peanut butter, good or bad?

rschmmidt

I am scared to death to eat peanut butter - it's so high in fat and sugar. Haven't had it in ages.
Yet I see many of you are enjoying it. So what's the deal....is it good for me? Should I add it to my diet? And if so, how?
Thanks!
Ruth

auntiebabs

High in Fat, but it's a healthy fat, no cholesterol
High in calories so you've got to watch your portion size
High in Nutrition!!!!!! a real good value when it come to the calorie/nutrition ratio

High in sugar?????? -- Buy an all natural brand like Smuckers, Peanutbutter should not have any added sugar. There shoud only be 2 ingredients on the label Peanuts and Salt.

Hope this helps

fitoverfifty

You can get peanut butter without added salt and sugar...you want it all natural without hydrogenated oils...

Even though it's high in fat, they are good fats that your body needs, and it will keep you feeling full.

Just don't eat too much more than a tablespoon at a time :-)

MsPitt

If you get a natural kind, like babs suggested, it is very healthy as long as you enjoy it in moderation!

might4

I belong to the school of "everything in moderation". When I do have peanut butter, I have half a serving on a nice half of toasted bagel. Helps get rid of the peanut butter cravings. (cause I used to sit in a dark closet with the jar and a spoon!!!!)

twooliver

I'm using a product called Better'n Peanut Butter...it's way less fat and calories and taste the same - at least I think so

mapnerd2005

Peanut butter should be high in fat. It's primary ingredient is peanuts, after all, but those that are there are healthy fats. DO NOT BUY REDUCED FAT PB! They replace the healthy fats with fillers like maltodextrin and sugar and all it saves you is 10 calories. PB does NOT, however, have to be high in sugar. There are plenty of options out there that do not have any sugar in them, and they are fantastic. The one I buy has two ingredients: Peanuts and salt. Sometimes I make my own with unsalted peanuts (I add a little sea salt so I know how much goes in) and a little honey. Since there's not any sugar in my PB (except when I use honey), I pair it with an apple or banana (I just can't get myself to like celery no matter how many times I try it).

superhippiechik

It is the good fat that makes you pretty. Buy natural though. Or almond butter,Yum!

padigirl

I agree moderation. I eat Smart Balance. It's creamy and an excellent source of Omega-3 and a good fat. When I went to Weight Watchers, I was told we need 2 servings of a good fat each day to keep our bodies oiled just like a car.

suzieann

I love peanut butter and I just watch my numbers. If it is something I want I eat it and balance the rest of the day around it. Peanut butter is very good for you. Something occurs during the creaming process of peanuts to peanut butter causing it to be great for your cholesterol. It lowers the bad cholesterol and causes your good cholesterol to go up! So, just watch your portion but I highly recommend peanut butter.

NightOwl1

Peanut Butter is awesome. I eat it every single day, without fail. Like other's have mentioned, DO NOT get the Reduced fat Peanut Butter. They take out some of the healthy fats and and replace it with sugars, and the calories end up being the same.

mayana2002

O get the Trader Joe's organic, crunchy, unbleached and unsalted peanut butter! OMG it tastes amazing!!!

NoAdditives

You can get natural peanut butter brands like Adams, or in a lot of grocery stores you can even grind your own. Just look at the label and find something that only has peanuts on the ingredients list.

kdao

I'm using a product called Better'n Peanut Butter...it's way less fat and calories and taste the same - at least I think so

I use this too and love it!

nahhan12

Organic Peanut Butter is the best!!! The only thing in it is peanuts...no extra oils or additives. Very healthy as long as you limit your intake to about a serving a day. The fats in it are healthy fats (non saturated), plus it has tons of protein.

You might also want to try to find organic almond butter. It's the same thing, but made from almonds instead. Very tasty and good for you!

DianaPowerUp

O get the Trader Joe's organic, crunchy, unbleached and unsalted peanut butter! OMG it tastes amazing!!!

Ooh, that sounds yummy! I was planning on going to Trader Joe's this wknd anyway. I'll have to get some - thanks!

k8smama

I belong to the school of "everything in moderation". When I do have peanut butter, I have half a serving on a nice half of toasted bagel. Helps get rid of the peanut butter cravings. (cause I used to sit in a dark closet with the jar and a spoon!!!!)

