Peanut butter, irresistibly, is a lethal combination of flavours that make the spread near-impossible to stop eating after a single spoonful.
“Humans have an innate predilection for salt, sweet and fat,” Katherine Brooking MS, RD, co-founder of AppforHealth.com told The Huffington Post. “Most peanut butter brands contain some or all of these. Plus the creamy texture makes peanut butter one of the hardest foods to eat in moderation.”
Peanut butter’s low-chewing demand and low-water content are both factors that make it easy to gobble a lot at once, says Dawn Jackson Blatner, RDN, CSSD, LDN.
“Things that are creamy without much chewing needed aren’t as filling as foods that have more chewing involved,” she said.
Craving that delicious nutty flavour, but don’t want to go overboard? Here’s our short guide to getting your fix – without going on a bender.
If you have a craving but don’t trust yourself around a jar of the buttery goodness, you may want to choose a nut in its purest form. An ounce of raw peanuts and a serving of peanut butter have roughly the same about of calories, but most people will feel more satisfied after the version that requires more chewing effort.
A 2011 study published in the journal Appetite found that snacking nuts still in their shell may have you eating less. Researchers gave one group of participants a serving of shelled pistachios and a second group a serving of pistachios in the shell. Those who had to shell the nut before consuming ingested 41 percent fewer calories. There were no significant reports of variation in fullness or satisfaction.
If a peanut butter craving hits, but raw peanuts aren’t going to cut it, Brooking suggests spooning out a serving of peanut butter and then immediately placing the jar back into the cupboard. Eating straight from the jar is an absolute “do not:” It’s difficult to gauge portion size and the concentration of spread makes it easy to mindlessly dig deeper.
Dear TNT Reader,
At The News Tribe, our mission is to bring you free, independent, and unbiased news and content that keeps you informed and empowered. We are committed to upholding the highest standards of journalism, as we understand that we are a platform for truth.
Apart from independent global news coverage, we also commit our unique focus on the Muslim world. In an age marked by the troubling rise of Islamophobia and widespread misrepresentation of Muslims in Western media, we strive to provide accurate and fair coverage.
But to continue doing so, we need your support. Even a small donation of 1$ can make a big difference. Your contribution will help us maintain the quality of our news and counteract the negative narratives that are so prevalent.
Please consider donating today to ensure we can keep delivering the news that matters. Together, we can make a positive impact on the world, and work towards a more inclusive, informed global society.
Donate Monthly Subscription Annual Subscription
