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August 11, 2005
Peanut Butter - Good for the Heart, Good for the Soul.
One food that I often recommend to people is peanut butter. Partly because it’s a favorite of mine and partly because of it’s nutritional makeup. Usually I get surprised looks and comments concerning peanut butter’s fat, sugar or lard content. True, peanut butter is high in fat – but it’s mostly monounsaturated fat, which is the best fat to eat. Monounsaturated fats can help lower the bad(LDL) cholesterol. I’d recommend the natural style peanut butter because it does not have additional ingredients added in as the commercial brands like Jiff and Skippy do. One serving of peanut butter is 2 tablespoon, which is a pretty good size scoop. One serving has approximately 190 calories, 16 grams fat (9 grams monounsaturated, 4.5 grams polyunsaturated, 2.5 grams saturated), 8 grams protein, 6 grams carbohydrate. Peanut butter can be spread on toast or waffles in the morning, made into a sandwich, made into a peanut sauce, mixed into yogurt, or paired with fruit like apples or bananas. My two favorites are peanut butter and banana and toasted peanut butter sandwiches. A glass of cold milk makes this a tasty and nutritious meal or snack.
Peanut Butter Pancakes
One of my favorite pancake recipes. Or you could make regular pancakes and spread a thin layer of peanut butter on them. Mmmm, melted peanut butter :)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
6 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups fat-free milk
1/4 cup chunky peanut butter
1 tablespoon roasted peanut oil or vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Combine milk and remaining ingredients; add to flour mixture, stirring until smooth.
Spoon about 1/4 cup batter onto a hot nonstick griddle or a large nonstick skillet. Turn pancakes when tops are covered with bubbles and edges look cooked.
Yield: 5 servings (serving size: 2 pancakes)
CALORIES 349(30% from fat); FAT 11.7g (sat 2.5g,mono 5.1g,poly 3.2g); PROTEIN 12.2g; CHOLESTEROL 90mg; CALCIUM 204mg; SODIUM 432mg; FIBER 1.2g; IRON 2.5mg; CARBOHYDRATE 49.4g
Courtesy of Cooking Light
Peanutty Noodles
INGREDIENTS:
2 carrots, peeled
1 tablespoon vegetable oil, divided
2 teaspoons grated peeled fresh ginger
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup natural-style peanut butter
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
3 tablespoons rice or white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce (such as Lee Kum Kee)
1/4 teaspoon salt
Cooking spray
2 cups red bell pepper strips
1 pound snow peas, trimmed
8 cups hot cooked linguine (about 1 pound uncooked pasta)
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
INSTRUCTIONS:
Shave the carrots lengthwise into thin strips using a vegetable peeler, and set aside.
Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the ginger and minced garlic; saute 30 seconds. Add chicken broth and the next 5 ingredients (broth through salt); stir until well-blended. Reduce heat, and simmer 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, and keep warm.
Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add bell peppers and snow peas; saute 5 minutes or until tender. Remove from heat. Combine carrot, peanut butter mixture, bell pepper mixture, and linguine in a large bowl; toss well. Sprinkle with cilantro. Serve warm or at room temperature.
NUTRITIONAL INFO:
calories: 296 carbohydrates: 43.1 g cholesterol: 1 mg fat: 8.8 g sodium: 400 mg protein: 11.7 g calcium: 44 mg iron: 3.6 mg fiber: 3.4 g
YIELD:
10 servings (serving size: 1 cup)
Courtesy of Cooking Light
Posted by Lisa at August 11, 2005 01:43 PM
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