Totally agree! There is no such thing as a "bad" food or a "good" food. It's all about moderation. Look at it like this--carrots are "good" for you, however, a pound a day will probably turn your skin orange, which is not so great. Chips are "bad" for you, however, I doubt if a snack size bag once a month is going to make you gain 40 pounds overnight. Half a serving on a bagel, banana or apple is delish!!

caribbean1019

Lots of people think peanut butter is bad for you.. but even with the sugar and fats it is a great source of protien. An english muffing with peanut butter is a great snack or breakfast item. Protein in your evening snack really helps curb cravings for sweets and junk that is mostly carbs. I learned this from a dietician. Hopes this helps, but you still have to use moderation a couple of tablespoons is great also with celery, apples and really good with a pear, try it :smooched:

iamhealingmyself

I am scared to death to eat peanut butter - it's so high in fat and sugar. Haven't had it in ages.
Yet I see many of you are enjoying it. So what's the deal....is it good for me? Should I add it to my diet? And if so, how?
Thanks!
Ruth

I too believe everything in moderation, but sometimes, certain things just make us forget what moderation and portion size means. I have a few of those foods, where I know that 1 piece or 1 serving isn't enough so I'd rather do without than sabotage myself in trying to resist eating more.

If you're reducing calories and most people probably watch their carbs/sugars intake when they diet, you will need to replace that quick burning sugar fuel with fat fuel. Just make sure you don't eat the entire jar. I have found most have a serving of 2 tablespoons which I find to be more than adequate for two slices of whole wheat or multigrain toast. Really filling and the protein keeps you full long after the bread has been burned up like a paper match.

Spend a few minutes at your grocery and actually look at all the brands, label to label - compare for yourself the reduced fat and other "healthy" varieties of PB out there. I did that the other day and ended up buying the regular one because of all the additives (including artificial sweeteners in some even though they use sugars too) and bad fats compared to the unsaturated fats in the regular. See it with your own eyes. The best option is to grind peanuts or find a variety that only has the 2 ingredients previously mentioned. I haven't found those in a regular store but maybe I'm not looking in the right place. TJ and your local health food store should carry them. Here in Charlotte we have a Home Economist (now called Home Market or something) as well as Whole Foods (too far for me to travel to) but they carry more of the natural things. The HE store even has grinders by the bulk section to make your own peanut butter, almond butter, (some have) cashew butter, and one even has a blend of peanuts and carob or chocolate (forget which) so you can make a chocolatey peanut butter. I've never tried it, but I guess it would be like eating a healthy peanut butter cup if ever there was one.

You want to retrain your body to be a fat burner so you will have to eat more fats than you think can be good. Burn fat as our primary fuel source- more efficient and less toxic than burning sugars. The single greatest determinant of our longevity is which fuel we burn... don’t be a sugar burner. Learn more at healthy-living.org

gibbsgirl

I eat one serving of Smucker's Natural Super Chunky everyday!!! It's heaven. Melted in the microwave for like 20 seconds and dip apple slices in it!! A-MA-ZING!!!

TrainerRobin

That depends on the brand. Watch them closely -- most of them have hydrogenated oils in them, which simply is no longer necessary. I buy Skippy Natural because it tastes like my old favorite Jiff but its not made with the hydrogenated oils that Jiff is.

And the labeling is misleading. I was walking through Sam's Club the other day and saw the new Jiff label that said something along the lines of "no partially hydrogenated oils!". Excited to see my old favorite reformulated, I turned the jar around and learned that while the label was technically true (there were no partially hydrogenated oils), there were plenty of FULLY hydrogenated oils. Hardly something to be excited about when there are healthier options. I know the natural stuff is also healthy, but I like the texture and flavor closer to the Jiff I grew up with and for me, that's Skippy's Natural (which isn't at all like the "natural" stuff that you have to mix together).

For the days that I have had plenty of healthy fats and don't need the extra calories, I opt for PB2 -- a powdered peanut product that you mix with water to return to a peanut butter like texture. The company makes peanut oil and the PB2 is simply the peanut with the oil squeezed out (and some salt and sugar added, like regular peanut butter). The texture is fine for a PBJ sandwich and is GREAT in peanut butter chocolate protein shake. Plus it's only 45 calories for a two tablespoon serving instead of 190 but still has the good stuff of the peanut (minus the oil).

For those of you that may have the urge to defend hydrogenated oils in any form, we'll just have to agree to disagree on the notion that any of them are good for you. Both of my parents died early from heart disease and I have had numerous in-depth discussions with their cardiologists on the subject of hydrogenated oils. Between that and my experience hydrogenating liquid oils in my chemistry class (we actually added a hydrogen atom to an oil that was fluid at room temperature to make them thick enough that they stuck to the inside of the tubs they previously flowed through), I'm thoroughly against the danged "products" be they partially or fully hydrogenated.

