Fiber in Peanuts
When you think of fiber, you may think of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. But you may not know that one serving of peanuts is also a good source of fiber, according to the United States Department of Agriculture’s Nutrient Database.
According to the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines, fiber is one of the main nutrients lacking in the typical American diet. The Food and Drug Administration recommends consuming nuts like peanuts to meet daily fiber needs.
Most Americans get only about 15 grams of dietary fiber per day6 —substantially less than the recommended amount.7 Peanuts can help make up this shortfall. One ounce of oil-roasted peanuts contains nearly 3 grams of fiber, similar to the amount in ½ cup of quinoa, ½ cup of cooked winter squash, or ¼ cup of dates.2
Fiber is a healthy carbohydrate and over 1/3 of the carbohydrates in peanuts is from fiber; Carbohydrates come in different forms, each with its own chemical structure. The three primary types of carbohydrate are:
- Sugars, which are composed of either one sugar molecule or two sugar molecules joined together
- Starches, which are composed of many glucose molecules strung together in a chain
- Dietary fiber, which is also composed of many sugar molecules, but they’re bound together in a way that makes them indigestible4
Eating it provides various benefits to our health. Fiber has the following functions:
- It adds bulk to our diets to improve digestion
- It helps us to feel full
- It can slow the absorption of certain foods so that blood sugar is better controlled.
- It can contribute to lower levels of total and “bad” LDL cholesterol
- High-fiber diets are associated with a reduced risk of heart disease.
We already know the answer to, do peanuts have fiber? But, how much fiber do peanuts have? Over a third of the carbohydrates in peanuts is fiber. This may contribute to the fact that peanuts have a low glycemic index (GI) and glycemic load (GL). On a 100-point scale, the GI of peanuts is 14 and the GL of peanuts is 1. As mentioned in the carbohydrates section, this means that when we eat peanuts, our blood sugar and insulin levels stay balanced. In contrast, when we eat certain refined grains or sugary beverages, our blood sugar and insulin levels rise and fall quickly; this “spike” is associated with pre-diabetes and diabetes.
According to the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines, fiber is one of the main nutrients lacking in the typical American diet. The Food and Drug Administration recommends consuming nuts like peanuts to meet daily fiber needs.
Last reviewed: March 2019