Peanut Butter = Perfect Food
Is Peanut Butter a “Perfect Food”
Yes, yes, it is. That is all.
I suppose I will elaborate more.
First, if someone doesn’t eat or like peanut butter, I cannot work with them. Peanut allergy? I can deal with that.
Of course, I am joking about discriminating against people who don’t like peanut butter, but really what is WRONG with them? Peanut butter is a staple food when I make dietary recommendations.
Peanut butter is plant food – so people who don’t want animal products can eat it.
Because peanut butter is plant food, it has carbohydrates in it, including some dietary fiber in about 2 grams in 2 tablespoons.
It has fat, which still terrifies some people, but of all the fat in there, 16 grams in 2 tablespoons, only about 3 grams is saturated fat, the one we need to limit. The rest is healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.
And it has protein. In 2 tablespoons, there are 8 grams of protein. That’s about the same as one cup of milk or one egg.
And peanut butter also has some vitamins and minerals, including vitamin B6 and magnesium.
And, that 2-tablespoon serving (about the size of a golf ball or ping-pong ball or a doughnut hole) is about 180-190 calories.
Now you can ask about the added sugar and salt in peanut butter. Again, there is some in there, depending on the type you buy. If you don’t want added sugar or salt, choose natural peanut butter (not naturally STYLE), where the ingredient is solely peanuts. And maybe salt.
One of the more absurd products on the market (in my opinion) is reduced-fat peanut butter. Yes, this is a thing. This product has “only” 12 grams of fat per serving instead of 16 grams. But guess what? The calories are still the same. How? Because of ADDED sugar, even more than regular peanut butter with added sugar.
Reduced-fat peanut butter has 15 grams of carbs and 4 grams of sugar (3 grams as added sugar).
Regular peanut butter has 8 grams of carbs and 3 grams of sugar (2 grams as added sugar).
There is also 190 mg of sodium in the reduced-fat version than the 140 mg in regular peanut butter.
And well, there is one other thing. This product is a reduced-fat peanut spread.
Peanut spread? Yes, that is about 60% peanuts compared to the minimum 90% peanuts in peanut butter.
And to add on more layer to the silliness of peanut butter products, there is a peanut butter product out there that is peanut butter with omega-3 DHA and EPA. Taking a look at the ingredients will show this is no longer a solely plant food because of “anchovy oil, sardine oil, and tilapia gelatin” in the ingredients. Again, I am not making this up.
So, stick with regular peanut butter, not a peanut butter spread or something with a health halo.
And another note: ALL peanut butter should be gluten-free. And peanuts are not a GMO crop.
And if you get a type of peanut butter with the oil on top that is just naturally separated, don’t throw out that layer of oil. My brother and I used to convince our mom to do this, and the peanut butter was more like a grout consistency and not spreadable.
Now, why do I like peanut butter so much? Besides the nutrient profile, it goes great in oatmeal, bananas, apples, crackers, graham crackers, chocolate bars, and smoothies – especially with chocolate. It is also great on ice cream and even in savory dishes like chicken peanut stew or hot pasta. And, of course, there is the good old lunch standby of peanut butter and jelly or peanut butter and honey sandwiches. My son made peanut butter and honey sandwiches for most of his elementary school lunches.
And finally, the BEST way to eat peanut butter? With a spoon! Sometimes just a spoonful will help as a between-meal snack or when dinner is still an hour away. That little shot of peanut butter will stave off hunger for just a bit longer.
And my final peanut butter comment for today? Creamy, always creamy.
Though crunchy will do in a pinch but don’t worry, the nutrition profile is the same.
Peanut Butter Banana Protein Bowl (from The One-Pot Weight Loss Plan cookbook)
Vegetarian, Gluten-Free, 30-Minutes or Less
Serves 1 / Prep Time: 5 minutes
Warming the peanut butter will help with mixing with the yogurt. This breakfast bowl has 20 grams of protein which will help sustain you throughout the morning. If you exercise in the morning, split this bowl into two servings, have half before your workout to fuel you, and have the remaining half after the workout for recovery.
1 tablespoon natural peanut butter
¾ cup (6 ounces) non-fat, plain Greek yogurt
1 medium banana, sliced
Add peanut butter and microwave on medium power for 20-30 seconds to melt in a small glass or ceramic bowl.
Add the Greek yogurt and stir to mix in peanut butter.
Add sliced banana to the yogurt peanut butter mix to incorporate.
