I just wanted to complain about peanuts
I just wanted to complain about peanuts
Trying to eat healthier, (edit for me this means lower sugar, less carbs, more protein) and it seems like everything that is sweet, sweet-ish, or a snack but also sold as healthy has peanuts or is peanuts. I'm not allergic to it, but I am tired of peanut butter cookies, peanuts in a snack bar, peanuts on their own, peanuts in a snack mix.
Peanuts are unbelievably inexpensive to grow, and are a solid option for nutrition and people tend to enjoy the flavor. So, y'know, sorry to all the allergic people.
44Yeah, they grow kind of like a potato as nodules
on the rootsof an annual plant that's easy to grow as a field crop. As opposed to tree nuts that grow on trees that take a long time to produce, need regular maintenance, need lots of irrigation to produce well, and are more difficult to mechanically harvest.The two groups are drastically different in what it takes to grow and process them.
13I was in a Thai restaurant once and overheard a woman actually say to the waiter "I'm allergic to peanuts, is there anything on the menu you'd recommend". I left shortly afterwards so didn't see if she died by breathing the air in there...
8I figured they had to be cheap. So many products skimp on everything else and put lots of peanuts or peanut butter in there
6I kept a bag of raw peanuts for a little too long once and they started to sprout. I stuck some in a planter and those things grew like crazy.
6
I've been recently eating sunflower seeds and I'm pretty happy with the calories, flavors, and cost.
19Great mixed into salads.
5Ooh, good reminder. I liked them a while ago and just haven't thought of them lately. I'll have to look for them next time I'm out
4Shops here used to (probably still do...) sell them seasoned with various flavourings, but the chilli ones were fantastic if you like that sort of thing. The extra flavour makes them feel more substantial, and it'd be easy to do yourself.
2My protip for sunflower seeds with the shell: get a jar/bottle with a smallish opening. Transfer the sunflower seeds to the jar/bottle. Then you can easily pour one at a time directly into your mouth. I have a cup for putting the shells in. It's a great passive snack while working and I don't need to get any of the dust on my hands from the shells (e.g. salt or flavor powder).
2
Costco sells bags of roasted pumpkin seeds that scratch a similar itch for me. Not quite as cheap as sunflower seeds, but about 10 bucks for a 2lb bag that lasts quite awhile.
4Pumpkin seeds are great, too, but to get the good ones that are still in the shell and also not completely coated in salt can be a little challenging and expensive. I get them from Amazon from time to time when I feel like splurging outside of pumpkin season.
2
Raw fruits are low-carb, good for you, snackable, affordable, and sweet. Apples, bananas, tangerines, cherries, grapes. They’re fucking delicious. And best of all, no peanuts.
14Idk, in my experience a lot of apples are high in sugar. Gotta stick with the more tart ones to keep the sugar content down. Cherries are the ones I don't thing about when I'm shopping for snacks, thanks for the reminder!
10Whole, modern, domesticated fruits do contain quite a bit of sugar, but that sugar is locked up in fiber. There are lots of anti-sugar crusaders that consider whole fruit to be a "gimme." Gary Taubes (Good Calories, Bad Calories) and Robert Lustig (Sugar: the Bitter Truth) are two that leap to mind.
7
Fruits are good for you but they’re absolutely not low carb. Most fruits are like 90% carbohydrate.
6
I’ve noticed the same thing but fortunately I still am crazy for peanuts. An interesting observation though and now you have me fearing getting sick of them.
13This is just not relatable at all for me. Is this an American thing?
10Yes
8Yes
5
Absolutely. Kind of surprising considering how common peanut allergies are, but they're in all kinds of things. And almost every package of mixed nuts is like 60% peanuts.
2I have no idea, Canadian here and I can eat peanuts with every meal and still love them. When working on a asphalt crew I always had a bag in my pocket. I feel sorry for the allergic person who runs their rubber tire roller, steam roller, plate packer... Oh well, some multimillionare assholes problem now lol
1
Not exactly the same, but as a type 1 diabetic with a nut allergy, I feel you with how annoying it is that all the good low carb snacks seem to be packed with peanuts, cashews, and/or almonds.
Fortunately for me, I like dark chocolate or I'd be completely SOL.
8Hello,
May I ask where you live? I was in the US some time back and noticed the same thing as you.
6Yep, I'm in the US
6We could tell by the way you thought eating cookies was healthier lol
2
Mixed nuts. Throw in some macadamia nuts now and then. Unsugared dried fruits will help with the flavor profile
I love peanuts like nothing but it can get monotonous after a while
4My favorite mix has dried pineapple in it, nothing else changes the nutty flavor as much
2
Nuts by themselves can be a good snack. I get smoked almonds and theyre really good on their own. Chia seeds, fruit and yogurt are good together. Nutritional yeast is good on buttered toast and anything cheesy. Sliced carrots in vinegar, dill and garlic are addictive, have no added salt and are good for you. Hummus and veggies of your choice are also good. (We get the spicy kind)
2My best advice is to find a brand of vanilla whey protein that you like. Preferably something thats advertised for "lean mass" (check the fats and carbs... buy a small container for trial purposes)
You want your morning pick me up? Add a few espresso shots mix it on skim milk and its now a vanilla latte that can sub in for breakfast.
Got some strawberries handy? Its now a strawberry shake.
Post workout protein bomb? (Yes I know you're over peanuts but Im not) 2 scoops of protein, 1 scoop of peanut butter powder, 1 banana, 1 egg and about a shot glass of maple syrup and mix on whole milk... its a reasonably large calorie hit but its also 50% of my daily protein in one go.
Chilli Chocolate? Obviously this one is "to taste" but add fresh chillis and either Cocoa powder or chocolate syrup (depending on how good you want to be)
Id also say that most people in general who try to "eat healthy" by intuition are also terrible at it. I wholeheartedly believe everyone should try a month of weighing their food and tracking their macros. If you start making regular better choices and tracking not just daily but weekly, you would be surprised at what you can fit into a "healthy" diet.
2On keto I still scoop spoonfuls of PB right out of the jar. I mean I get how people can get tired of it but not me.
1I eat walnuts.
1unless you're willing to make your own jerky, there really isnt anything on the market like that. low/no sugar + low/no carbs + high protein is a niche market.
DIY or just stop snacking.
1That's literally just keto, there absolutely is a market for it. Certainly not as large as the unrestricted snack market, but keto is fairly popular.
2Hmm, jerky. Yeah, the cheap stuff is just candy with questionable beef in it, the good stuff is either expensive or home made... That might be the snacking goal to strive for, home made jerky so it can be good and good for me.
2