Peanut butter healthy?

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dietingdanni
dietingdanni Posts: 65
in Food and Nutrition
Hey,

I always see so many people suggesting healthy snack and receipes that involve peanut butter, but I look at the label and it's about 120kcal for 1tablespoon!!! To me this is really high for so little, is it really healthy for you or should be used as a treat?

Thanks

Replies

  • Tyggress73
    Tyggress73 Posts: 104 Member
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    Peanut Butter IS healthy...provided it is natural peanut butter (meaning the ONLY ingredients should be peanuts and maybe some sea salt). Jif, Skippy, etc are no-no's...full of oils and sugars and processed junk.

    It IS a high-calorie food, true...and it has a lot of fats...but it's the good-for-you fats, not the saturated crap.
  • now_or_never13
    now_or_never13 Posts: 1,575 Member
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    Peanut Butter IS healthy...provided it is natural peanut butter (meaning the ONLY ingredients should be peanuts and maybe some sea salt). Jif, Skippy, etc are no-no's...full of oils and sugars and processed junk.

    It IS a high-calorie food, true...and it has a lot of fats...but it's the good-for-you fats, not the saturated crap.

    The regular peanut butters are fine as well. Sure they have oils but they are filled with good fats.

    Where I am, peanut butter is crazy pricey just for the regular stuff. Let alone the natural stuff. It's not worth the extra cost to me for the amount that I consume. Regular peanut butter is fine.

    You can also make your own. When I do I take peanuts and some olive oil with a bit of sweetener and blend.
  • CyberEd312
    CyberEd312 Posts: 3,536 Member
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    Peanut Butter IS healthy...provided it is natural peanut butter (meaning the ONLY ingredients should be peanuts and maybe some sea salt). Jif, Skippy, etc are no-no's...full of oils and sugars and processed junk.

    It IS a high-calorie food, true...and it has a lot of fats...but it's the good-for-you fats, not the saturated crap.

    Jif and Skippy etc all make a Natural peanut butter now. The Jif All Natural as 190 cal. for 2 tbsp., very low sodium and only 3 g. of sugar per serving... I have eaten this for the past 4 years and have lost a few pounds.. Peanut butter is high in fats and calorie dense but it is healthy and even the fats are good for you.... I have a vitamix blender and have even ground my own peanuts to make peanut butter also but out of all the peanut butter I have eaten I tend to go back to Jif. Been eating it since I was a kid, guess ole habits are hard to break... lol Best of Luck...
  • runningathena
    runningathena Posts: 218 Member
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    PB is a staple in my diet! It's loaded with healthy fats (which you need!) and protein. Some things are worth the extra calories, as long as you are good about the portion size.

    There's also a low-cal version called PB2 - it's powdered peanut butter that can be reconstituted with water, jam, etc. It doesn't taste as good as the real thing but it's a nice way to add peanut flavor to dishes without all the extra fats.

    I am a huge fan of Trader Joe's natural PB - only $1.99 a jar. I can't even eat the "big brand" stuff anymore and I used to be a Jif fanatic. IMHO, sugar should not be an ingredient in peanut butter. :)
  • Tyggress73
    Tyggress73 Posts: 104 Member
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    I am a huge fan of Trader Joe's natural PB - only $1.99 a jar. I can't even eat the "big brand" stuff anymore and I used to be a Jif fanatic. IMHO, sugar should not be an ingredient in peanut butter. :)

    I LOVE that TJ's PB will stay creamy in the fridge after the first mix of the oils. Laura Scudder's, etc always gets so HARD. :(

    And I agree about the sugars, etc. Why add sugar to peanut butter? I've never understood that.
  • Tyggress73
    Tyggress73 Posts: 104 Member
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    I have a vitamix blender and have even ground my own peanuts to make peanut butter also

    MMMMMMMM...warm peanut butter right out of the Vita-Mix. Dang, that is good.
    Add a drizzle of honey and it's a damn good treat! :)
  • _noob_
    _noob_ Posts: 3,306 Member
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    provided it is natural peanut butter (meaning the ONLY ingredients should be peanuts and maybe some sea salt).

    Also, eat what you like the taste of the best...

    J Agric Food Chem. 2001 May;49(5):2349-51.

    Non-detectable levels of trans-fatty acids in peanut butter.

