Peanuts: Good Fat Source Snack in Bars, Butter, Brittle or Sauce
Think peanuts for a quick snack, that is if you don’t have a food allergy to these nuts.
A little trick to prevent “nutty” over consumption is to put about 10-20 of these high fat concentrated powerhouses in a little cup and put the rest away. Be aware that each salty roasted peanut packs a 5 kcal punch, so eat them with savory purpose.
Savory purpose is throwing only a couple peanuts in your mouth at a time and then chomp down a couple of times and make a point of leaving this peanut mush in your mouth ~ no immediate swallowing. This gives your taste buds an opportunity for satisfaction while your saliva commences peanut breakdown. Try it.
Did you know that peanuts are also called:
- pinda
- pinder
- goobers
- earth nut
- manilla nut
- groundnuts
- ground peas
- monkey nut
These delicious nuts belong to the legume family, are a great source of protein, and grow underground, not on bushes or trees.
Here are a couple useful healthy diet facts about peanuts you may not know:
- Peanuts are naturally cholesterol-free
- Peanuts contain approximately 21 - 36% protein
- Peanuts and peanut butter are a good source of folic acid
- 2-3 servings of peanuts can help reduce LDL cholesterol and risk of cardiovascular disease
- Peanuts and peanut butter are good sources of many essential vitamins and minerals
- Peanuts and peanut butter are more inexpensive than other sources of protein, such as, meats and cheeses
If you don’t have a peanut allergy, you may not even realize how many different foods contain peanuts. Aside from the familiar bars, butter, brittle and sauces, check out those food labels to discover other ways peanuts are making it into your diet.
Add peanut popping 2-3 times a week for diet variety and lowering your risk of heart disease, keep in mind they do carry a calorie punch per nut.
