Celery and peanut butter contain a variety of vitamins and minerals, most of which can help with your weight loss goals. According to the American College of Sports Medicine, the oil in peanut butter is monosaturated and considered a healthy fat. Healthy fats can keep you feeling full longer and can prevent you from eating too much at one meal. Not only does peanut butter make a great snack, but when combined with celery, it can become a powerful ally in your weight loss journey.
Fiber
Peanut butter and celery both contain fiber. According to the National Strength and Conditioning Association, fiber helps with digestion and the breakdown of proteins and other food. It also helps you maintain a healthy weight and, like healthy fats, can keep you satiated longer. Aim to get around 20 to 30 g of fiber in your diet per day. This amount will depend roughly on your body.
Healthy Oil
Healthy oils found in peanut butter may contain high amounts of calories but are essential for any diet. The fats in peanut butter help with the absorption of fat soluble vitamins like A and K. They also help produce and develop hormones in the body. This is important because when losing weight, you want to build and maintain lean mass. The hormone testosterone plays a major role in the growth and production of muscle mass. Without enough healthy fats, testosterone would get low and building lean muscle would be difficult.
Water
Celery contains a high amount of water content, making it an ideal companion to the healthy fats and extra fiber peanut butter offer. Peanut butter also has good amounts of protein. Water and fiber work together to help breakdown protein into amino acids so your body can use them to repair muscles and other tissue. Extra water also helps you remove waste faster so you keep less weight in your stomach. The water in celery will also take more room up in your stomach, making you feel full faster so you don't gain weight by overeating.
Considerations
While celery and peanut butter do offer a powerful combination of vitamins and macronutrients, you should be careful not to over indulge. Peanut butter contains 14 g of fat per tablespoon, which adds up to about 130 calories just from fat alone. Always know what your daily caloric limits and goals are and snack on these two accordingly as they fit your dietary needs. Celery by itself is great food and will get your full fast without adding too many calories. If you exercise often and are very active, celery and peanut butter can be an important way for you to not only get essential calories, but protein, fiber and healthy fats all in one. Not many foods offer such a blend, which makes celery and peanut butter a winning combination.
References
- "NSCA's Guide to Sport and Exercise Nutrition"; National Strength and Conditioning Association; 2011
- "ACSM's Resources for the Personal Trainer"; American College of Sports Medicine; 2010
- "Lifestyle and Weight Management Consultant Manual"; American Council on Exercise; 2008
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