    Sanders TH.
    S
    ourceAgricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Box 7624, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695-7624, USA. mqhru@ncsu.edu

    Abstract
    The fatty acid composition of 11 brands of peanut butter and paste freshly prepared from roasted peanuts was analyzed with emphasis on isomeric trans-fatty acids. No trans-fatty acids were detected in any of the samples in an analytical system with a detection threshold of 0.01% of the sample weight. Hydrogenated vegetable oils are added to peanut butters at levels of 1--2% to prevent oil separation. Some hydrogenated vegetable oils are known to be sources of trans-fatty acids in the human diet. The addition of these products was not found to result in measurable amounts of trans-fatty acids in the peanut butters analyzed.
  • FitSuga
    FitSuga Posts: 262 Member
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    It is calorie dense but it's really healthy! You can always use PB2 which I most often use in things, like frozen yogurt, or plain greek yogurt etc. Not the best as a plain spread though. If you like peanut butter the way I do, you make sure it fits. If you're not really into peanut butter even while it's healthy, choose something else that you like. You definitely learn what is and isn't worth it over time.
  • LittleMissDover
    LittleMissDover Posts: 820 Member
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    People confuse low fat and healthy. Just because something is low fat doesn't mean it's goof for you and vice versa, just because something is high fat doesn't automatically make it unhealthy.
  • JustJennie1
    JustJennie1 Posts: 3,843 Member
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    Hey,

    I always see so many people suggesting healthy snack and receipes that involve peanut butter, but I look at the label and it's about 120kcal for 1tablespoon!!! To me this is really high for so little, is it really healthy for you or should be used as a treat?

    Thanks

    What PB are you eating that is 120 calories for one TB? I buy Teddie all natural peanut butter and one TB is 90 calories. I love the stuff and if I could put it in everything I really would.
  • JustJennie1
    JustJennie1 Posts: 3,843 Member
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    Peanut Butter IS healthy...provided it is natural peanut butter (meaning the ONLY ingredients should be peanuts and maybe some sea salt). Jif, Skippy, etc are no-no's...full of oils and sugars and processed junk.

    It IS a high-calorie food, true...and it has a lot of fats...but it's the good-for-you fats, not the saturated crap.

    Yes. I think people misunderstand when it comes to PB. You have to read the labels. I found an "organic" PB at the grocery store where the first ingredient was sugar.

    Teddie brand is peanuts, oil. No sugar, no added anything and it is so. SO good.
  • keenesmom
    keenesmom Posts: 115 Member
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    I have no problem with eating the "commercial" stuff. I'm loyal to JIF...been eating it since I was a child. However, I buy the Simply Jif (white label). It's lower sodium and sugar the the regular JIF. I've never tried the Natural JIF...maybe I'll get it next time.
  • concordancia
    concordancia Posts: 5,320 Member
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    I started getting the natural Jif because it is sold at Costco. My partner hates PB, so that is alllll for meeeeee!

    I have a little Chinese teacup that holds two tablespoons. I have it with celery if I am short on calories, apple slices if I am OK on calories.

    PB is only a treat when I put one tablespoon on a fiber one brownie. Or spread it on toasted sandwich thins and sprinkle with cinnamon. The PB is sweet enough that you don't need sugar for the cinnamon.
  • KS_4691
    KS_4691 Posts: 228 Member
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    provided it is natural peanut butter (meaning the ONLY ingredients should be peanuts and maybe some sea salt).

    Also, eat what you like the taste of the best...

    J Agric Food Chem. 2001 May;49(5):2349-51.

    Non-detectable levels of trans-fatty acids in peanut butter.

    Sanders TH.
    S
    ourceAgricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Box 7624, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695-7624, USA. mqhru@ncsu.edu

    Abstract
    The fatty acid composition of 11 brands of peanut butter and paste freshly prepared from roasted peanuts was analyzed with emphasis on isomeric trans-fatty acids. No trans-fatty acids were detected in any of the samples in an analytical system with a detection threshold of 0.01% of the sample weight. Hydrogenated vegetable oils are added to peanut butters at levels of 1--2% to prevent oil separation. Some hydrogenated vegetable oils are known to be sources of trans-fatty acids in the human diet. The addition of these products was not found to result in measurable amounts of trans-fatty acids in the peanut butters analyzed.

    Awesome! Thanks!

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