Adding peanuts to a nut-free diet affects snacking habits and overall energy intake

Researchers from Australia looked at whether peanuts – a snack food known to have satiety benefits – could affect snacking habits and overall energy intake in people under a nut-free diet. The study was published in the Journal of Nutrition & Intermediary Metabolism.

• Sixty-one healthy participants were recruited for the trials – they had a mean age of 65 and an average body mass index of 31 kg/m².
• They were assigned to a diet that either had peanuts or no nuts. For those under the peanut group, women consumed 56 grams a day, while men ate 84 grams a day.
• The study, which ran for 12 weeks, also reviewed participants’ food diaries to understand their dietary patterns and total energy. In addition, frequency and number of snacks were calculated as well.
• Results show that people are more likely to consume peanuts as a snack than a meal. In particular, researchers found that females consumed a larger amount of peanuts in the afternoon compared to men.
• Both men and women had significantly increased their snacking period as well. However, females in the peanut group decreased their total snack consumption.

Based on these results, adding peanuts in a diet increased the number of times a person snacks and his overall energy intake, despite some differences in gender.

Journal Reference:

Barbour J, Stojanovski E, Moran L, Howe P, Coates A. EFFECT OF ADDING PEANUTS TO THE DIET ON SNACKING BEHAVIOUR AND TOTAL ENERGY INTAKE. Journal of Nutrition & Intermediary Metabolism. June 2016;4:41. DOI: 10.1016/j.jnim.2015.12.306