A Dietitian’s 4 Simple Tips for Choosing the Healthiest Peanut Butter

Peanuts are a good source of vegetable proteins, heart health fats and essential minerals such as potassium and magnesium. However, many commercial peanut butters contain added sugars, hydrogenated oils and preservatives who may have a negative impact on health. For the healthiest peanut butter, opt for a peanut and salt.

Consume a lot of sugar added may increase your risk of diabetes, obesity and other heart diseases, Especially when consumed in excess over time.

Many packaged foods contain added sugars, even those that do not have sweet taste. Peanut butter, which contains at least 90% peanuts, is an example. Some brands add sugars, ranging from 1 to 6%, to improve the flavor and the conservation time of the product.

Fully natural peanut butter (made from peanuts and salt) contains 1 gram of sugar per portion, while more transformed peanut butters can contain 3 grams. Adding sugar here and there can easily add up during the day.

Conservatives are added to improve the taste and texture of a food and improve its shelf life. For peanut butters, these are sugars, such as cane sugar and molasses, and stabilizers such as hydrogenated oils and lecithin.

However, there are peanut butters that only contain peanuts and salt.

Hydrogenated oils are fats with added hydrogen. They can be added to peanut butter to prevent it from going wrong and maintain its thick and creamy texture. Many brands of popular peanut butter contain hydrogenated oils at 1 to 5% to prevent oils from separating.

There is a lot of evidence that partially hydrogenated oils have a large amount of trans fatwhich are considered dangerous. Hydrogenated oils may not be so risky, but they still contain a large amount of unhealthy saturated fats. You should limit saturated fat to less than 10% of your diet.

Lécithin is an additive sometimes used as an emulsifier to keep the peanut butter smoother by preventing the natural separation of the oil from peanut solids. It is generally considered safe Since only very small amounts are generally used in peanut butter. Lecithins can even provide health benefits, such as support for cholesterol control.

However, as lecithins are more commonly added to peanut butter products which also contain hydrogenated oils and added sugars, It is always better to opt for natural peanut butter Made only with peanuts and salt.

Making your own peanut butter means better control of your ingredients.

You can include your favorite type of peanuts (for example, dry roast, slightly salty or raw). You can also decide the amount of salt to be added. If you have a food processor, it can be a simple DIY project:

1. Fill your root root robot with roasted peanuts (about 3 cups for a 7 cup processor) and add a pinch of salt if the nuts are not salty.
2. Treat about 8 to 10 minutes until the peanut butter is smooth. You may need to take a break about every minute to scrape the sides of the bowl.
3. Transfer to a pot with a tight lid. Store the pot upside down so that when oils separate naturally, they float up.

Nuts and seeds are important for heart health, weight management and blood sugar control. They are also part of health diets favorable to health such as Mediterranean and Dash diets.

Peanuts, almonds and pistachios have the highest quantities of protein Compared to other types of nuts. The peanuts lead the pack with 7 grams of protein per portion, while almonds and pistachios have about 6 grams.

Macadamia nuts are rich monounsaturated fats– including oleic and palmitic acids, which are beneficial for brain health. Nuts are among the richest edible plant sources Omega-3 fatty acids.

Some other nuts of nut butter include:

• Almond butter
• Cashew butter
• Walnut butter
• Macadamia butter
• Pistachio butter

Advice: If you make your own nut butter, try a combination of two or three different nuts. Keep in mind that some nuts contain more oil and are softer, which makes them easier and faster to treat.

To balance your snacks (or increase your meals) with healthy fats and a little vegetable protein, you can try one of these combinations.

• Spread the peanut butter on toast, dates or crunchy celery sticks for a satisfactory snack in the middle of the morning.
• Continue salted peanut butter dip, like a peanut satay, to add a daring flavor, healthy fats and certain vegetable proteins with grilled chicken kebabs.
• Stir it to your morning floconal to make your porridge more creamy, more tasty and more satisfactory.
• Mix it in your smoothie For a boost of protein from healthy plants and fats that will keep you under tension and supplied longer.
• Spread it on waffles, then garnish with fresh berries and finish with a light net of maple syrup.
• Drizzle a creamy peanut butter -based vinaigrette On green leafy vegetables, roasted vegetables or a hearty bowl based on protein and cereals.

Peanut butter can be a healthy addition to your diet, as it supports control of blood sugar and satiety. Choosing the healthiest peanut butter simply means choosing one with just peanuts and salt.

You can create your own or buy a brand that does not contain added sugars or preservatives, such as hydrogenated oils.