Dear Chef Kathleen,
 
I've heard that peanut butter is bad for you and that it's really fattening. I also know from a recent episode of your show, "Cooking Thin with Kathleen Daelemans" on the Food Network, that you're a big fan of peanut butter. Please tell me it can be part of a healthy diet. I'm tired of feeling guilty for eating it and can't bear the thought of having to give it up.

No. 1 Peanut Butter Fan Fran, Ferndale


Dear Fran,

My initial reaction to your plea is that any food consumed in moderation can be part of a naturally healthful diet when combined with a regular exercise program, even peanut butter. After all, according to the USDA's Food Guide Pyramid, we need two to three servings a day from the meat, poultry, dry bean, egg and nuts group.

And I knew from Dr. Pamela Peeke, assistant clinical professor of medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and author of "Fight Fat After Forty" (Viking Press, 2000), that 2 tablespoons of any brand of peanut butter combined with a few whole grain crackers, a piece of fruit, a moderate serving of dried fruit or a serving of carrot and celery sticks is a wonderful snack that will sustain energy levels between meals.

But what did I really know about the health benefits of peanuts and peanut butter before your e-mail? Let's just say I wouldn't have bet my wad on the daily double if the category was, name 10 reasons why peanuts and peanut butter can be part of a naturally healthful diet. So I hit the books! I did some digging, looked at the Journal of the American Medical Association, and made some phone calls. Now, if I'm ever called as a contestant on "Jeopardy," I'll bet the farm in this category.

Here's what I found:

Penny wise, nutrient rich

Most of you know that peanuts and peanut butter are an economical source of protein. But did you know that peanuts have more plant protein than any other nut? They're also rich in folic acid, vitamin E, folate, potassium, copper, selenium, magnesium and zinc—in addition to phytochemicals, antioxidants and dietary fiber, all of which are important to health.

Peanut butter and type 2 diabetes

According to a study published last November in the Journal of the American Medical Association, "Harvard School of Public Health researchers report that consuming a half serving (one tablespoon) of peanut butter or a full serving of peanuts or other nuts (an ounce) five or more times a week is associated with a 20- to 30-percent reduced risk of developing type 2 diabetes, respectively."

The study's author, Dr. Frank Hu, associate professor of nutrition and epidemiology at Harvard School of Public Health, said: "Given the observed inverse association between nuts and risk of coronary heart disease as well as type 2 diabetes, it is advisable to recommend regular peanut butter and nut consumption as a replacement for refined grain products or red or processed meats, which would avoid increasing caloric intake."

Cholesterol free

As with all plant foods, peanut butter contains no cholesterol. It does contain unsaturated fat. The good news is that unsaturated fats are considered to be "good" fats, as opposed to artery-clogging "bad" or saturated fats found mostly in animal products such as meat, butter and dairy, the ingredients in some of our favorite foods—ice cream, pizza and burgers. Because the fat in nuts is unsaturated, nuts can actually work to lower total (or serum) cholesterol and "bad" LDL cholesterol.

Trans-fat free

Although peanut butter labels list partially hydrogenated oil as an ingredient, by law peanut butter must be at least 90 percent peanuts, leaving room for small amounts of sugar or salt and in some cases stabilizers to improve texture and increase shelf life.

Despite partially hydrogenated oil in the ingredient list on some brands of peanut butter, according to a study by the USDA, both natural and commercial brands of peanut butter contain no detectable trans-fatty acids. The study, "Non-Detectable Levels of Trans-Fatty Acids in Peanut Butter," was published in the May 2001 issue of the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

Fat free

Gotcha! Sure, peanut butter is caloric, but it's a nutrient-rich source of protein that's easily accessible and palatable to kids of all ages. A 2-tablespoon serving will cost you 190 calories and 16 grams of fat. Keep that in mind when you're planning your meals and snacks, and there's no reason you can't enjoy peanut butter as part of a healthy diet.

kd@chefkathleen.com