Table of Contents
We all know we should be eating a balanced diet, but more kids are being eaten at fast food places, with no nutritional value to their food. Fast food places are notorious for not paying enough attention to nutrition and often don’t even have a nutritional guide on the menu, which is shocking.
So, what are the benefits of kids eating a balanced diet? Well, the first benefit is they will grow up to be healthier individuals, as they will not become obese or suffer from illnesses because of bad eating habits. Another benefit is they will get plenty of vitamins and nutrients from the fruits and vegetables they eat. Kids should be encouraged to eat healthy, at young ages so that when they are older they can maintain the benefits of their eating habits and still keep their bodies healthy. By the time they are teenagers, they should already be following a good nutrition regime and should not be under any pressure to follow other peoples’ examples of eating healthy at this young age.
Eating a healthy diet consisting of fruit and vegetables, along with lean meats, nuts, whole grains, and drinking lots of water will help you maintain your weight and lead a long life. You can find out more about how to eat a healthy and well-balanced diet by visiting my website.1
Peanut Butter
Peanut Butter is an all-natural, high-fat, spreads-in-flour form of butter made by boiling dry roasted peanuts in water. The classic ingredient is roasted peanuts (also called peanuts) that are either raw cooked or roasted lightly on a stove. Other ingredients can be added to it as well, including fats and sugar. It is often called vegan peanut butter because it contains no calories or fat, and most diets do not allow the use of butter in their foods.
Peanut Butter is widely consumed all over the world. However, some people (including some doctors) believe that it is bad for you. Because of this, you’ll find that there are a lot of dietitians and restaurants that don’t offer this spread.2
In addition to the fact that it’s bad for you, some dietitians believe that eating too much of it can cause allergies, depression, and fatigue. Because of these beliefs, a lot of food companies have started offering healthier peanut butter spreads, that aren’t as high in fat and sugar. However, there are still some who refuse to make changes to their products, even though they recognize that many people do not like the way they taste.
What Are the Health Benefits of Peanut Butter?
What are the health benefits of peanut butter, anyway? It’s a childhood favorite of most. But for others, it’s on the no-no list for containing too much fat and calories. Some folks are looking for healthier alternatives. Almond butter, sesame seed butter, and sunflower oil are some of the healthier alternatives to peanut butter.3
Nowadays, there are many substitute choices available, from regular peanut butter to organic, natural peanut oil. However, many experts advise people to stay away from peanuts and peanut oil and to try to substitute as little as possible with nuts and other healthy oils.4 For example, you can easily find high mufa peanut oil that’s free of fats and cholesterol, as well as palm oil and sunflower oil.
In addition to eating healthier, there are other ways to lower your risk of heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. A study conducted in the US by the Harvard Medical School and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology showed that peanut butter reduced the levels of bad LDL cholesterol (LDL) cholesterol. The high-mufa variety of peanut butter was found to have twice the amount of fiber as the lower-mufa variety. The high-mufa variety also had more fiber than the lower-mufa variety. This means that it may help lower your risk of heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.5
Peanut butter has several benefits besides reducing cholesterol and reducing the risks of heart disease. Peanut butter contains monounsaturated fats that are essential for good health. Also, peanut butter has vitamin E. The vitamins in nuts are essential for a healthy immune system. Finally, nuts are a source of protein, which is necessary for muscle growth and strength. So, while your kids may be getting their daily nutrients in the form of peanut butter protein bars or sandwiches, they’re also getting the added benefits of healthy peanut butter that help them grow and develop better.
What is Nutella?
What is Nutella? Simply put, Nutella is a very delicious and popular spread that is made from nuts and chocolate. It is basically a mixture of almond paste and sugar. In fact, the mixture of these two ingredients is what gives Nutella it’s delicious flavor.6
The traditional ingredients of Nutella are almonds and sugar, but in recent years other additional ingredients have become popular. Some people prefer the flavor of hazelnut spread over the actual nuts, but Nutella hazelnut spread has managed to grow in popularity as well despite this. Other manufacturers include various fruits and spices to give their spreads an even greater depth of flavor. As well as these additional ingredients, however, what is Nutella in the first place?
The creamy texture is what makes Nutella recipes so popular – it gives the spread a smooth and creamy texture that is exactly what people like when they eat it.
What Are The Health Benefits Of Nutella?
If you haven’t heard about the healthy benefits of Nutella, chances are you haven’t tasted it for yourself. The popular chocolate hazelnut spread is made by the confectioner Nutella and is now available in different flavors like chocolate and peanut butter, to name a few. But did you know that there is a reason why this sweet treat is loved so much? It’s because of the health benefits of Nutella. So what are these health benefits of Nutella?7
Nutella has more than 200mg of protein, calcium, iron, vitamins A, C, D, and E. It also contains antioxidants such as Vitamin E, which is helpful for skin and eyesight. And for those who don’t think that you need antioxidants in your diet, well you are mistaken. Antioxidants can actually prevent and fight against free radicals that cause diseases and age faster. Free radicals are harmful because they attach to healthy cells in the body, causing damage and illness. Therefore, it is important to consume antioxidants in our daily diet.8
Another of Nutella’s health benefits is that it is very rich in calories, at over 70 calories per serving. Compare this to other spreads such as egg yolk, yogurt, or sour cream which are healthier and have fewer calories. It should also be noted that the hazelnut benefits of Nutella are more than those of other spreads because it is not processed. This means that it has a more natural and pure nutritional value that may help improve overall health.9
Other healthy benefits of Nutella include increased HDL levels in the blood, which is a good thing for those who want to maintain healthy cholesterol levels. Nutella may also boost the immune system by fighting off infection and boosting the energy levels of the body. Since infections are such major factors that cause ill health and disease, any increase in the immune system is good.
