Peanut butter is junk food, isn't it?

auddii

I eat natural peanut butter, and the ingredients are peanuts and salt. Even if it is "more expensive", it's a hell of a lot cheaper than places outside the US. When my brother was living in Switzerland, he had my parents ship him peanut butter because it was so expensive there and he could only afford horse as a meat (and apparently he wasn't a fan of horse). Even shipping the peanut butter across the planet was cheaper than buying it in Switzerland (well, I guess it was free for my brother...).

grandevampire

Ta, vampire, but I am not dissing peanuts or any other nut (healthy), but processed peanut butter.

Oh, don't worry, I know you weren't dissing peanuts, I'm just saying that if you make your own from peanuts, PB = peanuts.

DontStopB_Leakin

MFP: Where peanut butter is junk food but protein bars are totally legit.


© Merc 2013

Saucy_lil_Minx

Peanut butter is a calorie dense food for sure! I love peanut butter off the spoon! Gotta have my fix every once in a while. I do try to avoid a lot of it. I know peanuts are exposed to a whole lot of afaltoxins (molds), and can not be sold raw without potential issues with contamination (unlike other nuts). I try to avoid fake foods (hydrogenated oils), and added sugars. I would try for organic, and all natural if possible. Most of the time I choose other nut butters.

cmcollins001

MFP: Where peanut butter is junk food but protein bars are totally legit.


© Merc 2013

jujunnaichi

Clarence Bass is well known for his peanut butter lunch.

"[A] guy who made his bones, so to speak, by reducing his body fat to 2.4% eating peanut butter sandwiches for lunch."

Reference: http://www.cbass.com/Peanutbutter.htm

quiltlovinlisa

It is calorie dense but dang, I cut an apple in half, core each half and put a tablespoon of peanut butter on each half for a snack with some serious staying power. It's AWESOME!

MizAngie

I would take PB over chocolate any day...LOVE PB. I used to eat bananas and PB all the time. Became allergic to bananas so PB is now solo.

porter_stephany

I like PB2. It's powdered peanut butter that has had most of the fat removed. What you're left with is low fat, low calorie (45cal/2TBS). It's delicious on it's own or in smoothies or sandwiches

SuperSexyDork

MFP: Where peanut butter is junk food but protein bars are totally legit.


© Merc 2013

hungrypotato

I don't think peanut butter is junk food. doesn't taste good enough to be junk food imo. Cookies and icecream now thats junk food.


I eat jif whipped peanut butter 140 for 2 tbs instead of 2 for 190

UrbanLotus

I am not a health food freak, but I am unfamiliar with the idea that peanut butter is a calorie-dense health food comparable to avocado or eggs.

But it is...obviously anything overly processed isn't going to be good for you - so you can make your own nut butters with just nuts or buy fresh nut butter.

sz8soon

Is not it.

castelluzzo99

I consider peanut butter junk if it has added anything (other than salt, although unsalted is just fine too). Adam's and Smucker's both make a good peanut better (probably same product with different label, since both companies have the same owner, or one owns the other, or something like that). A lot of other brands have added stuff, from palm oil (which isn't so bad if it's not hydrogenated) to sugar (which is pointless). I've gotten to where I don't like the taste of PB with additives.

fat2fitmamaB

Have you ever had PB from Peanut Butter & Co??? OMG it is absolute heaven. You can get their Old Fashioned Smooth and it's ingredients are only peanuts and salt. This brand is a tad more expensive, but it's totally worth it for the deliciousness factor.

Personally, I like to buy the White Chocolate Wonderful to eat on the rare occasion that I'm under major sweet tooth attack and a spoonful of that helps me win that battle. Plus... It's just so totally amazing... Yes, I know there is sugar and palm oil in the white chocolate wonderful, but if you tried it, you'd know why I make an exception for it (in small amounts of course). YUM-O

jsd_135

Thanks for the replies.

What I hear through my prejudice is

Peanut butter has salt, sugar and extra fats added, some of which are dangerous, unless you pay extra for the one that is healthy.

It is like supermarket baked beans - miracle food, if you could get some without the sugar and salt.

I am not a health food freak, but I am unfamiliar with the idea that peanut butter is a calorie-dense health food comparable to avocado or eggs.

