On this dream-come-true eating plan, we've built in a richly satisfying 30 to 35% of calories from fat, mostly monounsaturated fat from peanut butter. Yet we hold the line at 1,500 nutrition-packed calories for women and 2,200 for men. This means that most of you can drop about 1/2 lb a week-or 25 lb in a year! And you'll still be satisfying your deepest cravings.
The key to making this miracle work is portion control. On this plan, women get two peanut butter servings (of 2 level tablespoons each) every day. Lucky men get three servings!
It's Simple
This plan is so simple: You work peanut butter into meals and snacks in no-fuss ways, such as spreading it on toaster waffles. It's okay to choose homogenized instead of natural peanut butter, if you prefer. You should also add a 300- to 500-mg calcium supplement to make sure you meet calcium needs.
Weight and See
How do we know this will work? In a study at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, researcher Kathy McManus, RD, divided 101 overweight people into two groups. One group limited fat to a very low 20% of calories. The other group ate monounsaturated fat foods such as peanut butter, nuts, olive oil, and avocados, which boosted their fat total to a rich 35% of calories. Both groups got the same calories: 1,200 for women and 1,500 for men. The results? Both groups lost about 11 lb in the first 6 weeks.
But twice as many peanut butter dieters stuck it out, and they maintained their weight for 18 months. The low-fat group had double the dropouts, and those who stayed regained about 5 lb. Why? "Taste is first," says McManus. "People have to enjoy what they eat to stick with it."
An even healthier surprise awaits peanut butter dieters: Eating peanut butter appears to be almost twice as good for your heart as a very low fat diet.
A study at Pennsylvania State University in State College proved last year that diets high in peanuts-and rich in monounsaturated fat-were just as good at lowering total cholesterol and bad LDL cholesterol as very low fat diets. But a very low fat diet also raised heart-threatening triglycerides by 11%, while the peanut diet lowered them by 13%.
The net effect? The peanut butter diet lowered heart disease risk by a whopping 21%, while the very low fat diet lowered risk by only 12%. What a bonus!
"Our study shows that people can eat some of their favorite foods, such as peanuts and peanut butter, and achieve even better results than with a low-fat diet," says lead researcher Penny Kris-Etherton, PhD.
And the American Heart Association agrees. In brand-new diet guidelines, here's the diet they prescribe for "Syndrome X" (a cluster of problems that include diabetes or glucose intolerance, high blood pressure, and high triglycerides): "For individuals diagnosed with the syndrome, it may be desirable to avoid very low fat, high-carbohydrate diets, and to emphasize unsaturated fats ... ." Our Peanut Butter Diet fits that prescription perfectly!
PB to the Rescue
Afraid once you start eating peanut butter you won't be able to stop? One of my patients admitted to eating half a jar at a sitting. (Sound familiar?) It turns out that she turned to peanut butter at the end of the workday after skipping all her other meals. No wonder she lost control! But peanut butter loses its trigger status once my patients return to regular meals and snacks and move peanut butter from the "no" list to the "daily" list.
You may eventually find that peanut butter cravings hit only occasionally. When they do, try a day or two of Peanut Butter Diet menus to satisfy your craving without gaining weight.
Now do yourself a favor. Grab your jar and spoon, and have a look at our delicious eating plan. Peanut butter is yummy food for healthy people.
Breakfast
PB Oatmeal: Stir up 1/4 cup dry old-fashioned oats,**1 cup fat-free milk, and 4 dried apricot halves, cut in quarters. Microwave for 3 minutes, then stir in 2 tablespoons chunky peanut butter and 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon.
Lunch
Toss 2 cups mixed salad greens, 1/2 cup canned kidney beans** (rinsed and drained), and a small chopped pear with 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil, 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar, 1/4 teaspoon dried basil, and a sprinkle of garlic powder. 1 slice multigrain bread.***
Snack
3/4 cup tomato juice.
Dinner
Stir-fry 2 oz lean pork tenderloin with 1/2 cup each snow peas, broccoli florets, and slivered red bell peppers in 1 teaspoon peanut oil. Season with 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce and 1 teaspoon Asian five-spice powder. Serve over 1/2 cup cooked brown rice.***
Treat
PB Pudding: In a microwaveable dessert dish, microwave 2 tablespoons peanut butter** until melted (about 1 minute). Quickly stir in 3/4 cup fat-free plain yogurt. Top with a small sliced banana.
Day's total: 1,500 cal, 76 g pro, 199 g carb, 55 g fat, 10 g sat. fat, 26 g mono fat, 37 g fiber, 1,993 mg sodium, 808 mg calcium
Key: ** and ***: Men, to boost your calories to about 2,200, double each food marked with **, and triple each food marked with ***.
Breakfast
1 cup Multi-Bran Chex** with 1/2 cup frozen wild blueberries and 1 cup fat-free milk.
Lunch
Toss 1 cup salad greens, 1/4 cup shredded carrots, 1/4 cup shredded red cabbage, 1/8 avocado cut in chunks, and 1 tablespoon chopped hazelnuts with 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil and 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar. Stuff into a small whole wheat pita pocket. 1 cup fat-free plain yogurt.
