What's in your peanut butter?

[Dominique]

I've been tasting two different peanut butters lately, both of UK origin (obviously, the peanuts must have been grown elsewhere), as I'm based in Europe: one from Biona, the other one from MyProtein.

The Biona butter has 623kcal per 100g, 49.2g fat, 25.8g proteins, 16.1g carbs. The MyProtein butter has 579kcal, 46.0g fat, 29.6g proteins, 11.6g carbs. Biona states "palm fat free - no added sugar", MyProtein "no added salt, sugar or palm oil" (Biona does have 0.4g of salt). I understand palm oil is commonly added in cheaper peanut butters (as well as in so many other processed food, unfortunately), same with salt and sugar. What could be the reason for the slightly more advantageous content (more proteins, less calories, less fat, less carbs)  of the MyProtein product?

Have you found other good quality peanut butters? If so, how do they compare with the above?

[tirednurse]

I just make it easy and grind fresh organic peanuts into peanut butter at Whole Foods market. Then I know exactly what I am eating.

[bax]

Dominique -- go to this link and you will see the ingredients for an all natural peanut butter -- Adam's They say only a dash of salt is added and nothing else, so this, I would assume is as close as you can get to grinding your own.  I love this peanut butter, but it is all natural and so you will have to mix it as the peaut oil will be floating on the top.  That can be messy, I just scoop it out of the jar into a bowl and use a hand mixer then back in the jar it goes then into the frig to keep it from separating.  Hope this helps in you quest for the better peanut butter, Dan Bax

[bax]

Silly me, I forgot to give the link -- hum, won't let me copy and paste -- go to Amazon.com and type in Adam's All Natural Peanut Butter and that should take you to a picture of the jar and the ingredients label.

[Dominique]

No problem, I found the link to the company's site: http://www.adamspeanutbutter.com/product

The nutritional info is given for a serving (2 Tbspn = 32g) rather than per 100g, which is the norm and makes it easy to get percentages. Anyway, if I convert this on a 100g basis, I get fat = 50g, proteins = 21.9g and carbs = 18.75g. I wonder how the ones I mentioned manage to have more proteins and less carbs.

[Dominique]

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@tirednurse wrote:
I just make it easy and grind fresh organic peanuts into peanut butter at Whole Foods market. Then I know exactly what I am eating.

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@tirednurse: that would be a worthy option if I had access to the raw material! Unfortunately, it's not the case where I live.

[bax]

http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/legumes-and-legume-products/4452/2

this link will give you the break down of natural PB in just about any
size you want, 200g or 100g -- You wonder about the 9.4g unaccounted
for? If you look at this break down you will see things not included on
labels. For one, "ash" and a percentage of water, which would vary by
the product harvested. In most of these types of specifications there
has to be a certain percentage of error to be accounted for -- all
natural, from the field to your jar. In the example at this site the
"ash" plus the "water" content would allow for half of the 9.4g not
counted. Maybe you can go over this spec sheet and find the rest.
After all, all natural ground peanuts should be the same, based on where
the peanuts are grown and according to the type of peanut used, right?
Now the question is, "What do they mean by "ash?" Have fun and what is
more fun than eating peanut butter. I like the chunky. Oh, just
thought, when you mix your all natural peanut butter you lose a certain
amount of the oil, at least I do, in the bowl on the knife on the
beaters -- I wonder how that would change the specs of the product
finally returned to the jar? Guess we should all head for the Whole
Foods and dump the peanuts in and grind away then get it to the frig
before it separates. Dan Bax

[rightdx]

I ate Skippy creamy peanut butter as a kid, and that's what we give our kids.  Serving size is 2 tablespoons (32 g).  So 3 servings (96 g) has 570 kcal, 48 g fat, 21 g protein and 18 g carbs. 

The label proudly states that there are "NO PRESERVATIVES, ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS , OR COLORS". But it does list "hydrogenated vegetable oil (cotonseed, soybean and rapseed oil) to prevent separation". 

Umm... doesn't that mean it has the dreaded trans fatty acids? 

I could buy the health food version, I'm not so finicky, but would the kids eat it?

[MeikeD]

Hi Dominique, I live in the USA and I am not sure if this brand is available to you, but I buy Teddie brand. It is made in Massachusetts (where I live) and the ingredients are: roasted peanuts and salt. There is even one with flax seed oil in it. Smooth Old Fashioned All Natural Peanut Butter Nutrition facts (2 Tbsp size): Total Fat 16g, Sodium 125 mg, total Carb. 7g, fiber 3g, sugar 1g, protein 8g.

[jpdavid6363]

Try googling trans fat or use this link  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trans_fat.

It appears that hydrogenation of vegetable oils changes it from unsaturated to saturated fat but that trans fats come from partial hydrogenation of vegetable oils.

Who really knows the truth?  When the label says hydrogenated oils, does it mean no partial hydrogenation?

My personal solution was to give up peanut butter as a snack and only use organic PB with no additives as a flavoring for the occasional protein drink -- i.e. --I gave up almost all bread.

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@rightdx wrote:

I ate Skippy creamy peanut butter as a kid, and that's what we give our kids.  Serving size is 2 tablespoons (32 g).  So 3 servings (96 g) has 570 kcal, 48 g fat, 21 g protein and 18 g carbs. 

The label proudly states that there are "NO PRESERVATIVES, ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS , OR COLORS". But it does list "hydrogenated vegetable oil (cotonseed, soybean and rapseed oil) to prevent separation". 

Umm... doesn't that mean it has the dreaded trans fatty acids? 

I could buy the health food version, I'm not so finicky, but would the kids eat it?

[SunsetRunner]

Different nutritional info is from different types of peanuts maybe? Check Amazon UK, you might be able to get peanuts from them.

[Zasusmom]

Peanuts, nothing else