This is my: Peanut Butter
22
May
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
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