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Peanuts have been enjoyed during winters along with jaggery or gur in India for ages now. Roasted groundnuts are cracked open from their shells and popped into our mouths as we happily snuggle next to our space heaters. Peanuts can, however, be enjoyed during any season as a snack. The delightful and delicious peanut is technically a legume, but is consumed like a nut. It is added to a number of dishes to make them crunchy, including poha, pulav and even desserts like halwa. But peanuts have become notoriously unpopular, after health freaks started shunning them for being fat-rich. It is believed that eating peanuts daily may lead to weight gain. Celebrity nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar recently attempted to bust this myth by posting about the humble peanut on her Instagram page.
Diwekar, who has an impressive list of clientele including Bollywood actors Kareena Kapoor and Varun Dhawan, has been a staunch advocate for all local and desi foods, which she firmly believes we should be eating more of. In her latest Instagram post, Diwekar addressed one of the most common dilemmas of modern nutrition- is peanut butter healthier than eating peanuts? Rujuta Diwekar lamented the fact that people are opting for peanut butter more than peanuts and claims that the common belief that the former is healthier than the latter is a misconception promoted by manufacturers.
She wrote, "The priceless peanuts. A friend for all seasons, the peanut can be turned into a chutney, eaten roasted or boiled with namak or powdered to garnish your bhaji and koshimbirs. And of course squeezed into oil too. It's rich in proteins, essential fats and fat soluble vitamins. Essentially, it's a power house of nutrients for anyone who wants a strong heart, flawless skin or a good vibe." (sic)
Rujuta Diwekar talked about how biscuits have replaced the desi peanuts as a chai-time snack and have been packaged as peanut butter that is being promoted as healthy and sold to us as for a profit. She said, "As long as you eat the peanut butter we sell you as a morning snack, or as a pre-workout meal. Don't eat the nut straight, that way the farmer and the small trader will make some money, that's no good, that's fattening. Buy from us, we will process and package it as the ultimate fat burning agent, because the one thing that must get fat is the food industry profit." She added by saying that we should turn back to eating peanuts to reap their benefits.
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