How To Choose Healthy Peanut Butter
49 
June 16, 2010 ‹ newer older ›
Peanut butter is a great addition to a healthy snack. Spreading it on Apples or crackers is an excellent way to add fat and protein (and taste!) to a dull food.
But, not all peanut butter is created equal. My husband recently found that out on a recent shopping trip. He does half of the grocery shopping, but peanut butter is usually my domain. Why? Because he is Australian.
Australians grow up with something called Vegemite (which tastes NOTHING like peanut butter) and is a yeast extract. It is best served in Australia to Australians.
So, he didn't know which brand to buy and thought they were all the same (like Vegemite). Below is a photo of the ingredients list in the peanut butter he chose:
What is my problem? (hey, snack girl, you have a partner who does some shopping - stop whining!) It has sugar and oil added to it. There is absolutely no reason to put anything in peanut butter.
The ingredients list on peanut butter should look like this - Roasted Peanuts. There are plenty of brands in the supermarket that don't add anything to peanut butter and I'm not sure why Walmart decided to add stuff to theirs.
Wouldn't it be cheaper to just grind up peanuts and put the butter in a jar versus adding other stuff? I actually bought a brand at Costco that said "All Natural" that had added oil. The front of the label tricked me into a huge jar of peanut butter with an ingredient I didn't want.
If you are used to added sugar in your peanut butter, you will have a shock when you eat plain peanut butter. Then something magical happens! You begin to prefer peanut butter without anything added. It tastes better without the sugar (trust me).
Peanut butter is a great source of protein, healthy fats, fiber and other vitamins that you need. Choose the right one and eat it with pleasure.
What is your favorite way to eat peanut butter?
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49 Comments:
I love natural peanut butter, the one with "just roasted peanuts" - I don't know how anyone could eat anything else! YUM!
Anne on June 16, 2010
Most of us grew up on PB&J. The only kind we knew had all that "stuff" in it. We got used to the sweeter taste but most stores don't offer a really healthy brand. I get Trader Joe's brand. Funny how the natural peanut oil rises to the top and has to be mixed. Very little has to be used as it is very potent with peanut taste. Here's to the original peanut!!
Karen MacNab
Wellness Consultant
Karen MacNab on June 16, 2010
I have been making my own peanut butter or sunflower seed butter for a while using a food processor. Sometimes the peanuts or sunflower seeds do not form a proper butter, instead they become a thick dry paste that is all wrong for speading. I think this may mean they're a little old. When this happens I very slowly drizzle a bit of either peanut or canola oil in until the texture changes. Usually it takes about 1 tablespoon, or sometimes less, for a pound of nuts/seeds. If I add oil, I also add 1/4 teaspoon of salt just for flavor. A pound of nuts/seeds will fill a 16 oz jar, so I don't feel especially bad about adding that amount of salt.
If the oil starts to separate and rise to the top later, I stir it well with a knife and store it in the fridge.
S. Ingram on June 16, 2010
Smuckers has an all natural version with no added oil or sugar. Also Trader Joes sells a healthy peanut butter too.
Jennifer Chamberlain on June 16, 2010
Here's a tip: If you stick your natural peanut butter upside down in the fridge when you first buy it, later on when you open it up, it will be much easier to stir the oil in.
Sarah on June 16, 2010
I like Skippy Natural or Natural Balance. Yes they have added oil (palm or flax) but I like a little bit of sugar to cut the overwhelming peanut taste of just ground peanuts. It's just my personal preference. I hate to eat straight peanuts and that what the real "all natural" peanut butters taste like to me. I suppose I'm a little strange, however I do refuse to eat low fat peanut butter which lastes like plastic to me.
Ginger Lee on June 16, 2010
I always drain off a little of the oil before I stir it in.
Lyn on June 16, 2010
I LOVE Crazy Richard's Natural PB! And my favorite way to eat PB is a grilled PB sandwich. It's the best.
Lindsey on June 16, 2010
Purchase the organic peanut butter...I get mine at Target and Kroger. There's no oil in 'em.
And here's a great Summer snack with peanut butter...http://bit.ly/8XzIk0
Ken Leebow on June 16, 2010
Krema Natural all the way!! It doesn't go on sale much and is about .40 cents more per jar than other natural styles but SO worth it. I am not sure why...maybe they use higher quality peanuts or something. It is the best! Peanut Butter on high protein/fiber toast with half a sliced banana=best breakfast ever!
Jenn on June 16, 2010
I love natural PB. For longest time I fresh ground it from a grinder at wholefoods. Now I just buy it from Kroger. They have a crunchy and a smooth variety that is just peanuts and salt. I like the salt. It makes a huge difference to me.
Linda on June 16, 2010
The reason manufacturers add other ingredients is simple. Fake sugars and fake oils are cheap. When you add them to real ingredients (like peanuts) it acts like a filler and they get more volume per peanut ;-) It "spreads" out their profits!
