This week is short and sweet. I want to say that it recently occurred to me that peanut butter is like the trifecta of good nutrition. There is plenty of fiber from the peanuts. There’s loads of nourishing fat, with a variety of monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, and saturated fatty acids. And there is a ton of protein. So if you want to eat something nourishing, but you’re not in the mood to cook, think peanut butter. 

Remember that PEAnuts are a bean, and not a nut, and that beans are a fantastic source of protein. Peanut butter is super satisfying. You get plenty of fiber from the intact carbohydrate, a generous serving of fat, which makes it flavorful and satisfying, and loads of protein. Which makes it the TRIFECTA of good nutrition.

How to eat peanuts? There are so many ways…

1. Sprinkle steamed green beans with a few tablespoons of whole or crushed peanuts.
2. Slip a generous spoonful or two of peanut butter on a baked sweet potato.
3. Stir some peanut butter into your oatmeal to boost its nutritional content.
4. Spread some peanut butter onto a slice of multi-grain bread (or toast, even better!), and wash it down with a glass of milk, whatever kind you like best.
5. Slide some peanut butter onto a few apple slices or celery sticks. When my daughter was little, her preschool class learned to make peanut-butter-filled celery sticks, and then to sprinkle them with raisins. They called this project “Ants on a Log,” and my daughter loved it. Them.
6. Get a bag of peanuts in the shell, and crack open a few when you’re in the mood.
7. Stir up a sauce from peanut butter, sriracha, a drop of tamari, and hot water, and pour it over steamed veggies or pasta.
8. Or just eat some peanut butter straight from the spoon.

I can’t think of anything else that has lots of fiber, fat, and protein all at the same time. If you can, please add it in the comments below — let’s see what we can come up with.