The study revealed snacking on peanuts and peanut butter is an effective way to control hunger without leading to weight gain, according to The Peanut Institute. But peanuts are so high in fat, right? Yes. However, the study showed subjects who snacked on peanuts/peanut butter:

* self-adjusted their caloric intake spontaneously and did not add extra calories to their daily diets;

* were able to suppress their hunger up to five times longer than those who were fed typical portions of other snacks, such as rice cakes; and

* experienced a positive change in the mix of fats in their daily diets.

In fact, mono and polyunsaturated fats increased proportionately and saturated fat decreased proportionately with regular peanut/peanut butter snacking, providing an overall heart-healthier fat profile, the study revealed.

"These findings are important because they challenge the belief that eating high-fat foods like peanuts and peanut butter necessarily will lead to weight gain," said Rick Mattes, Ph.D., RD, professor in the Department of Foods and Nutrition at Purdue University, who conducted the study.

The findings also support previous studies indicating regular consumption of peanuts does not promote weight gain and can reduce the risk of heart disease, according to The Peanut Institute.

The Peanut Institute offers the following:

* Your program participants can substitute monounsaturated fats for saturated fats by: substituting cream cheese on their bagel with peanut butter; dipping vegetables in melted peanut butter instead of cream-based dressings; and sprinkling toasted peanuts instead of croutons on salad.

* Researchers at Penn State University found total and LDL cholesterol was lowered up to 14 percent when diets included two to three servings of peanuts or peanut butter daily.

* Peanut diets lowered the risk of cardiovascular disease by 21 percent compared to the average American diet, whereas a low-fat diet lowered the risk by just 12 percent.