Peanut Butter Question

I have heard various things about peanut butter. I generally eat low-fat creamy p.b. with an apple for a mid-morn/afternoon snack. Is it better to eat all natural peanut butter that has higher fat or processed lowfat peanut butter?

Wed. Nov 23, 10:08am

Great question...I've been wondering the same thing...

::Eagerly waiting responses::

Wednesday, November 23, 2005, 10:18 AM

Personally, I stick with the natural types of nut butters. Having high fructose corn syrup as one of the main ingredients after nuts in the low-fat or regular brands concerns me.

Wednesday, November 23, 2005, 10:59 AM

I buy the natural peanut butter (but not the un-sweetened, b/c I think it's gross!) Then I pour the oil that floats to the top straight down the drain. The PB is just as good w/o it, and then I feel that it's probably even lower fat/cals than the low fat versions (which still seem pretty fatty to me!) Though I have no way of actually knowing how many cals/fat grams I'm pouring down the drain and not eating!

Wednesday, November 23, 2005, 11:00 AM

I like the natural ones too, like Smucker. Others have some trans-fat, which are bad for you

Wednesday, November 23, 2005, 11:16 AM

The peanut butters that I find delicious (Skippy, Jif) are really bad for you: full of high-fructose corn syrup, trans fats, regular old fat fats, etc. On the other hand, they turn over off the shelves quickly and do not develop aflatoxins. The problem with organic, healthy peanut butters (aside from the fact that they taste nasty) is that there's not much of a market for them, and the peanuts do develop aflatoxins while stored.

Wednesday, November 23, 2005, 11:21 AM

What are aflatoxins?

Wednesday, November 23, 2005, 11:24 AM

Aflatoxins are fungal toxins that can cause liver cancer if consumed over a long period of time. The fungi grow on all sorts of food, including corn, but really get going on stored peanuts. This is why one is told not to eat peanuts that have been sitting around in the cabinet for months. Likewise, if a peanut-butter manufacturer doesn't have high turnover and the peanuts are left sitting around, higher levels of aflatoxin are the result.

Wednesday, November 23, 2005, 11:55 AM

so then would you say I should buy a small container of all natural p.b.? Sounds like that's the best from these comments.

Wednesday, November 23, 2005, 12:08 PM

Or you can go to Whole Foods and make your own natural PB in a small container.

Wednesday, November 23, 2005, 12:45 PM

I used to think the natural peanut butter was gross, but after eating it for awhile, I can't eat the other kind anymore. There's something about the list of ingredients bein "Peanuts" and nothing else. It costs more, but it ends up being more filling and more satisfying. And rather than see peanut butter as a treat, I now see at as food.

Wednesday, November 23, 2005, 2:35 PM

So does this aflatoxin thing mean that you shouldn't keep peanut butter on your own shelf for long? I only eat peanut butter maybe once a month, but probably more like 5x/year. How do you stock it in that case? Or should I just stop stocking it all together?

Wednesday, November 23, 2005, 2:36 PM

natural!!

I used to eat the "fake" kind of peanut butter but since I've switched over to natural there is no going back.... There's hardly any sugar in it and it has the GOOD kind of fat in it (monounsaturated), which the other kind doesnt have. Also, if you can avoid it, don't pour out the oil on the top!!!!!!!! That has all the good fat in it....and i actually doubt it would make much of a caloric difference at all. just mix it in. once you try the natural kind for a while i think you will find it tastes really great.

Thursday, November 24, 2005, 8:00 AM

I have heard of turning your jar upside down so the oils go the top of the jar (which would be the bottom) so you don't lose the oil but you're also not pouring it out.

Thursday, November 24, 2005, 8:22 AM

Since peanut grow in the ground they have a lot more fungi growing on them then people know about, this is why it is so dangerous for birds to eat peanuts, it can actually kill them. I love natural peanut butter and there is a company in NY that has made a busniss out of it as well as a deli. You can find their products on line or in a few select stores. The spicy peanut butter is awesome believe it or not as well as the chocolate.

http://www.ilovepeanutbutter.com/

Thursday, November 24, 2005, 1:18 PM

1) RE: aflatoxin in peanut butter--it may make some of you feel better to read what Andrew Weil has to say on this subject: http://www.drweil.com/u/QA/QA115491/
I particularly like the point made by his colleague--that there hasn't exactly been a plague of liver cancer in American children, undoubtedly one of the world's largest populations of peanut butter consumers.

2) To those who want to avoid the corn syrup and trans-fat laden varieties of peanut butter, but can't quite take the straight-up version, check out Maranatha's new sweet and creamy version in health food stores (try Wild Oats or Whole Foods if you don't live near an independent whole foods store). Tastes just like the trashy stuff you loved in childhood, but can't bring yourself to eat now! It does contain sugar, but it has no more fat than the company's all-peanut variety. Of course, if you don't mind pouring the oil off the all-peanut kind, that will certainly lower the fat content, but personally, I find PB inedible that way. Also, peanut oil is a healthy fat. And FYI, Maranatha makes many other (delicious) nut butters. I like their organic line better than the conventional line.

Saturday, November 26, 2005, 10:02 PM

peanut butter

I like the Maranathat organic crunchy or what I make at the local food co-op & store it in the refridgerator. I buy almost exclusively organic. Besides that Ibelieve it really is healthier for my family - the other really compelling reason to buy organic is that I know the people who created my food were not exposed to the usual toxic chemicals in the process. The multinationals farm in other countries where things like DDT are still legal as the labor is cheap and they can do whatever they want. These companies don't care if the workers suffer ill health in the process of trying earn a wage. I just don't want to support that.

Sunday, November 27, 2005, 2:03 AM

What you're pouring down the drain is peanut oil, and it has just as many calories and as much fat as if you opened a bottle of peanut oil.

Monday, November 28, 2005, 5:46 AM

Just to add my two cents. Arguably the best peanut butter in the US: Trader Joe's Salted Crunchy PB. It's really cheap too, less than two bucks. So delish on an apple, a pear, a banana...

Wednesday, December 28, 2005, 11:21 AM

Skippy has a new all natural peanut butter that does not seperate. Yummy!

Wednesday, December 28, 2005, 1:53 PM

I really like Crazy Richard's peanut butter. And my dad (who is a pb fanatic) thinks crunch Adams is the best. Both separate.

Wednesday, December 28, 2005, 4:44 PM

Peanut Butter Question

I was skinnier when I stuck to the low-fat version -- Better 'n Butter, I think it was called. If you can't control portions, calories in regular full-fat peanut butter will add up fast.

Wednesday, December 28, 2005, 9:36 PM

Thanks SO much for the tip about Trader Joe's peanut butter, it is delicious!!!!

Wednesday, January 4, 2006, 5:24 PM

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