Peanut Butter Love
It's hard to think of a food as fitting into a weight-loss plan when its two varieties are known as "chunky" and "creamy." Nevertheless, ask yourself this question: is life worth living without peanut butter? Most Canadians would answer "no"—or, more precisely, nod "no," their lips already sealed by a mouthful of the salty, sweet, sticky, super-delicious spread.
According to the Peanut Bureau of Canada, the average Canadian eats 2.7 kilograms of peanuts and peanut butter a year. "Peanut butter is an 80 million pound per year business," says Frank Duyvelschoff, of Best Food Canada, which produces several brands including Kraft. "And that amount is increasing by five percent every year."
Unfortunately, peanut butter's popularity doesn't translate into low-calorie counts. A two-tablespoon serving comes in at around 16 grams of fat and almost 200 calories. But what does that really mean to someone trying to lose weight?
The good news is that that peanut butter packs a lot of nutrition. The spread is rich in monounsaturated fats which are good for heart health. It's also got protein, dietary fibre and vitamins and minerals like folic acid, vitamin E, copper, selenium, magnesium and zinc.
The bad news is that you can get too much of a good thing. Have you heard of the peanut butter diet? This diet revolves around daily servings of peanut butter and has been featured on television shows galore. Though many folks say it helps you lose weight and reduce cholesterol, it's also another of the one-food diets that may sound a little too familiar to some of us. Remember the grapefruit diet? The bacon diet? The cabbage soup diet? (Oh, the memories of wading through vat after vat of bubbling cabbage soup, week after week). In short, eating a lot of any one food, even a food as scrumptious as peanut butter, can get boring and is unhealthy.
So how do you get your peanut butter and still eat like a healthy, intelligent person who's changing their life? Here are some quick hints:
Rethink: Think about peanut butter like a dinner food. Using it as a main dish (say, using a serving plus a few crackers with a fruit plate for lunch) instead of a snack (say, eating ten spoonfuls, straight from the jar at three o'clock in the afternoon) helps you remember what you're actually eating.
Measure: Banish the spoon to the utensil drawer! No more eating straight out of the jar, leaning over the sink! Instead take out a plate and give yourself a full serving (2 tablespoons is about the size of your thumb) and return jar to fridge. Now enjoy without accidentally going overboard.
Read label: They can call it chunky or creamy. They can call it organic, natural, homemade, or low carb. The truth is peanut butter's calorie counts remain about the same in all cases. You're smarter than any trick labeling! Refuse to be misled!
Bulk it up: Adding peanut butter to fruit and veggies can fill you up, plus tack on vitamins to your snack. Spread your peanut butter on bananas, apples or pears. If you're tired of celery, try carrots.
Thin it down: On some days, quantity sometimes works better than quality. If you're in the mood to eat more than one serving, try thinning out that one serving and "fooling" your tummy. Heat 2-tablespoons peanut butter in the microwave for about one minute until soft. Swirl in a tablespoon of hot water. Drizzle on fruit or low-fat frozen yogurt. It doesn't taste exactly the same—but it's close.
Bake smart: Peanut butter pie, peanut butter cups, peanut butter cheesecake. The real enemy in most peanut butter baked goods isn't peanut butter—but all the extra butter, cream cheese, half and half, and other ingredients added to it. Here's some ways to bake without hindering your weight-loss goals.
Peanut Butter Butterscotch Pie
Servings: 6
POINTS® values per serving: 2
1/4 cup peanut butter
1 Tablespoon honey
1 1/2 cups Rice Krispies
1 ounce non-fat butterscotch pudding
1/2 cups fat-free whipped topping, thawed
Cinnamon
Mix peanut butter and honey in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds. Stir until melts. Stir in rice crispies. Press mixture into an 8" pie pan. Prepare pudding according to the package directions. Fold in 1 cup of the whip topping. Pour over the piecrust. Cover and freeze until firm. Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes. Spoon remaining whipped topping over the pie. Sprinkle with some cinnamon and a few rice krispies.
Low-Fat Peanut Butter Pie
Servings: 10
POINTS values per serving: 5
1 (12-ounce) can evaporated skim milk
1 (1/4-ounce) envelope plain gelatin
1 (8-ounce) package fat-free cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup confectioners sugar
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 (9-inch) prepared low-fat graham-cracker crust
Low-call whipped topping
Whisk milk and gelatin together in a saucepan set over low heat. Whisk constantly until mixture boils and gelatin dissolves completely (about 2 minutes). Transfer to heatproof bowl and cool 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, beat cream cheese and confectioners sugar in large bowl until smooth (about 1 minute). Add peanut butter and vanilla, and beat 1 minute more. With mixer still at low speed, slowly add milk-gelatin mixture and beat until very smooth (about 2 minutes.)
Set pie crust in 10-inch pie pan, then carefully pour in peanut butter filling. Set uncovered in refrigerator and chill several hours until set. Dollop with topping.
Mini Peanut Butter Cheesecakes
Servings: 6
POINTS values per serving: 2
1 package non-fat cream cheese, softened
4 Tablespoons peanut butter
1 large egg
5 packs of Splenda
1 1/2 Tablespoons vanilla
Preheat oven to 350. Mix all ingredients together using mixer until smooth and creamy.Line muffin pan with 6 cupcake liners and fill. Bake for 20 minutes
Aside from being delicious, peanut butter is also an excellent source of protein. If you're vegetarian, it just might be the perfect way to meet your recommended level of protein intake. Check out our Q&A, Peanut Butter and Beyond.
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