Peanut Butter Can Help Achieve a Healthy Weight

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A new study of Latino students indicates that snacking on peanut butter or peanuts up to four times a week could be the key to fighting childhood obesity, according to a news report.

Researchers from the University of Houston Department of Health and Human Performance (HHP), Baylor College of Medicine, and Texas Woman’s University studied 257 Latino middle school students in Houston.

Students were given a choice of accepting or not accepting a daily snack of peanuts or peanut butter offered at the end of the school day, according to the news report:

Over the course of the study, the students who were deemed favorable toward accepting peanuts or a peanut butter snack daily did so much more frequently than members of the group who were less likely to accept the snack choice. According to the news release, peanuts were chosen because nuts are nutrient-dense snacks that promote feeling satiated.

At the end of the study, researchers found that both groups achieved lower BMIs. However, those students who received the peanuts or peanut butter snack regularly, experienced a decrease in their overall BMI that was a little over twice that of the BMI comparison made with the students who did not receive the peanut-based snacks.

The researchers came to the conclusion that afterschool programs and schools can replace energy dense, unhealthy snacks with peanuts to provide a healthier alternative for children that will have a positive effect on their individual BMI― in spite of the fact that peanuts are relatively high in fat.

Read the full news report.