What Is a Healthy Serving Size of Peanut Butter?

What Is a Healthy Serving Size of Peanut Butter?

A staple of school lunchboxes, peanut butter still retains a place in many American pantries, where it’s been joined by more exotic nut and seed butters. When used in moderation, this humble nut spread offers benefits to your diet, including plant-based protein, vitamins and minerals. Stick with the serving size, though, because peanut butter is high in calories and fat.

Serving Size and Profile

As with all nut and seed butters, a healthy serving size for peanut butter is just 2 tablespoons, dictated by the high calorie count and fat content. Visually, that’s about the size of a golf ball or wine cork. Resist the urge to use too much, especially if you’re making a sandwich with jelly or jam where calories can quickly add up. In a 2-tablespoon serving, you’ll get 188 calories and 16 grams of fat, although most are healthy unsaturated fats.

The macronutrient profile of peanut butter offers distinct advantages for health. A serving of smooth or chunky peanut butter offers 7 to 8 grams of plant-based protein. The U.S. Department of Agriculture counts 2 tablespoons of peanut butter as 2 ounce equivalents in the protein food group and recommends that adults get roughly 6 ounce equivalents of protein a day.

In your small serving of peanut butter, you’ll also get a good amount of fiber. Chunky peanut butter offers more, with 10 percent of the daily value for fiber as compared to 7 grams for smooth. You need fiber in your diet to regulate bowel movements and keep you feeling full so you don’t overeat.

Other Benefits of Peanut Butter

Two tablespoons of peanut butter supply vitamins and minerals, too. Most notable among its vitamin content are niacin (vitamin B-3), with about 22 percent of the daily value (DV), and vitamin E, with 10 percent. Your body requires niacin to turn food into energy and to support nerve health, while it uses vitamin E to boost immunity and fight off viruses, among other functions.

Among the minerals in peanut butter, you’ll find rich amounts of magnesium, phosphorus, copper and manganese. You need magnesium and phosphorus to build bones, and copper and manganese are part of your bodily enzymes.

Peanut butter has benefits for heart health, as well. A study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology in 2017 found that eating peanuts and tree nuts two or more times a week reduced risk of total cardiovascular disease by 13 to 19 percent and coronary heart disease by 15 to 23 percent.

Peanut Butter in a Healthy Diet

In your meals, peanut butter can stand in for animal protein sources that are higher in saturated fat. Use 2 tablespoons of peanut butter on whole-grain toast or blend it into your breakfast smoothie. Instead of sugary jelly on your peanut butter sandwich, use banana for a naturally sweet, potassium-rich alternative. For your evening meal, peanut butter mixed with soy sauce, lemon juice and red pepper flakes and thinned with water makes a delicious Thai-style sauce for vegetables or chicken.

References

• MyFoodData: Peanut Butter, Chunky and Smooth
• ChooseMyPlate: All About the Protein Group
• Mayo Clinic: Dietary Fiber
• Mayo Clinic: Niacin
• Office of Dietary Supplements: Vitamin E
• University of Michigan Medicine: Minerals
• Journal of the American College of Cardiology: Nut Consumption and Risk of Cardiovascular Disease

Writer Bio

Paula Martinac is a nutrition educator, writer and coach. She holds a Master’s of Science in Health and Nutrition Education and is Board Certified in Holistic Nutrition. Her areas of research interest include stress, weight management and women’s health.