Peanut butter is a staple in most pantries and a common part of the American diet. It is inexpensive and requires no refrigeration. For a long time, I wouldn't eat peanut butter. Like many things I wouldn't eat for several years, I claimed I didn't like it but, truth be told, I was avoiding it more because it is notoriously high in calories and fat. And I was a calorie counter. Or a fat gram counter. It depended on the day. Since then, though, I've started to look at food more from the angle of the nutritional value it provides, rather than the calorie/fat stats on their own. And also, I appreciate convenience. PB&J was my Saturday morning staple before my long runs during marathon training. The bread and jelly provided carbs and the peanut butter "stuck to my ribs" (thanks to the fat and protein) without making me feel sick. Not sure of the science behind that, but it worked for me! I also appreciate puppy chow and peanut butter m&ms, although I can't really justify the nutritional value there :) But if you need to put on some weight, that's the way to go! (Not that I have ever had the need to gain weight, sadly.)
2 tablespoons, the suggested serving size, provides on average 190 calories and 16gm of fat. To put this in perspective, the average person needs about 2000 calories in a day and the recommended dietary allowance of fat at that calorie level is about 65 grams. I would like to point out that "average" doesn't necessarily describe most people's needs. A lanky teenage boy who is active might utilize 3000 calories a day. A sedentary elderly woman might use 1200. A sedentary small-ish woman in her late 20s might use 1500. That same woman might use 1800-2000 if she exercised regularly. There are many factors: age, activity level, gender, weight, height, muscle mass, metabolism, genetic factors... blah blah blah. So it is hard to just throw out a number that covers everyone. Bottom line: if you're gaining weight, you are eating more calories than you are burning; if you're losing weight, you are eating less calories than you are burning. In addition, the number of carbs/protein/fat you need are generally proportional to the number of calories you need.
A general recommendation of where you should get your calories from is 50-60% from carbohydrates, 25-35% from fat (no more than 10% from saturated fat), and 10-20% from protein. I am not advocating figuring out exactly what you are consuming, the point here is everyone should eat a balanced diet! No fat-free or carb-free diets please. Unless you want dull skin and hair (if you had no fat in your diet) or no energy (if you had no carbs).
Back to the topic at hand: peanut butter. I take issue when peanut butter is promoted for it's protein content because I think its misleading. It would really be hard to get enough protein from just eating peanut butter. 2 tablespoons has 7gm of protein, appx the same amount in 1oz. of meat/poultry or 1 egg. I'd have to eat 14 tablespoons of peanut butter to meet the low end of my protein needs for a day. Nothing wrong with it and yes, it does contribute to your protein needs - but not the most dense source out there. I also object when peanut butter is blasted for it's high fat content because it is actually reasonable in its saturated fat content (3gm/serving or 16% of the RDA) and provides a good amount of heart-healthy monounsaturated fat (according to my Hill Country Fare jar, 7gm of the total amount of fat are from monos). Fat is higher in calories but also helps you to stay feeling full longer and may prevent you from going for a snack soon after you've already eaten. Peanut butter can definitely be incorporated in a healthy diet without fear of weight gain if you eat it in reasonable quantities and with consideration to the rest of your meals.
The question proposed to me on this blog many weeks ago was from the girl who forced me to eat massive quantities of afore mentioned peanut butter m&ms - she wanted to know about the differences in types of peanut butter and if she must continue to eat the natural kind. Generally, brand to brand, the nutritional content is very similar. Here is the breakdown on 4 types of Jif peanut butter (all for 2tbsp serving):
Regular Creamy (Regular Crunchy has the same breakdown)
Calories: 190
Fat: 16gm, 3gm saturated
Carbohydrates: 7gm (Sugars 3gm)
Protein: 7gm
Ingredients: ROASTED PEANUTS AND SUGAR. CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF: MOLASSES, FULLY HYDROGENATED VEGETABLE OILS (RAPESEED AND SOYBEAN), MONO AND DIGLYCERIDES, SALT.
Reduced Fat
Calories: 190
Fat: 12gm, 2.5gm saturated
Carbohydrates: 15gm (Sugars 4gm)
Protein: 8gm
Ingredients: PEANUTS, CORN SYRUP SOLIDS, SUGAR AND SOY PROTEIN, CONTAINS 2 PERCENT OR LESS OF: FULLY HYDROGENATED VEGETABLE OILS (RAPESEED AND SOYBEAN), SALT, MONO- AND DIGLYCERIDES, MOLASSES, NIACINAMIDE, FOLIC ACID, PYRIDOXINE HYDROCHLORIDE, MAGNESIUM OXIDE, ZINC OXIDE, FERRIC ORTHOPHOSPHATE, AND COPPER SULFATE.
Natural Jif
Calories: 190
Fat: 16gm, 3gm saturated
Carbohydrates: 7gm (Sugars 3gm)
Protein: 7gm
Ingredients: MADE FROM ROASTED PEANUTS, SUGAR, CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF: PALM OIL, SALT, MOLASSES.
Simply Jif
Calories: 190
Fat: 16gm, 3gm saturated
Carbohydrates: 6gm (Sugars 2gm)
Protein: 8gm
Ingredients: MADE FROM ROATED PEANUTS, CONTAINS 2 PERCENT OR LESS OF: FULLY HYDROGENATED VEGETABLE OILS (RAPESEED AND SOYBEAN), MONO- AND DIGLYCERIDES, MOLASSES, SUGAR AND SALT.
With the exception of the reduced fat variety, you can see that the basic nutrition profile is essentially the same. The reduced fat kind has 25% less overall fat but only like 15% less saturated fat than the original. There is 2x the amount of carbohydrates than the original. That is because generally when you remove a essential ingredient you have to replace it with something else - in this case, it appears to be corn syrup solids (and a crapload of random stabilizers). Yum! I am not a proponent of reduced fat foods when they are altered in this way, especially because the calories are the same here. (Reduced fat dairy is different - they generally make it the same way, just skim off various amounts of fat.) The Natural Jif is unique because you probably recognize all the ingredients that fall into that 2% category. The Regular and Natural are comprised 98% of peanuts and sugar. Simply Jif is comprised of 98% peanuts, the sugar is included in that last 2%. However, there is only 1gm less sugar in the Simply Jif than the regular or natural. In my opinion, you should eat the one of those 3 that you like the most because nutritionally there is very little difference. If you are a purist and don't like not recognizing those last few ingredients, stick with the Natural.
Hope this was useful information for you. Feel free to leave your thoughts on peanut butter in the comments and any other nutrition topics you're curious about!
Love, B
PS - 97 days to the wedding!
