This is my: Peanut Butter
Another day, another category! I would like to start featuring the various items that I consider healthful alternatives and store them all under a new category called “My Pantry”. I have chosen these products mainly because of their good ingredients (or lack of bad ones).
The first item in the “This is my” category is a staple in everyone’s house: the ever-popular peanut butter. Most homes use Jif or Skippy brands, but did you know that those brands use partially hydrogenated oils or added sugar? If you read my previous post, you already know the harmful effects of hydrogenated oils.
For example, here is the nutrition information for Exhibit A, Jif Reduced Fat Peanut Butter (taken directly from the product page):
By the time you finish reading the list of ingredients, you might lose your appetite for that peanut butter sandwich! (seriously, what’s Zinc Oxide doing in my peanut butter?) And let’s not forget the trans fats conveniently hidden in there.
Now consider exhibit B, Smuckers Natural Peanut Butter:
Ah! Now that’s what I call a list of ingredients: peanuts and salt. Wow – sweet music to any fitness zealot (and I know you are one!). True, it contains a few more calories from fat than the Jif product, but the excess is a type of fat called unsaturated fat that is not as harmful as saturated fats (more on this later).
OK. So we found a product that excludes bad ingredients. So is this the best? What if someone else not only removed the bad stuff, but also added some good stuff to boot?
Presenting the grand prize winner and the product in my own pantry: Exhibit C, Smart Balance Omega Peanut Butter:
Not only does it include all natural ingredients, but it includes 1000mg of Omega-3 fatty acids per serving. Omega-3 fats are essential fatty acids (the body cannot produce it and stores very little of it) and have numerous health benefits including reducing the risk of coronary disease.
Peanut butter is also a wonderful source of protein and taken in limited quantities is a dependable sidekick to the fitness enthusiast.
Technorati Tags: health, fitness, peanut butter, omega 3, fatty acids
Related Posts:
- 125 Best Foods
- QT#12: Know where you are getting your daily requirement of fat from
- What exactly are you eating?
If you enjoyed this post, please do leave a comment and subscribe to the feed to get future articles delivered to your feed reader.
Comments
[...] Think of foods like almonds, peanut butter and olive oil. At first glance, one is bound to think of them as high-calorie and high-fat foods (just a tablespoon of olive oil is 120 calories – all fat and an ounce of almonds is 163 calories – 120 of them from fat!). But look again. These have excellent calorific payloads. Almonds are one of the best nutritionally-dense sources of protein, fiber and Vitamin E; peanut butter has an excellent protein profile and just like these two, in moderate quantities, olive oil (about 1-2 tablespoon per person a day) is a great source of heart-healthy mono-unsaturated fats. So when you eat these foods, it is with a complete understanding that, yes, these are high calorie/fat foods, but they have the payload to justify that and they are actually good for you. [...]
Too bad we can’t get Smart Balance products in Canada. We get Kraft, Skippy and Jiffy Peanut Butters which all add unhealthy Hydrogenated Oils. Why can’t any of the largest selling brands be more considerate of consumer’s health instead of just using what is cheapest and most convenient in their products?
I just started my diet, which the goals are to
get a bit more definition on my overall physic.
The diet suggests something like a spoonful peanut butter to go along with a low carb meal and I found the SmartBalance peanut butter in my store. Then I saw your review endorsing it and I’m pretty psyched I went with it over the jiffy and smuckers.
Good Luck on your diet Mike!
Peanut Butter is an excellent supplement to any healthy eating plan with a combination of proteins and good fats. Do remember, though, that moderation is key here,although upto two spoonfuls a day should be OK for most people.
-FM.
It is rather unfortunate to see responsible people in your country fooling around with people’s health like this. We have it here in Trinidad.Peanut butter is made here among other things and on the peanut butter container it tells us hydrogenated oil is within. I am sure the manufacturers know about its effects, but they are waiting for some action. So help me I’ll give it to them. I will start by sending them some of this literature.
[...] Featured in the site are some of the usual suspects that we have already looked at here, like Low-fat Cottage Cheese and Peanut Butter. But you can also find some new stuff in there like good snack ideas (Triscuits – who knew!) and the best Vegetarian Burgers (Gardenburger). Make your list of the most healthful foods today. [...]