Snack
PB Apple: Slice a red Delicious apple, and spread with 2 tablespoons peanut butter.
Dinner
Saute 2 oz thinly sliced lean eye of round beef,*** 1 small sliced yellow onion, 1 large sliced portabello mushroom, and 1 minced clove garlic in 1 teaspoon olive oil. Serve with 5 steamed frozen asparagus spears and a small baked sweet potato** dusted with pumpkin pie spice.
Treat
PB Granola Bar: Spread a fat-free date-almond granola bar** with 2 tablespoons peanut butter.**
Day's total: 1,535 cal, 73 g pro, 218 g carb, 55 g fat, 11 g sat. fat, 28 g mono fat, 34 g fiber, 1,493 mg sodium, 890 mg calcium
Breakfast
PB Shake: In a blender, whip together 1 cup fat-free milk, 1 small ripe banana, 2 tablespoons toasted wheat germ,** and 2 tablespoons peanut butter.
Lunch
1 cup instant black bean soup and 1/2 cup raw broccoli florets. 1/2 cup grapes.
Snack
1 cup calcium-fortified orange juice.
Dinner
3 oz broiled salmon,** 1/2 cup cooked whole wheat couscous,***1 cup brussels sprouts, and 1 cup yellow squash cooked in 3 teaspoons olive oil.
Treat
PB Muffin: Toast 1/2 whole wheat English muffin,***and spread with 2 tablespoons peanut butter.**
Day's total: 1,536 cal, 78 g pro, 195 g carb, 60 g fat, 11 g sat. fat, 28 g mono fat, 36 g fiber, 1,708 mg sodium, 988 mg calcium
Breakfast
1 egg (or 1/4 cup egg substitute) scrambled with 1/4 cup each chopped green bell pepper and onions (frozen is fine) in 1 teaspoon canola oil. Season with salt and pepper. 2 clementines and 1/2 whole grain English muffin,*** toasted.
Lunch
Open-faced tomato melt: Top 1 slice whole wheat bread** with 1 thick slice fresh tomato** and 1 slice reduced-fat Cheddar cheese.** Broil in a toaster oven until cheese melts. 1 medium banana.
Snack
PB Celery: Stuff a large celery rib** with 2 Tablespoons peanut butter.**
Dinner
Cook 1 cup dry whole wheat macaroni,** then top with 1 cup low-fat mushroom-and-pepper pasta sauce. Add 12 large steamed shrimp** and 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese. Toss 2 cups salad greens with 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil and 1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar.
Treat
PB Dates: Fill 4 large dates with 2 tablespoons peanut butter.
Day's total: 1,495 cal, 72 g pro, 183 g carb, 62 g fat, 14 g sat. fat, 29 g mono fat, 30 g fiber, 1,947 mg sodium, 661 mg calcium
Breakfast
PB Waffles: Toast 2 whole grain waffles,** then spread with 2 Tablespoons peanut butter.** Top with 1/2 cup thawed, mashed frozen strawberries.
Lunch
Toss 2 cups baby spinach, 1/4 cup sliced red onion, 5 grape tomatoes, and 2 oz flaked white water-packed tuna** with 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil and 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar. Season with freshly ground black pepper and 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano. 1 navel orange.
Snack
2 whole wheat cinnamon graham crackers*** and a kiwifruit.
Dinner
Saute 1/2 cup sliced yellow onion and 2 oz diced chicken breast** in 2 teaspoons olive oil. Stir into 1 cup cooked wild rice.** Top with 1/2 tablespoon toasted chopped pecans. Serve with 1 cup cooked carrots.
Treat
PB Sundae: Microwave 2 tablespoons peanut butter for about 1 minute (until melted). Drizzle over 1/2 cup Edy's or Dreyer's fat-free frozen yogurt.
Day's total: 1,534 cal, 72 g pro, 184 g carb, 61 g fat, 11 g sat. fat, 28 g mono fat, 29 g fiber, 1,230 mg sodium, 698 mg calcium
Natural peanut butter is healthier because the homogenized kind is full of trans fat (which comes from partially hydrogenated oils and is known to raise cholesterol) and sugar, right? Let's check the facts.
Prevention magazine had a laboratory measure trans fat in four homogenized brands: Skippy, Jif, Peter Pan and Finast (a supermarket label). The good news: The levels of trans fats per 2-tablespoon serving in all four brands were far lower than 0.5 gram. They were so low that, under proposed laws, they can legally claim 0 gram trans fat on labels. This confirms tests by the Peanut Institute that we reported last July. While only natural brands are totally trans-free, homogenized brands are ultralow in trans fat.
What about Sugar?
Again, we compared labels. Per 2-tablespoon serving, homogenized brands contain an average of 3 grams of sugar, while natural brands contain 2 grams. No meaningful difference there.
So choose natural or homogenized, whichever you prefer. We think both are healthy. But we don't recommend homogenized reduced-fat peanut butter. You get less healthy monounsaturated fat, and you save few, if any, calories!
Here's the daily formula for making a healthy peanut butter menu with 30-to-35 percent of calories from mostly monounsaturated fat, 1,500 calories for women and 2,200 calories for men:
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