |
Niacin equivalents(B3) | 5,9mg | 39 |
Thiamin(B1) | 0,27mg | 25 |
Vitamin E | 3,3mg | 41 |
Peanuts, like all nuts and seeds, do contain some phytic acid, this reduces the absorbable iron, calcium, and zinc amount somewhat.
Peanuts and peanut butter are also high in protein, but since it is very calorie-dense it might not be the greatest protein source for you, especially if the goal is weight loss. It is actually the proteins in peanuts that are the cause of peanut allergy. Arachin and conarchin are the protein culprits. In many other foods, it is the proteins that cause allergies like gluten in grains and casein in milk.
Peanuts are low in carbs. Therefore, peanut butter and peanut butter are a good source of energy for keto or low-carb dieters since they want their energy to come from fats. 50 grams of peanuts can be a good snack since it contains 275 calories, 6,2 grams of carbs, 21,5 grams of fat, and 12,8 grams of protein.
Is peanut butter high in fiber?
Peanut butter is a high fiber protein source. By eating one serving, 2 tablespoons of peanut butter you get 2,5 grams of fiber. This is 10% of the daily recommended amount for women.
Over a third of the carbohydrates of peanuts are fiber. Peanuts and peanut butter have a quite low glycemic index, this is affected by the high fiber content and low sugar content.
The most fiber in peanut butter is insoluble fiber. In 100 grams total fiber content is 8,5 grams 7,7 grams is insoluble and the rest is soluble fiber. Insoluble fiber helps to regulate bowel movements, so peanut butter can be beneficial even to your gut.
Fiber content compared to other nut butters:
Nut butter/paste | Fiber in grams/ 100 grams |
---|---|
Peanutbutter | 8,5 |
Almond butter, dark | 7,4 |
Light almond butter(without shells) | 5,5 |
Cashew butter | 4,2 |
Tahini(seed butter) | 11,8 |
Hazelnut paste | 8,1 |
Pistachio paste | 7,4 |
Pecan nut paste | 7,1 |
Walnut paste | 10 |
Macadamia paste | 8 |
My favorite shop to buy nut butters, nuts and dried fruit in Europe is the German Koro-shop.
Is peanut butter good for weight loss?
If you are on a low-carb diet, sugar-free peanut butter is a great nutrition source. If you follow a low fat or low-calorie diet peanut butter has too much fat and calories for you. 1-2 tablespoons occasionally as a treat is ok when losing weight.
Some studies show that people eating nuts do not gain weight more than other people and even including a serving of nuts did not increase the body weight.
Peanut butter has even been shown to decrease heart attack risk. Learn more about benefits of peanut butter in this nutritionfacts video.
What type of peanut butter should you buy?
When buying peanut butter, you should check the content label. Choose one that is only made from roasted peanuts and has no added sugar or fats.
Some brands add sugar, fats and salt to their nut butters. These are often the cheaper jars.
For weight loss purposes I recommend dried peanut butter powder. You make your own paste from it by mixing it with water. In this powder, the fat is removed and the calorie content is much lower. This powder is great for giving peanut taste to savory sauces and baked goods. One known brand is the PB2 and can be bought for example on amazon.
One of my favorite sauces made of this powdered peanut butter this low fat Thai peanut sauce. It is great with spring rolls. I also add some fresh grated ginger, garlic and chili to mine.
What can you add peanut butter to?
- In porridges for extra calories
- As spread on toast or rice cakes.
- In smoothies
- Smoothie bowls
- Great in savory sauces, my fav is massaman curry.
- In baking, great in cookie doughs instead of butter.
Best high fiber peanut butter recipes for snacks
- Peanut butter cookies, sugarfree, fat- and gluten-free
- Apple slices dipped in peanut butter, 6,9g fiber!
- Whole grain toast with peanut butter and banana, 5g fiber!
- Snickers bites, made from dates and peanut butter, sugar-free.
- Peanut butter hummus brownies
- Healthy peanut butter mousse made from tofu
All these toppings for a whole-grain toast are high fiber. The highest is pomegranate, then raspberries. Apple, banana, pear come in seconds. Also, blueberries and strawberries have a good amount of fiber. You can read more about high fiber foods here.