It's smart to switch to low-fat cheese and avoid meats, but stick with regular peanut butter. It's not often we get to say that all the healthy stuff is in the fat. But peanut and other nut butters (as well as nuts that are unsalted and roasted in their own oils) contain polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats, which can help lower lousy cholesterol (LDL) without lowering healthy cholesterol (HDL). A Harvard study also found that having as little as 5 tablespoons of peanut butter every week also lowers type 2 diabetes risk by 20%. Contrary to rumor, real (made from peanuts alone) peanut butter isn't full of dangerous trans fats, either.

Don't forget peanuts in their original format (they're actually legumes, but don't tell your children). Nuts are the perfect kid snack, particularly for Generation XL (and their pudge-prone parents). Popping a handful a few times a week can prevent both you and your child from getting too chunky. In one study of more than 80,000 women, those who ate nuts two or more times a week were less likely to pack on the pounds over the years, even though nuts are fairly high in calories (165 calories in an ounce of dry-roasted peanuts). One caveat about peanut butter: While the fat is healthy, the sugar isn't. Solve that dilemma by choosing no-sugar varieties, and make your PB&J with low-sugar fruit spreads.


-Mehmet C. Oz, MD, and Michael F. Roizen, MD