Sue Ingebretson on June 16, 2010
My husband is British so we have lots of Marmite around the house which is the equivalent to Vegemite in the UK. Can't stand the stuff and he despises peanut butter so I guess we are even. You are right, going from Skippy to the natural stuff takes some getting used to, but I can't imagine ever going back. Trader Joe's makes awesome peanut butter with nothing added.
Tina on June 16, 2010
Here here!
Check out my post on this subject:
http://www.samahern.com/2010/02/diy-peanut-butter-1st-guest-post-by-kylie-wolf-a-k-a-zippaloo/
Kylie Wolf on June 17, 2010
I LOVE my Trader Joe's PB! It's the best. I share it with anyone who will take some, and they're always astounded at the incredible flavor. We keep the cheap stuff in the house for our dog, and the last time I opened a new jar I tasted it. It was like eating wax! I can't believe I ate that stuff for years, but who knew how bad it was?
Michelle on June 17, 2010
But I like my peanut butter the way it is... that doesn't make me some troglodyte people!
Lou Doench on June 17, 2010
My doctor (practicing in functional medicine) recommends eating organic almond butter, with no added sugar, salt or oil. Marantha makes crunchy and smooth, and it tastes delicious on apples, crackers, etc. Regular peanut butter can contain pesticide residues from the spraying of the peanut plants with round-up and other weed killers.
lisa kombrink on June 17, 2010
Just go to Trader Joes and buy peanut butter. It is fantastic. We will never go back to the store bought name brands. they taste like plastic compared to real peanut butter.
My favorite way to eat it is after a great work out and between meals when I am famished...I smear it on apples or pears. It is the best and fills me up.
Goldie on June 20, 2010
thanks for your blog!
Not all Costco's carry the same products - but my local Costco in Kansas City has Almond Butter ...it has one ingredient - "dry roasted almonds" and I LOVE it!
Brian Hedgpeth on June 23, 2010
Almond butter is also another option, and a good substitute for peanut butter. Calorie-wise they are similar, but almond butter has a slight edge in fat content, as well as calcium and iron.
Cortne on June 25, 2010
I'm Australian and I have to admit, its a slightly cruel but oh-so-amusing national passtime to give Vegemite to unsuspecting foreigners... Snack girl is right though, Australians grow up on the stuff and it's sort of hardwired into our national food psyche. Its so healthy though, everyone else is missing out! Less than 10 calories for a decent serving and its the "worlds richest source of vitamin b" (thats on the label, we all know it by heart, just like the vegemite song :-D) And there is NO better hangover cure than vegemite on toast!
Tora on July 17, 2010
We use PB2, powdered peanut butter. I like a little sugar taste in mine and I can make it any consistency my kids like by adding plain water. Ingredients... Roasted peanuts, sugar, and some salt. I am OK with salt as we don't use it at all in the house, or in cooking for that matter. Try it!
Allison on July 26, 2010
Thanks SnackGirl for the information.
Has anyone tried PB2? Bell Plantation makes a Peanut Butter and also Chocolate PB that are preservative free and contain no artificial sweeteners. The are also 85% less fat calories than regular peanut butter with only 45 calories for 2 Tablespoons.
I have not tried it yet but really want to. Unfortunatley it's not sold in local stores where I live although going to try to order online although would love to hear if anyone else tried it. So far I read some reviews and people really seem to like it.
Any help/information would be great. Thanks!!!
bodyhacker on July 26, 2010
If it doesn't have to be peanut, nor chunky, I'd recommend mac-adamia nut butter.
Not only does it taste and smell fantastic, but it's also much healthier (has more of the monounsaturated oil type than olive or peanut, and in the little polyunsaturated fat that it does have, it's omega3/6 ratio is much better!)
enliteneer on July 26, 2010
Dear Bodyhacker,
We LOVE PB2. It's the only peanut butter we eat and I have five children 9 and under....they ALL love it! We are military and our Commissary actually carries it!! Haven't tried the Chocolate one, but friends say it's delicious. Not sure if I want to go there seeing my kids love the plain one, I'm afraid they would prefer the chocolate peanut butter over the plain peanut butter :)
Allison on July 30, 2010
Allison,
Thanks so much for the information and that is fanastic news! :-) I am so happy to hear that because I have been really wanting although wanted to make sure before ordering online.Definitely understand about the Chocolate flavor :-) especially if they really like the plain PB although if I end up trying the chocolate flavor I will definitely let you know if we like it!
Thanks again and have a great day.
bodyhacker on July 30, 2010
Wow I guess i didn't really think about it before but i love peanut butter and it's probably just as tasty and 10x as healthy to get one without any thing added, that's first thing on my grocery list now!
