Should Santa Diet?

With so much focus on the obesity epidemic in the United States, you might think that St. Nick should lighten up a bit. After all, he is a role model of sorts for America’s children. But would the world be a better place with a thin Sana Claus? Is forcing Santa to lose weight going too far? Can a fat Santa be a healthy Santa?

Let’s explore if Santa’s weight problem is, indeed, a problem. Studies show that fitness level is a better measure of someone’s health than their weight. Although weight is still a risk factor by itself for heart disease, diabetes, and some cancers. But if Santa passes the following tests, we should not worry too much about his weight:

Ø  Blood Pressure below 120/80

Ø  Blood Sugar below 100

Ø  Cholesterol below 200

Ø  LDL’s below 100

Ø  HDL’s above 60

Ø  Triglycerides below 150

We know that Santa gets plenty of exercise on Christmas Eve but he needs to be walking (or snow shoeing) at least 30 minutes on most days of the week as well. I would suggest that Santa give up the corncob pipe since tobacco use increases his chances of getting heart disease and several kinds of cancers. Not smoking would also help Santa deliver presents without getting out of breath. But Santa still needs to eat a balanced diet. Here’s how you can help Santa out.

Healthy Santa Snacks:

Ø  Milk. Santa needs milk to wash down those cookies. Milk is loaded with protein that will keep Santa’s muscles strong as he unloads all of our presents. It’s also got calcium to lower Santa’s chances of breaking a bone in case of a hard landing. 

Ø  Cookie Control. If you’re sticking with the traditional Santa snack of milk and cookies, be sure to practice portion control. Remember, you’re not the only one leaving him food. No more than one or two Oreos (50 calories each) should sustain Santa until he gets to the next house. 

Ø  Think Mediterranean. Santa needs fat in his diet to stay jolly so let’s make that fat the healthy kind. The Mediterranean diet is packed with healthy plant fats like nuts and olive oil. So how about leaving Santa some hummus and pita chips?

Ø  Nuts and Seeds. Nuts and seeds are also healthy fats and if Santa is getting behind on schedule, they travel well. He can throw them in his sack and be on his way. The reindeer like them too.

Ø  Balance with Fruits and Veggies. Santa cannot live on cookies alone! He would welcome some carrot sticks with ranch dressing or a banana that he can take with him on the sled. Why not pack up some apples with peanut butter for the trans-Atlantic leg of his trip?

Ø  Don’t Drink and Fly. Save the alcohol for Christmas night. When I was a kid, my dad told me that Santa really wanted a beer or a glass of scotch (no ice) for his snack. But that’s not really a very good idea. Don’t leave Santa alcohol. Drinking and flying is a no-no.

Beth Kitchin, PhD, RDN

Assistant Professor of Nutrition Sciences

University of Alabama at Birmingham

Bad Dietitian: I Eat Regular Peanut Butter. Here's Why.

Am I a bad dietitian because I don’t eat “Natural” peanut butter? I’ve been a regular old Jif girl since I was a kid. It’s still what I eat as a 50-something woman. But I keep seeing tips from nutrition experts telling me I should eat natural peanut butter because it’s lower in fat, saturated fat, and added sugars. Regular peanut butters add oil and sugar - but is it enough to matter? I did some sleuthing before giving up my beloved Jif.

I picked out several peanut butters whose labels suggested they might be healthier than regular peanut butter. Then I compared them to the giant jar of Jif I keep at work.  I focused on their calories, total fat, saturated fat, total sugar, added sugar, protein, sodium, and fiber. None of them had any trans fats because partially hydrogenated fats are no longer allowed in foods.They all had the same amount of calories except the Peter Pan Simply Ground that was 20 calories higher than the others. All had the same fat and saturated fat. 

Peanuts have some natural sugar in them so they all had some sugar. The added sugar number shows you how much the producer added. The only one that had a significant amount of added sugar was the Peter Pan Simply ground at 6 grams (1 ½ teaspoons). The others  had 2 grams of added sugar, which is about half a teaspoon. Smucker’s Natural was the most natural – with only ground peanuts and a little salt added so it had no added sugar. But when you look at total sugars, Smucker's only wins by a gram. 

All were reasonable in sodium when you consider that daily value is 2300 or fewer a day. So Jif’s 140 mg only represents 6% of your daily sodium limit. All were the same in protein – except Smucker’s Natural that edged out the others by on gram.

So the bottom line is that most peanut butters are pretty similar in their nutrition. Read the labels to compare. As you can see from my analysis here, Peter Pan "Simply Ground" sounds super healthy but was the highest in calories and added sugar. Natural peanut butters may have slightly less added sugar, sodium, and saturated fat. But the difference is slight. So unless you really like the way they taste, stick with what you like.  Some, like Peter Pan Simply Ground, give you the impression that they’re healthier when they’re not! So I’m sticking with my Jif. 

Beth Kitchin PhD RDN

Assistant Professor, Nutrition Sciences

University of Alabama at Birmingham