Stepping off my soapbox. :drinker:

loupammac

Peanut butter is delicious and definitely included in my life. I used to eat it by the tablespoon as a kid. Now I like it spread over corn thins as a snack or on my morning toast. I also have snacks that have peanuts and other nuts as well. Provided you don't decide to live off it, you should be fine with incorporating it into your lifestyle.

torrtorrr

it is high in calories for amount you get, but its a great way to incorporate healthy fats into your diet. i know i personally have a hard time eating all the fat i need because i tend to stick with fat free everything, and am always under. peanut butter should always be eaten in moderation, but its not too bad for you! get a natural kind. they also have 25% less sugar ones and stuff like that.

RMinVA

This is not the first post if I have seen insinuating that peanut butter is high in sugar. Why do so many people have that misconception? Most regular PB's only have 3-4 G and while it may be added, it is still less than any fruit, some vegetables, and many "reduced sugar" foods!! I agree about eating "natural" peanut butter, but even the regular stuff is is NOT high in sugar.

Mirabilis

Even Kraft (!) has a no salt no sugar peanut butter. I've had that and it's just fine, but not, imho as good as the nuts themselves *crunch crunch crunch*.. texture's very important since I'm eating so much less now

rschmmidt

Thanks so much for the responses, I've learned so much. A nearby market does actually have the peanut grinding machine, so I'll put that on my shoping list. I really feel like I've been stuck at this weight for a year (the plateau?) so maybe adding more fat will actually help, I keep reading that I might be in what you call starvation mode. I try to eat as little fat as possible.
I'm still really scared that once I start with the PB, I'll gain even more weight. Oh well, I just have to get over myself and trust you guys!!
Thanks for the advice!

iamhealingmyself

Thanks so much for the responses, I've learned so much. A nearby market does actually have the peanut grinding machine, so I'll put that on my shoping list. I really feel like I've been stuck at this weight for a year (the plateau?) so maybe adding more fat will actually help, I keep reading that I might be in what you call starvation mode. I try to eat as little fat as possible.
I'm still really scared that once I start with the PB, I'll gain even more weight. Oh well, I just have to get over myself and trust you guys!!
Thanks for the advice!

If you've plateaued, you could try having a relaxed day - eat what you want (healthy choices and in moderation of course) but don't worry about the non-fat stuff, calories etc. You need to shake up your eating routine because your body has become accustomed to what you are eating. You might want to change around your meals too. If your calories are spread out evenly through the day, try eating a higher fat (good ones of course) and protein meal at breakfast, maybe skip a morning snack, have a moderately larger lunch and then a lighter dinner. You could also have a day or two where (if you're exercising) you don't eat back your work out calories but add them to another day later in the week. Consider your weekly allotments and move them around without still going over (or over by much). This should help jump start your metabolism again.

seniorfaye

I just bought a jar of pb yesterday that says its all natural no stir pb. The ingredients are dry roasted peanuts,organic palm oil,organic unrefined cane sugar,and sea salt. Did I mess up. Is the palm oil bad???

TrainerRobin

I just bought a jar of pb yesterday that says its all natural no stir pb. The ingredients are dry roasted peanuts,organic palm oil,organic unrefined cane sugar,and sea salt. Did I mess up. Is the palm oil bad???

You can read up on Palm Oil here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palm_oil

auntiebabs

I'm using a product called Better'n Peanut Butter...it's way less fat and calories and taste the same - at least I think so

I'd stick with the real deal with this ingredient list... Not as I bad as I expected. I've seen much worse, but still 4 kinds of sugar just unnecessary. Enjoy "real food" as real food and save your sugar for dessert .

PEANUTS (AS DEFATTED PEANUT FLOUR AND NATURAL PEANUT BUTTER),
TAPIOCA SYRUP, (aka sugar)
PURE WATER,
DEHYDRATED CANE JUICE, (aka sugar)
RICE SYRUP, (aka sugar)
VEGETABLE GLYCERIN, (aka sugar)
SOY FLOUR,
SALT,
TAPIOCA STARCH,
NATURAL FOOD FLAVORS,
PAPRIKA & ANNATO,
CALCIUM CARBONATE,
LECITHIN,
VITAMINS E & C (ANTIOXIDANTS).

IreneAdler

I can't give up peanut butter. My evening splurge (if I have the calories) is 2 tablespoons of peanut butter and 3 Lindor Truffles.