Background/Aims: Peanuts are a snack food with potential satiety benefits. We investigated whether adding peanuts to a nut free diet would affect snacking habits and overall energy intake.
Methods: Sixty-one healthy participants (65±7y, BMI 31±4 kg/m2) consumed either peanuts (56g/d for 32F; 84g/d for 29M) or no nuts in addition to a habitual diet for 12 weeks each in a randomised crossover design. Food diaries were analysed at baseline and after each 12 week period for dietary patterns and total energy. Frequency and number of snacks were calculated (excluding peanuts).
Results: Peanuts were more likely to be eaten as a snack than with a meal by both genders (62%M v 66%F). Females consumed a greater proportion of peanuts in the afternoon compared to men (85% vs 70% respectively, p=0.038). Snacking occasions increased significantly for both women (14%) and men (53% ) during the peanut phase. The number of serves of other snack foods did not change during the peanut compared with the control phase in the whole group (p=0.6); however males consumed more sweet and less savoury snacks and females decreased total snack consumption in during the peanut phase (P=0.01). Energy intake was higher (1094 kJ, p <0.05) during the peanut phase.
Conclusions: Addition of peanuts to the diet increased snacking frequency and overall energy intake with some gender differences in snacking habits and snacking substitutions. Education on substitution strategies are important when recommending nut consumption.
Funding Source(s): Australian Linkage Grant in partnership with the Peanut Company of Australia.