# Is Peanut butter death for dieting? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 19, 2011, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-peanut-butter-death-for-dieting/585998 "2011-06-19T02:04:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![No\_Wikipedia\_Cites](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@No\_Wikipedia\_Cites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/No_Wikipedia_Cites)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2011, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-peanut-butter-death-for-dieting/585998/1 "2011-06-19T02:04:49Z")
What is the view of Peanut Butter and dieting? I think it is high in calories because of the fat content, however it is filling – is it death to anyone trying to lose weight? ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2011, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-peanut-butter-death-for-dieting/585998/2 "2011-06-19T02:08:06Z")
I eat whatever I like and have a nice body and that includes peanut butter. But I will admit, it’s hard for me to stop. So I have to buy the tiny jar and I eat 1,800 and stop and with peanut butter, I may be at my 1,800 by 10am (after waking up at 8am) So I just quit eating for the rest of the day having used up my calories. Peanut butter is good for you. It was originally developed to provide protein and fats to people who lost some teeth and couldn’t chew properly enough to eat meat. ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2011, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-peanut-butter-death-for-dieting/585998/3 "2011-06-19T02:10:25Z")
Depends what else you eat, doesn’t it? There is no single food that is “death” to weightloss regardless of quantity - not even pure white sugar or pure butter. It depends what sort of plan you are following, your own personal preferences, your personal psychology about dieting, and a thousand other factors. Peanut butter is just a food. It’s not kryptonite. BTW, Commercial peanut butter has a lot of sugar. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2011, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-peanut-butter-death-for-dieting/585998/4 "2011-06-19T02:19:35Z")
“Real” peanut butter (containing just peanuts and possibly salt) is a food of the gods, but be careful what you eat it with. If you’re adding two hefty slices of bread and a slather of jelly, the calories and carbs add up. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2011, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-peanut-butter-death-for-dieting/585998/5 "2011-06-19T02:24:10Z")
I happen to like peanur butter, a lot. Right now I have in my hand a jar of Jif reduced fat peanut butter (which explains, “Regular peanut butter contains 16g of fat per serving. Jif Reduced Fat contains 12g of fat per serving.”) One serving also has 190 calories. It also notes that a serving size is 2 tablespoons (one ounce.) For comparison: One oz. of lean chicken or turkey = 1 gram of fat, 35 calories One oz. of salmon = 2-3 grams of fat, 55 calories One whole egg = 5 grams of fat, 75 calories One cup very low fat (1%) milk = 2.5 grams of fat, 100 calories So you could have 3 ounces of salmon or 5 ounces of chicken/turkey and still come out ahead compared to even “reduced fat” peanut butter. You could even have a hard-boiled egg and a glass of vlf milk and still come out ahead. ---
**Author:** ![shantih](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f6c823/32.png) [@shantih](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shantih)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2011, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-peanut-butter-death-for-dieting/585998/6 "2011-06-19T14:25:42Z")
An awesome snack is apple slices with peanut butter. It’s crunchy, sweet, creamy, and satisfying. Like anything else, whether peanut butter works with a diet depends on how much of it and what else you eat. ---
**Author:** ![Maiira](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@Maiira](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maiira)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2011, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-peanut-butter-death-for-dieting/585998/7 "2011-06-19T14:52:30Z")
My understanding is that plant-based fats, like nuts, are generally better for you than animal fats (the exception to this rule being fish). But, like all things associated with diets, portion size is key. A serving size is, IIRC, about two tablespoons. So if you’re staying within that, and, as others mentioned, eating it with something not high in carbs (like on celery or apples), then it’s probably fine. Even though nuts have the “good” fats, that doesn’t necessarily mean you should pig out on them. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2011, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-peanut-butter-death-for-dieting/585998/8 "2011-06-19T14:54:28Z")
What they said. Keep track of how many calories you’re taking in when you eat it, and other foods as well, and you’ll be fine. I think too many people are used to just slathering it on bread and not realizing how many calories that is. Alternately, eat it in direct peanut form rather than as peanut butter. No added oils or sugars like many peanut butters have, and chewing them means you’ll eat it more slowly than you would with the peanut butter - though that depends on how sticky the peanut butter is, I guess. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2011, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-peanut-butter-death-for-dieting/585998/9 "2011-06-19T15:42:16Z")
It is death to diets because it is addicting and you cannot stop eating it by the spoonful (with milk) until you’ve finished the jar. Peanut Butter is evil. ---
**Author:** ![Rushgeekgirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rushgeekgirl/32/3715_2.png) [@Rushgeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rushgeekgirl)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2011, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-peanut-butter-death-for-dieting/585998/10 "2011-06-20T00:24:58Z")
I eat peanut butter almost every day, but it’s mixed in with my coconut oil chocolate bark so it’s only about half a teaspoon. It’s just enough to satisfy. ---
**Author:** ![Rushgeekgirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rushgeekgirl/32/3715_2.png) [@Rushgeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rushgeekgirl)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2011, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-peanut-butter-death-for-dieting/585998/11 "2011-06-20T00:29:20Z")
Oh I reckon I should have mentioned I’ve been steadily losing weight for the past 2 months.