Nuts Are Good Now?

A heavily syndicated article about the benefits of peanuts has been in most newspapers recently:

Peanuts, a dietary outcast during the fat-phobic 1990s, have made a comeback, with consumption soaring to its highest level in nearly two decades and more doctors recommending nuts as part of a heart-healthy diet.

US consumption of peanuts and peanut butter has soared over the last few years. Sometimes it's no surprise the average consumer struggles to choose "healthy" foods. That's because the definition of a healthy food changes each decade.

The low-fat guidelines made us fear anything with fat in it; eggs, nuts, butter, even avocados. So we processed a lot of food to take most of the fat out, and now authorities advise us to be wary of a good number of processed foods:

The federal government's latest dietary guidelines say peanuts, which contain unsaturated fats, can be eaten in moderation.

"Now we know that the type of fat found in peanuts is actually good for us," said Lona Sandon with the American Dietetic Association. "It doesn't clog our arteries like saturated fat. It helps keep the arteries clean."

Moderation...

Fats have 9 calories per gram, compared to carbs and proteins with 4 calories per gram.