Choosing the best peanut butter: what to look for and avoid

When it comes to peanut butter, not all brands are created equal!

In my practice, I often recommend peanut butter to clients as it is a good source of protein, healthy fats, vitamins and minerals.

Having said that, not all peanut butter brands are created equal and there are a few important things to look out for.

Basically, the best peanut butters contain only one ingredient - peanuts! 🥜 (and maybe a tiny bit of salt…)

I recommend avoiding any brands that contain the following:

❌ added sugar

❌ inflammatory vegetable oils, hydrogenated oils (trans fats) and palm oil

❌ additives, e.g. emulsifiers, thickeners and preservatives

Some of the better options include:

✅ Mayver’s

✅ Pic's

✅ Coles Organic

✅ Macro Organic

✅ Bega Simply Nuts

The not-so-good options (containing added sugar, highly processed inflammatory oils and/or additives):

👎 Bega Peanut Butter (Smooth/Crunchy)

👎 Coles Peanut Butter (Smooth/Crunchy)

👎 Woolworths Peanut Butter (Smooth/Crunchy)

👎 Sanitarium (Smooth/Crunchy)

One thing that puts some people off eating natural peanut butter is the oiliness. This is something my kids used to complain about a lot! Because the natural brands don’t use emulsifiers, the oil tends to separate and rise to the top of the jar. The best way to overcome this is to stir the peanut butter really well when you first open the jar (using a butter knife can help). You can also store the jar upside down to help redistribute the oils more evenly through the peanut butter.

Although peanut butter is nutritious and delicious, it is also calorie-dense so it is best consumed in moderation, e.g. 1 to 2 tablespoons per day.

Enjoy! 😋