Why should you add peanut butter to your diet?
Peanut butter can be made from different types of nuts, but we can most often buy peanut butter, which comes from groundnuts. Everyone will find their favorite, as there are really a lot of varieties of such butters. There are butters with nut pieces, smooth butters, and even butters with additions, for example coconut (BeRAW Peanut butter Coconut) or coffee.
Find out:
- what is the best peanut butter,
- how many calories are in peanut butter,
- why it is worth ensuring the presence of nut creams in the diet,
- how peanut butter can be used.
Peanut butter - properties and nutritional values
The properties and nutritional values of peanut butter with a good composition are similar to the properties and values of the nuts from which the given butter is made. So we have here a lot of protein (about 30%), vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Peanut butter is a product liked by people paying attention to the glycemic index – it is low due to the low carbohydrate content.
How many calories are in peanut butter?
100 grams of this delicacy has about 600-700 calories. A tablespoon of peanut butter therefore has over 100 calories. Although high in calories, it is very healthy. Thanks to unsaturated fats it helps lower blood cholesterol levels and has a beneficial effect on heart function. Like nuts, nut butters improve brain function and concentration.
Can you eat peanut butter every day?
Peanut butter can be eaten in so many different ways that many of us want to eat it every day. But is it healthy? It all depends on the specific person, their state of health and above all, what their overall diet looks like. A small amount of nut cream in the daily diet will be a healthy snack. However, let's remember that variety is important in nutrition. It is worth taking care to provide yourself with fats in different forms. Eating peanut butter in very large quantities and thereby limiting other ingredients will certainly not be beneficial. Even healthy products consumed in excessive amounts may not have a good effect on the body
Butters, like nuts, are not recommended in a light diet. People with allergies should also be careful with them. Nuts, on the other hand, are highly desirable in a keto diet and for many people eating this way, they are a daily component of the diet.
Peanuts, walnuts, hazelnuts - which nut cream to choose?
In stationary and online stores, we can find a lot of products with the label "peanut butter". Which one to choose? When deciding on a specific type of butter, it is best to be guided mainly by taste. The most popular and cheapest is peanut butter (BeRAW Peanut butter Smooth). We can get it in different flavor variants.
Walnut (Bakalland Walnuts) or hazelnut butters are slightly more expensive and equally tasty. Importantly, the type of nut affects the consistency of the butter. Hazelnut cream is more liquid, which makes it great for drizzling over desserts. However, peanut butter is best used for spreading on sandwiches.
Regardless of which butter we choose, let's check its label. The composition should contain nuts, possibly additions such as coconut, if the butter is flavored. Let's not buy butters that contain sugar or palm oil. Unfortunately, this will not be a healthy choice.
Why is peanut butter a superfood for athletes?
Nuts play a special role in athletes' diets. Very active people need high-energy and highly nutritious products. Nuts, and therefore nut creams, provide them with a large amount of protein. They are also a source of minerals important to them, including calcium, phosphorus, potassium, and magnesium.
Peanut butters are also a source of good fats. Thanks to this, they are not only a tasty and quick way to boost the calorie content of a meal, but also a way to provide omega-3. These valuable acids have a special role in athletes' diets. They reduce oxidative stress, act as anticoagulants, and support the immune system.
How can peanut butter be used in the kitchen?
Peanut butter is a product that tastes great on a sandwich. In America, an enriched version of the peanut butter sandwich is popular – the butter is additionally spread with jam. It is worth trying.
The butter itself, regardless of which nuts it comes from, also works great as an ingredient in various dishes. What can peanut butter be added to? For example, oatmeal, muesli , smoothies, or pancakes. It also works as a snack – we can use it as a dip for vegetables or spread it on apple slices. We can find numerous recipes with peanut butter on the internet, for example, for delicious cookies and muffins. This ingredient is also often included in protein bars.
Nut creams can be bought in any store, but they can also be made.
How to make peanut butter?
Just choose nuts and blend them. The process itself is simple and short, but a powerful blender is necessary. And how to store homemade peanut butter? It is best to keep it in a jar, in a cool place. Whether bought or homemade – peanut butter is not only delicious but also healthy. It is worth using this valuable delicacy.
Bibliography:
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Stróżyk A., Pachocka L., Nuts as an important component of athletes' diets, Probl Hig Epidemiol 2016, 97(4): 328-334.
Goluch Z. et al., The importance of nuts in the human diet, in: Engineering Sciences and Technology. Scientific Papers of the University of Economics in Wrocław, 2019, vol. 4 (35).
Ciemniewska-Żytkiewicz H. et al., The nutritional value of nuts and their importance in the diet, in: Advances in Food Processing Technology 1/2014.
Kulik K., Waszkiewicz-Robak B., Edible nuts as a source of bioactive compounds, in: Karwowska M., Gustaw W. (eds.), Trends in Human Nutrition, Kraków 2015.