Worst peanut butter to eat, says dietitian

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smooth creamy peanut butter in jar

Peanut butter is a staple in any healthy pantry. The spread is high in protein, high in healthy fats, and is a good source of niacin (serving up to 35% DV of the vitamin that helps with energy metabolism) and a good source of magnesium (13% DV of muscle and nerve function – nutrient regulation). Plus, the fact that it’s an affordable ingredient makes it all the more appealing.

But to get the best value for your money, there are a few jars of peanut butter that you should avoid, and a lot. dietitians say the worst type of peanut butter you can buy is reduced-fat peanut butter.

Why the # 1 worst peanut butter you can buy is the reduced fat content.

(Related: 100 Most Unhealthy Foods On The Planet.)

“As a dietitian, my least favorite type of peanut butter is the ‘reduced fat’ version,” says Lauren Manaker MS, RDN, LD, founder of Nutrition Now Counseling and author of Fuel male fertility. “A lot of people think ‘lower fat’ means healthier, and that’s not always the case.”

When peanut butter is rid of its fat, manufacturers end up puffing it up with other, less healthy ingredients. “Peanuts naturally contain fat, and besides providing some health benefits, the fat helps make nut butter taste really good. When the fat is removed, sugar is often added to make up for the missing satisfying taste, ”says Manaker.

These sweeteners turn the spread into a lower fat, healthier carbohydrate food. “Often made with corn syrup solids, sugar, and other carby ingredients, many don’t realize that one serving of this type of peanut butter is considered a full serving of carbohydrate,” Manaker says. . “Put that on the carbs absorbed with your jelly and two slices of bread, and you can take in a lot more carbs than you think, which could lead to high blood sugar or weight gain”, along with other effects side of the diet too much peanut butter.

Low fat PBs aren’t the only unhealthy peanut butter. There are many flavored jars loaded with extra sugar, but Manaker argues that the reduced fat content is the worst option due to its healthy halo: “Although there are brands of peanut butter that are mixed with Ingredients like chocolate and are not the healthiest choices, many know that these options are not a healthy sub for the classic PB. The low fat or low fat versions seem healthy, which can lead to overeating ” , Manaker says.

Let’s take a closer look at the nutrition facts for low fat peanut butter.

JIF’s creamy peanut butter reduced fat spread is one of the worst culprits, Manaker tells us. The jar is called a “spread” rather than regular peanut butter for a reason – it’s only 60% peanuts! To be considered peanut butter, 90% of the product must be real peanuts – the seasoning and stabilizing ingredients cannot exceed 10% of the weight of the finished food, according to the FDA.

The rest of the jar is full of three types of sugar (dry extract of corn syrup, sugar and molasses), vegetable oils (fully hydrogenated vegetable oils, mono and diglycerides), Pea protein (to increase the protein content as a significant amount is removed as they do not use as much protein rich peanuts), and it is fortified with a few micronutrients like magnesium, folic acid and zinc.

The reason the JIF must include pea protein is that peanut spread “must be nutritionally equivalent to peanut butter,” according to the USDA. Because the formulation contains only 60% peanuts, this would result in a product that only contains 4 grams of protein, so JIF drinks up to 7 grams standard using pea protein. This is the same reason why JIF enriches their PB with micronutrients; Peanut butter naturally contains magnesium, niacin and these other vitamins and minerals, so the brand needs to add them back because they use less peanuts.

What should you buy instead?

So what should you look for in healthy peanut butter? Manaker recommends sticking to an ingredient list as simple as possible: peanuts and salt. You don’t have to search for fancy brands – Manaker loves Smuckers Natural Creamy Peanut Butter. (Just be aware that you’ll have to stir to combine at first. Put it in the fridge once you’ve done that, and it will stay nice and spreadable like an unmixed version.) Too. The popular brand offers a solid option: a jar with no added sugar. It contains palm oil to make it spreadable, but other than that it’s just peanuts and salt – so it actually counts as peanut butter.

For more options, we’ve also put together a guide to the healthiest peanut butter brands you can buy.

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