Good for you/Bad for you
Don't be spooked by peanut butter
By Megan Hirt (Contact)
Thursday, October 25th, 2007
Forget ghouls and goblins, the scariest part of Halloween can be the nutrition nightmare you face from all that chocolate, caramel and peanut butter you’re bound to munch on. But the latter of these treats shouldn’t make your health-conscious side quiver. “Peanut butter is definitely something everyone is scared of,” says Stacy Roberts, registered dietician at Holy Cross Hospital in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. “They see 16 grams of fat and 190 calories in a serving and think it’s something they absolutely need to stay away from.” But in fact, Roberts says, the fat in peanut butter is strictly monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats—healthy fats. “These are the good fats we want more of. They’re the fats that protect your heart and prevent diabetes,” Roberts says. Like most things, the key to nutritious peanut butter indulgence is moderation. Roberts recommends the standard serving of two tablespoons, and says this amount packs enough protein to keep you feeling full long after many other foods’ satiety fades away. Sadly, packaged peanut butter goodies like Butterfingers or Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups don’t count because they’re highly processed, so most of the healthful peanut butter fats are sifted out. But even though Halloween candy consumption still isn’t the best for you, you can get that “stuck on the roof of you mouth” sensation from homemade treats and enjoy it without fear.
Verdict—good for you.
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