While many people believe that Nutella only has hazelnut benefits, there is more to this delicious spread than meets the eye. It can also be used as a great addition to any number of different recipes. For instance, it can be used as a spread for cookies, cakes, and pastries. This makes Nutella a great addition to your diet and is one of the few foods that you can eat without getting bored.
As you can see, there are numerous benefits of Nutella that make it an excellent food choice. Nutella not only tastes good, but it is also good for your health. However, you will need to eat a lot of it in order to get all of the benefits of Nutella. Therefore, a package of this delicious food should be a part of every diabetic’s diet.
Nutella vs. Peanut Butter – Which is Better for Your Kids?
One camp popularized the idea that Nutella is much healthier for kids because it is made with natural whole foods, and not any high fructose corn syrup that may be in other chocolate spreads, and another camp asserted that because Peanut Butter is lower in calories, it is better for kids.10
This debate has gone on for so long, we’ve gotten really good at making quick and easy judgments about these things, but the bottom line is that both Peanut Butter and Nutella are excellent choices when it comes to snacks and desserts, and should be consumed by young and old.11
While many Nutella reviews and peanut butter comparisons have come to the conclusion that the latter is superior, the fact remains that there are substantial differences between the two. The majority of Nutella reviews have come to the conclusion that it is better for you to choose the chocolate treat with the less unhealthy hydrogenated vegetable oil, than to simply purchase the less healthy one without knowing anything about the ingredients.
While both Nutella and peanut butter do include hydrogenated vegetable oil, this oil is significantly different from the peanut and soybean oil used in manufacturing Nutella. This means that while both are essentially made with the same types of ingredients, Nutella contains significantly more peanut oil and Nutella’s lack of hydrogenated oil results in fewer calories and less fat, making both Nutella and peanut butter healthier for your children.
The best way to decide whether peanut butter or Nutella is healthier for your children, is to make an informed decision based on your own needs and tastes. If you are looking for a nutritious and healthy snack, then both Nutella and peanut butter may be acceptable substitutes, as long as you keep in mind that they are not identical. As a parent, the key to making informed decisions like this is to be aware of the ingredients and nutritional content of what you are buying and to compare Nutella or peanut butter to other brands within your range to ensure that you are getting the most healthy choice for your child. This way, you can ensure that your child gets all the nutrients necessary for his or her growing body.
Image Credits
JavaMail / Google Stock Images
Mental Floss / Google Stock Images
Mental Floss / Google Stock Images
Mental Floss / Google Stock Images
Videvo / Google Stock Images
1 “Kid’s Healthy Eating Plate | The Nutrition Source – Harvard TH Chan ….” https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/kids-healthy-eating-plate/ Accessed 8 Sep. 2021.
2 “Peanut Butter: Is It Good for You? Pros and Cons – WebMD.” 29 Sep. 2020, https://www.webmd.com/diet/peanut-butter-good-for-you Accessed 8 Sep. 2021.
3 “Is peanut butter good for you? Health benefits and nutrition.” https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323781 Accessed 8 Sep. 2021.
4 “Is Peanut Butter Bad for You, or Good? A Look at the Evidence.” https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/is-peanut-butter-bad-for-you Accessed 8 Sep. 2021.
5 “10 Best Benefits of Peanut Butter | Organic Facts.” 16 Jun. 2021, https://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/seed-and-nut/health-benefits-of-peanut-butter.html Accessed 8 Sep. 2021.
6 “What is Nutella? – Mangia Bene Pasta.” https://www.mangiabenepasta.com/nutella.html Accessed 8 Sep. 2021.
7 “8 health benefits of hazelnuts – Medical News Today.” https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323807 Accessed 8 Sep. 2021.
8 “Antioxidants: Health benefits and nutritional information.” https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/301506 Accessed 8 Sep. 2021.
9 “Hazelnuts: The Healthy Nut Few People Know About, But Should ….” https://thegrandhealthcare.com/hazelnuts-healthy-nut/ Accessed 8 Sep. 2021.
10 “Peanut Butter vs. Nutella, which is Healthier? – Dietetic Directions.” 18 Jul. 2013, https://dieteticdirections.com/peanut-butter-vs-nutella-which-is-healthier/ Accessed 8 Sep. 2021.
11 “Peanut Butter vs. Nutella: What is the Difference? – Spoon University.” https://spoonuniversity.com/lifestyle/peanut-butter-vs-nutella-what-is-the-difference Accessed 8 Sep. 2021.