Is your peanut butter wearing a disguise?

Sadly, not all peanut butters can be trusted. I’ll state the good news up front – peanuts are good for you and so is peanut butter. However, the majority of peanut butters on the market are wearing a health disguise and as you’ll soon see, do not look good naked. How do we tell the difference between the healthy ones and those hiding behind a disguise? Simple, we read the label. Unhealthy peanut butters contain added sugar and other ingredients such as oil, salt, and additives. The healthy peanut butters contain only one ingredient… PEANUTS!

Here is a comparison of 4 peanut butters on the market. If you were looking to have a healthy breakfast, which one would you choose? 

I decided to check out what some of the companies who sell unhealthy peanut butter had to say about their products. Unfortunately, some companies (Kraft being a good example) try hard to convince us that their peanut butters are healthy. Kraft has done this by focusing their communication on the benefits of a plain peanut.

Text from the Kraft website:
“High GI foods like rice and potatoes, raise blood glucose levels quickly but this level drops quickly too, leaving you feeling tired and hungry. Low GI foods raise blood glucose levels slowly then release their energy gradually. Peanuts are among the foods having the lowest GI. And because peanuts are high in protein, carbohydrates and good oil, they’re a high-energy food. Thanks to its low GI, Kraft Peanut Butter gives you energy that just keeps going and going”

Kraft is right about the benefits of a peanut, they really are a delicious and nutritious food. The problem is that Kraft adds sugar to their peanut butter, which is a very high GI food. Also, they mention that peanuts contain good oils, but then Kraft adds hydrogenated vegetable oil. This oil deserves its own article to discuss its problems and health risks, however its purpose is to increase the shelf life of the product and ensure a solid product at room temperature (meaning that the natural oils don’t separate).

Since real peanut butter doesn’t have all of these unhealthy additives, it should be stored in the refrigerator after opening and oil separation may naturally occur, requiring a quick stir before use. I believe these trade-offs are worth it. Don’t you?