Laura on January 5, 2011
Laura, if I may, without knowing at all where you are at on your journey to holistic, natural, good health with food - don't be discouraged if it doesn't seem "just as tasty" in the beginning. Speaking from experience, the path to whole foods eating takes time and patience...it takes time to "re-condition" the palette and shift from sugars, processed foods etc to an appreciation for true foods. It is a journey I promise is worth it, though!
Brian Hedgpeth on January 6, 2011
I love Arrowhead Mills peanut butter. It has no additives and is easy to spread (hard clumpy PB is my pet peeve)
Claire on February 18, 2011
I am amazed at how hard it is to find healthy peanut butter out there, and ones that are reasonably priced at that. It seems like with less ingredients, the healthier versions would be cheaper, but oh well. I recently found Crazy Richard's Natural peanut butter and I'm wondering what your opinion is on its healthiness.
McKenzie on March 8, 2011
@McKenzie - Crazy Richard's is great! I have tried it and it has only peanuts - and it tastes good.
Snack Girl on March 9, 2011
Snack Girl: "why...add stuff?" has always been my question about pb too (especially the sugar)! Adams Natural PB has always been my fav, and last wk bought their "No Stir" version because the store was out of the regular, and...mystery solved! Sue's right (6/16/10) - once cheap fillers/oils added, the pb is flavorless, so then they have to add the sugar too, or no one would eat it. Bought the No Stir because it was the only one left on shelf w/ no sugar, but it's as bland as can be. Those hydrogenated oils just dilute the peanut flavor too much. Next time, I'll wait for the good stuff.
Lavendel on April 7, 2011
I toast my peanut butter on bread,than sprinkle a little wheat germ and slice banana on it. It is good. It is good with honey also.
sarah on April 15, 2011
We much prefer the natural peanut butter made with only peanuts in our house but why can't they make bigger jars of it?
I have a vitamix and have been wanting to try making my own PB in it--has anyone done that?
meredith on April 28, 2011
what is healthiest all Natural peanut butters you would recommend that have nothing added but just peanuts!
matt on July 4, 2011
Krema Natural Peanut Butter and Crazy Richards Natural Peanut Butter have one ingredient: Peanuts! Visit our website for more information.
www.Kremaproducts.com
Brent on July 15, 2011
I use Adams all natural Creamy peanut butter. I can't believe no one has mentioned it. Only peanuts. Once you get used to healthy peanut butter,you never go back. I ran out of peanut butter last month so I used some of my grand kids pb and it was way too sweet.There are many unhealthy things in Skippy,and Jiff. I love Adam's
Janet on July 28, 2011
KREMA! Only one ingredient: Peanuts...and doesnt have to be refrigerated.
Lindah on November 3, 2011
Greetings, had to share a site with you about Peanut Butter. It's 'BELLPLANTATION.COM". They make and sell a powdered Peanut Butter that it great. They remove 85% of the fat. Two (2) TBSP = 45 calories, 13 from fat. Total fat is 1.5 g or 3% Check out this site and tell me what u think .
Carolyn on November 5, 2011
@Carolyn...This is great. I am going to order this to use in my protein shakes and smoothies!
Lindah on November 10, 2011
I luv the all natural peanut butter. At first it taste plain but once I continue to eat it the more I really started likeing it.. it a very healthy choice:-)
becky on November 28, 2011
I eat Smuckers Natural Peanut Butter. It's delicious, readily available and if you have a Walmart in your area you can buy a large jar for less than $5.00. I eat Bobs Gluten Free RedMill oatmeal for breakfast every morning with cinnamon and 1-2 tbs Smuckers Natural PB. Delicious, packed with protein..it keeps me going at work until lunch. LOVE IT!
Cynthia on December 18, 2011
If you are eating anything hydrogenated, you are shortening your life. Don't take my word for it. Look it up.
Emanuel Kelmenson on February 22, 2012
Has anyone tried Bell Plantation's PB2?
Leslie Hembree on March 23, 2012
What about Smucker's Natural Peanut Butter? The ingredients are "Peanuts, contains 1% or less of salt...... Whats your take on this brand?
Kathie on April 17, 2012
If you don't have to stir in the oil it's because the oil has been hydrogenated. There's nothing worse to eat than hydrogenated oil.
we eat our natural peanut butter with a cup of hot chocolate. It's delicious.
Manny on April 18, 2012
Marmite or Vegemite? No comparison with PB except that you spread it with a knife. Unless you have grown up with it, run away from it with all deliberate speed. Tried it in New Zealand on a long natural area tour; I became ill and nauseated as in a bad case of sea sickness and couldn't get back to my hotel soon enough. It was instantaneous. There are just some things that persons from the western Hemisphere should not eat - period! Very luckily we in the U.S. separated from the British Empire before this vile product was invented.
Tom on May 6, 2012
The healthiest peanut butter contains only peanuts and nothing else.
Emanuel Kelmenson on May 6, 2012
Jaime on June 16, 2010