The Top 10 Peanut Butters for a Healthy Lifestyle

Considerations When Purchasing Peanut Butter

Peanuts are said to have originated in South America, where peanut-decorated jars and peanut-shaped earthenware reaching back 3,500 years have been discovered.

Peanuts were brought back to Spain by new world explorers, and from there, the crop spread to Africa and Asia. Peanuts were brought to North America by Africans in the early 1700s, but it wasn’t until approximately a century later that farmers started to produce peanuts as a commercial commodity in the US.

Peanuts were difficult to cultivate and harvest and were thought to be a meal for cattle and impoverished humans at the time. They were also employed as an oil replacement and as a cocoa substitute.

Peanuts grew increasingly popular during the Civil War, particularly since they were discovered to be a rich source of protein. Thanks to PT Barnum’s circus wagons, hot roasted peanuts were widely accessible, and as a consequence, street sellers began to sell peanuts at baseball games and other events.

Peanuts became more easily accessible as farming methods improved, increasing demand.

The oldest evidence of peanut butter comes from the South American Inca People, who pounded peanuts into butter. John Harvey Kellogg produced an early commercial form of peanut butter in 1895. Peanut butter was first presented during the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair, and it quickly became a staple in soldier rations. True, the PB&J became a famous snack because troops depended on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for nourishment during World War II!

Peanuts are the tenth most valuable cash crop in the United States today, with a farm value of more than a billion dollars, according to The American Peanut Council. It is estimated that Americans consume approximately 6 pounds of peanut products each year, with 60% of peanuts cultivated in the United States ending up in a jar in 2018. Just for fun, a 12 oz jar of peanut butter requires around 540 peanuts!

What Is the Difference Between Peanut Butter and Peanut Butter Spread?

According to the e-CFR, peanut butter is a product produced by grinding shelled and roasted peanuts to which safe and appropriate flavors and stabilizers may be added.

These additives shall not account for more than 10% of the total weight of the finished product, which implies that a product branded as peanut butter must include at least 90% peanuts, but a product labeled as peanut butter spread may have fewer than 90% peanuts.

Concerning Peanut Butter Powder

Peanut butter powder is becoming increasingly common on supermarket shelves. Peanut butter powder is created by pressing roasted peanuts to remove most of the natural oils, and then grinding what is left into a fine powder.

This implies that a powder has less fat than typical peanut butter and is frequently devoid of added salt and sugar. It is also lower in overall calories; a tablespoon of natural peanut butter has around 95 calories, while a tablespoon of powdered peanut butter contains only 23 calories. Several people use PB powder to add plant-based protein to shakes and smoothies.

Peanut butter powder is easy to incorporate into mixtures and may be used in place of flour. Powder may be used to marinades and rubs, stirred into sauces, handmade frostings, ice creams, and mousses, and, of course, baked products.

If you want to use it as a dry ingredient to add flavor, try swapping a third of the flour in the recipe with peanut butter powder. You can even do this with waffle or pancake batter. Instead, rehydrate the PB powder with water and use the same quantity as the recipe calls for peanut butter. Powder may also be sprinkled on top of ice cream, cereal, popcorn, and other foods.

Peanut butter powder may also be blended with water to produce a spread, albeit the flavor and consistency will not be the same as if you were eating actual peanut butter. Another technique for generating a powder spread is to combine one part powder with one part plain yogurt.

When part of the fat in peanut butter powder is removed during manufacturing, some of its other nutrients is also lost. Some peanut butter powders will additionally include sugar, salt, or other additives to enhance the overall flavor.

Selecting Peanut Butter

Peanut butter is a popular, healthful, and inexpensive food. Get a peanut butter with as few ingredients as possible when seeking for a healthy alternative.

Natural peanut butter, according to FDA guidelines, should not include any synthetic or artificial additives. Natural peanut butters typically include just peanuts, but double-check since some may have additional salt. However, keep in mind that natural peanut butters are far more prone to separate during storage and will always need a thorough stir before spreading.

Selecting natural peanut butter might be tough at times since the absence of salt and sugar can make it taste less like peanut butter and hence less appealing. If you want or need to use pure peanut butter, mix in a little honey as a natural sweetener. Adding it to things like oatmeal or dipping fruit slices in it may also give some natural sweetness to it. There’s also the traditional PB&J, which is a lot healthier snack if you use whole-grain bread and low-sugar jelly.

Sugars in peanut butter may take several forms, including high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), corn syrup solids, and others that you should avoid.

Together with sugar, some peanut butters have a high salt level, but ideally, we should be searching for fewer than 125 milligrams (mg) of sodium per serving of peanut butter.

Some peanut butters are produced with hydrogenated oils to improve texture, however this increases trans fat. While it is a highly saturated fat and may not be properly obtained, palm oil may be a superior option of fat (RSPO). It is also important to note that certain reduced fat peanut butters may include extra fillers and sugars, which may provide very little benefit in terms of real calorie reduction.

