Celery with peanut butter is a simple and quick-to-make snack that can help fight hunger between meals.

Its low carb content makes it a popular option for people who wish to lose weight, follow a ketogenic diet, or want to limit the number of carbs they eat each day.

Interestingly, this snack also seems to top people’s list of the best snacks to have right before bedtime.

In this article, we review whether celery with peanut butter is a healthy snack, whether it’s suitable for specialty diets like the keto diet, whether it can help you lose weight, and how it may help you get a better night’s sleep.

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Celery with peanut butter is a nutrient-rich snack

Celery and peanut butter are two minimally processed, nutrient-rich foods. As a result, combining the two results in a snack that’s rich in fiber and protein. It’s also a good source of niacin, manganese, copper, magnesium, and heart-healthy fats (1, 2).

You can expect a small, 5-inch (13-cm) long celery stalk topped with a tablespoon (16 grams) of 100% natural peanut butter to provide you with the following (1, 2):

• Calories: 96
• Carbs: 4 grams
• Fiber: 1.6 grams
• Fat: 8 grams
• Protein: 4 grams
• Niacin: 15% of the Daily Value (DV)
• Manganese: 13% of the DV
• Copper: 11% of the DV
• Magnesium: 7% of the DV
• Vitamin B6: 6% of the DV
• Phosphorus: 5% of the DV
• Zinc: 5% of the DV
• Vitamin E: 5% of the DV
• Folate: 5% of the DV
• Vitamin K: 4% of the DV

Its low carb content makes this snack appropriate for low carb diets, and its moderate protein content and high fat content make it particularly suitable for a ketogenic diet (3, 4).

A keto diet is a low carb, high fat diet often used to treat epilepsy. It also appears effective for weight loss for some people and may help prevent or improve diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease, and possibly even some types of cancer (4, 5, 6, 7, 8).

It’s worth mentioning that a keto diet isn’t suitable for everyone. The diet may cause nausea, vomiting, dizziness, headaches, constipation, and fatigue. It may also result in nutrient deficiencies or issues with the liver or kidneys in the longer term (4).

Finally, both peanut butter and celery are rich in antioxidants, which are beneficial compounds that help protect you from disease-causing cell damage (9, 10).

SUMMARY

Celery with peanut butter is rich in vitamins, minerals, fiber, and heart-healthy fats. Its low carb content and high fat content makes it an appropriate snack for people following a keto diet.

Can this snack help you lose weight?

Celery with peanut butter is rich in fiber, protein, and fat — three nutrients that help fight hunger and increase feelings of fullness. As a result, having this snack as part of a balanced diet may help you lose weight (11, 12).

Despite peanut butter being rich in calories and fat, research suggests that including peanuts in your diet doesn’t appear to cause weight gain (9).

Furthermore, peanut butter appears more likely to help you feel full than a carb-heavy snack containing the same number of calories. So in certain cases, it may even help with weight loss (9).

On the other hand, celery is low in calories, yet rich in water. Therefore, its low energy density may also help with weight loss and prevent weight regain (13, 14, 15, 16).

That said, it’s important to remember that weight loss typically results from burning more calories than you are taking in (17).

So if your calorie intake exceeds your calorie output, you are unlikely to lose weight, no matter the quantity of celery with peanut butter you’re eating.

SUMMARY

Celery with peanut butter may help fight hunger and promote fulllness. This may make weight loss more achievable, but only if the rest of your diet and lifestyle choices also allow for it.

Is celery and peanut butter a good bedtime snack?

Peanut butter contains a good amount of tryptophan, an amino acid shown to enhance the quality of your sleep (1, 18, 19).

Although studies haven’t specifically examined peanut butter’s effects on sleep, they have linked tryptophan-rich foods, like peanut butter, to improved sleep (20, 21).

Your body requires tryptophan to make melatonin and serotonin, two hormones that are crucial for high quality sleep (19, 22).

In addition, peanut butter’s fat and protein content, coupled with the fiber found in celery, make it a particularly satiating snack (9).

This can be particularly helpful if hunger pangs cause you to wake up in the middle of the night, or if your level of hunger at bedtime is keeping you from easily falling asleep.

Just keep in mind that celery is also quite rich in water. As a result, eating too much of it before bedtime may increase your need to use the bathroom in the middle of the night, potentially disrupting your sleep.

SUMMARY

Celery and peanut butter can be a good bedtime snack. It’s particularly satiating and offers a good source of tryptophan, which may help increase the quality of your sleep.

The bottom line

Celery with peanut butter is a nutrient-rich, minimally processed snack that can find its place within a healthy, balanced diet.

Its low carb, high fat nature makes it a particularly suitable snack for those following a keto diet. Plus, it helps you feel full and satisfied, which can naturally help you limit the number of calories you eat if you’re trying to lose weight.

Due to its tryptophan content, this snack may also help improve the quality of your sleep. However, its water content may cause some people to wake up and use the bathroom during the night. If this happens to you, try eating it during the day rather than before bedtime.

Just one thing

Try this today: Celery with peanut butter is a versatile snack that can be sweet or savory, depending on the toppings you choose to add to it. Try a sprinkle of grated coconut, a dash of ground flaxseeds, or, for a slightly sweeter option, some dried cranberries.