Peanuts

Peanuts
Dr. Chet Zelasko | May 8, 2008


Almost half the people who ranked the arena foods put peanuts near the bottom of the list with the fewest calories. While it was difficult to estimate calories without knowing the exact quantity, the typical bag of peanuts would have five or six ounces of peanuts in the shell. If you measure the nuts, you’d find that it’s about three cups. Each cup has about 200 calories, so the typical bag of peanuts is close to 600 calories.

While nuts are good for us, over half their calories come from fat. It doesn’t take very many to start adding up. One ounce of shelled peanuts (30 pieces), almonds (22 pieces), or walnuts (14 halves) contain about 170 calories plus a decent amount of fiber and protein. The key is to make sure to weigh or count the amount, and stop when you reach one serving.

Think about this the next time you go to a restaurant that offers free peanuts while you wait for your dinner. When it comes to nutrition, knowledge is power.