| 1. |
Measure portions carefully. Once you become familiar with portion sizes, you may be able to estimate them. |
 |
One ounce of peanuts is a small handful, or about 40 pieces. Look for single-serving (one-ounce) packets of peanuts at the store to help with portion control |
|
Two tablespoons of peanut butter is about the size of a ping-pong ball. Keep one on your kitchen counter in your fruit bowl. |
|
Speak with a registered dietitian in your area for more information on keeping track of serving sizes and the carbohydrates in your diet.
|
| 2. |
Replace refined carbohydrates or saturated fat with peanuts or peanut butter. |
|
Spread peanut butter on a slice of whole-grain toast instead of an English muffin with butter. |
|
Add half of an ounce of peanuts to your salad in place of croutons. |
|
Dip celery in peanut butter instead of a cream cheese dip. |
|
For a change, replace the usual spaghetti and meatballs with a Thai-inspired, whole-wheat pasta dish with peanut butter sauce. |
|
Spread some chunky peanut butter on a half of a banana for a sweet, balanced evening snack.
|
| 3. |
Quick Facts on Peanuts and Peanut Butter |
|
Commercial peanut butter brands usually contain only one more gram of sugar per serving than natural peanut butter brands. Read Nutrient Fact Panels to compare. |
|
Unsalted or lightly salted peanuts, are considered "low sodium," since they contain less than 140 milligrams of sodium per serving. Many peanut butter brands are also "low-sodium." |
|
Natural and commercial peanut butter brands offer similar nutrition profiles. The majority of fat is the heart-healthy unsaturated fat. They are low in saturated fat and both labels will list zero grams of trans fat. Read more about trans fat here. |
|
Beyond heart-healthy fat, peanuts and peanut butter contain many important nutrients, including plant protein, fiber, folate, manganese, magnesium, vitamin E, copper, zinc, and iron. |