In the U.S., it's very easy to find natural peanut butter, which contains just peanuts and, in some cases, salt. The natural peanut butter I buy (Holsum--not a fancy brand but delicious) may be about $4.00 (US), probably a little less. I've been eating it for years, long before it became commonplace. Even the "traditional" stuff with added sugar (totally unnecessary) is mostly peanuts. The reduced fat stuff has a lot of other additives.

mycupyourcake

I haven't checked the price of jiffy and peter pan b/c I grew up eating natural peanut butter. Salt and peanuts, all the way. I don't call the other stuff peanut butter, I call it....nevermind. It's a pain to mix up when you first open the jar but so worth it. I don't understand the diet peanut butters? What are they adding to it? How are they processing it to take the fat out? It seems all processed and if we know ANYTHING at all now, we know that all that processed diet food caused a lot of health issues.

Peanut butter and avocados keep me sane when I cut carbs (not all carbs mind you, just lower them).

I'm about to go have some organic peanut butter with celery right now.

Almond butter and cashew butter are also really yummy, but pricey!

surromom2010

I eat a tbsp or two a day and have lost 28 pounds since 1/14/13. I find it helps satisfy my sweet cravings.

Nope! Just get natural ingredients and it's sooo good, and a good source of healthy fats

LOL peanutbutter fingers

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Catjag

I eat natural peanut butter, and the ingredients are peanuts and salt. Even if it is "more expensive", it's a hell of a lot cheaper than places outside the US. When my brother was living in Switzerland, he had my parents ship him peanut butter because it was so expensive there and he could only afford horse as a meat (and apparently he wasn't a fan of horse). Even shipping the peanut butter across the planet was cheaper than buying it in Switzerland (well, I guess it was free for my brother...).

PB in Switzerland was brutally expensive. When we lived in Zurich my husband would order it from an American store over there. It was much easier to have it sent from the States. I used to travel with pb all the time. Now I always travel with natural almond butter.

Confuzzled4ever

Put peanuts in a blender/food processor.. add a smidge of oil if necessary (maybe don't need it if your blend is strong enough).. blend.. viola.. healthy peanut butter :~)

MelsAuntie

No. It's a staple.

Lyerin

Peanut butter is one of the most delicious foods ever. Totally not junk food. Currently, I'm eating Vermont Peanut Butter Green Mountain Goodness for breakfast every day. It has: peanuts, almonds, flax seeds, pumpkin seeds, sea salt and whey protein. It is deeeeeeeeeeeeeelicious. I put it on a whole grain English muffin.

justal313

I eat teddy natural peanut butter (Ingredients: Peanuts, Salt) and when I'm feeling CRAZY I'll have the super crunchy.

A helpful hint... when you buy natural peanut butter, the peanut oil has all worked its way up to the top of the jar. Put in in the cupboard upside down until you first open it and the oil will work its way back through the PB.

BigDaddyRonnie

I don't care if people say its "junk" or not..

its delicious, a great source of protein/carbs/fats and I get LOADS of energy from it!!

So Peanut Butter me ALL DAY!

Thank you!

Exactly the same for me.

Cutforall

Peanut butter is an amazing food full of vital nutrients and healthy fats, make sure it is mostly made from peanuts and doesn't contain palm oil. I have peanut butter to help hit my macros as well as using it to satisfy cravings. The mono saturated fats are actually great for burning fat and it is great for a boost when feeling as though energy levels are low

No_Finish_Line

Peanut butter when you are at or below your calorie/macro needs = healthy calorie dense food

Peanut butter when you are above and beyond your calorie/macro needs = junk food

that applies to everything but doesn't tell the whole story. I love peanut butter and i'd never swear it off, but i've been known to sit there with a spoon and eat an entire jar in one night. In that respect, its unhealthy, but that has everything to do with me, and very little to do with the nutritional profile of peanut butter. eating a whole jar will put you 1000s over cal for the day (or possibly the week lol). Even if it was pure protein that would bad news for someone trying to loose weight.

baileybiddles

I like regular ol' creamy Jif peanut butter.

I cut it out of my diet at first since I was eating 1500 calories a day and it was too high for me.

Now I am eating 1800 calories a day and guess what's on the grocery list for this week? Jif creamy peanut butter, baby.

No_Finish_Line

someone made the suggestion of buying the natural peanut butter that you have to stir, but dumping off the oil and not stiring it.

i didnt try it but they said it still tasted good but was hard to spread (not a problem for us spoon people lol). No idea what the fat content would be at that point tho, but less obviously.

baileybiddles

MFP: Where peanut butter is junk food but protein bars are totally legit.


© Merc 2013

This.

Also, nice profile picture. I like your batman bra.