While peanuts can be a healthy part of your diet, it’s also important to note that an ounce of raw peanuts has 13 grams of fat and 160 calories. One ounce of peanuts is a small handful, or about 40 pieces.
Unsalted or lightly salted, dry roasted peanuts are best because they avoid cooking oils. It’s the same as baking them in an oven on a cookie sheet (roast shelled peanuts at 350F for 20 to 25 minutes). You can also control the amount of salt you put on them. Check the labels of the dry roasted peanuts for what ingredients are used along with the peanuts; it may differ from supplier to supplier.
Raw peanuts should be avoided because of the possibility of them being contaminated with a fungus that releases a cancer causing metabolic product (mycotoxin) called aflatoxin B1, which is an officially recognized carcinogen (cancer causing compound). Although peanuts grown in dry areas, tend to reduce or eliminate fungus contamination, avoid using raw peanuts for making peanut butter too.
Peanuts contain many important nutrients, including plant protein, fiber, folate, manganese, magnesium, vitamin E, copper, zinc, and iron.
Alternatives to peanuts and peanut butter: almonds and almond butter
Almond butter is the best food alternative to peanut butter and actually has higher omega 3’s. Maybe not as tastey, almond butter is at least not contaminated with the aflatoxin fungus.
On a related health subject — fiber — Virginia peanuts, for example, contain a generous 2.4 grams of fiber per ounce.
There are actually two types of fiber : soluble and insoluble.
Many vegetable and fruit sources contain both soluble and insoluble fiber.
To add fiber to your diet (and reduce your intake of simple carbohydrates) chose :
Distilled alcohol and wine predictably don’t have any fiber although beer has .7 gram per 12 ounces and you’ll get 1.4 grams from a Bloody Mary from six ounces of tomato juice and a large stalk of celery.
As always, “everything in moderation”, peanuts included. To our collective health !