If you’re looking for peanut butter for your canine family members, the American Kennel Club says that most peanut butters are suitable for dogs in moderation. According to the 10% rule, snacks such as peanut butter should not account for more than 10% of a dog’s daily diet. Instead of offering peanut butter every day, alternate with healthier fruit or vegetable treats such as carrot or apple pieces.

When purchasing peanut butter for your dog, seek for unsalted peanut butter that is also free of sugars. Get one that does not include the sweetener xylitol, which is hazardous to dogs.

Peanut Butter Nutrition and Health Advantages

Peanut butter, like many other foods, should be consumed in moderation. Carbohydrates account for around 13% of its calories, with fiber accounting for approximately one-third of these carbohydrates, with a two-tablespoon portion of peanut butter providing approximately 1.8 grams of fiber.

It is a decent source of protein, with roughly 7 grams in a two tablespoon meal, but it does not contain all of the necessary amino acids that the body requires. Peanut butter is particularly low in the amino acid methionine, which is more abundant in animal proteins. While some studies shows that a decreased methionine diet may actually boost lifespan in certain animals, seeds, brazil nuts, and oats provide an alternate vegan-friendly source of methionine.

A serving of peanut butter will also include between a sixth and an eighth of the RDA for calcium and magnesium for women and men. Reduced magnesium intake has been related to an increased risk of diabetes.

It also includes around 15% of our RDA for phosphorus (700 mg) and 14% of our RDA for vitamin B6. Peanut butter also includes zinc, niacin, and antioxidants, which have been associated to various health advantages in animals, such as reducing chronic disease risks.

Peanut butter, on the other hand, is heavy in fat, with a serving comprising around 23.5% of the maximum recommended daily intake of saturated fat for those of us who eat 2,000 calories per day.

Peanut butter includes polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) in addition to some saturated fat, and the ratio of these unsaturated fats to saturated fats in peanut butter is comparable to that of olive oil.

Peanuts may aid to enhance heart health, with an American Diabetes Association diet plan proposing 46 grams of peanuts or peanut butter per day for six months to boost heart health, improve blood lipid levels, and assist diabetics with weight management.

Peanut butter with no added sugars has no noticeable effect on blood sugar levels, making it a good choice for diabetics.

Peanuts’ high protein level, along with their fiber and fat content, may assist to boost feelings of fullness after a meal, which can aid with weight management. According to one European research that evaluated data from over 373,000 participants over five years, consuming nuts may lessen the chance of becoming overweight or obese. This study validated previous findings that women who ate nuts twice or more a week gained somewhat less weight over an eight-year period than women who seldom ate nuts.

It also includes around 10% of the American Heart Association’s daily upper salt intake (1,500 mg per day), which is another reason why peanut butter should be consumed in moderation.

Peanut Butter Storage

Unopened jars of peanut butter have a shelf life of six to nine months. Once opened, it may be stored in a cold, dark area for two to three months, or in the refrigerator for up to nine months.

Refrigerating peanut butter can also help to slow down some of the oil separation that may occur, particularly with natural peanut butters.

Separation, although unpleasant for many, is natural. Since natural peanut butters lack the stabilizing oils often added to normal peanut butters and peanut butter spreads, the liquid (oil) separating from the solid combination (the peanuts) occurs at higher temperatures.

A thorough toss before consuming is generally enough to mix the oil back in, but a lot of individuals also advocate rotating a jar of peanut butter on a regular basis. This involves storing it upside down in the refrigerator and turning the jar back over if the oil rises to the top again. Just make sure the lid is firmly fastened before storing it upside down!

Aflatoxins found in peanut butter

Some individuals may be worried about the presence of aflatoxins in peanuts and hence peanut butter. Aflatoxins are naturally occurring molds found in soil and hence crops such as maize, wheat, sunflower seeds, rice, peanuts, and others.

Due of the potential of aflatoxins, all foods cultivated in soil, including peanuts, must exceed FDA aflatoxin limits.

To far, aflatoxins have never caused an epidemic of disease in the United States, while outbreaks of aflatoxin in locally produced crops have occurred in other countries such as Asia and Africa.

Peanuts are washed, shelled, and sorted after harvesting to detect and remove any damaged peanuts that may have produced aflatoxin. The FDA also conducts random food safety tests on items such as peanut butter, and if there are any safety concerns, the product is recalled. Aflatoxin cannot occur once peanuts have been processed into peanut butter and bottled.

Conclusion

We’ve shown in this article that ordinary peanut butter is good as a treat when taken in moderation as part of a balanced diet and lifestyle. We’ve looked at the nutrition of peanut butter as well as some of the newer choices, such as natural peanut butters and peanut butter powders, for a better way to integrate peanut butter into your diet. We’ve discussed some of the various applications for powdered peanut butter, including a rapid protein boost in a smoothie, as well as what to look for when selecting a healthy peanut butter.

We hope you liked this post and that you found our evaluations of the finest peanut butters useful whether you are seeking for peanut butter for yourself, your family, or even your pet dogs.