Peanut butter – forget what you may have heard about it being too fattening, too high in sugar or too many calories.  This childhood favorite is one of the best foods anyone can choose to fuel their body.  Next time you’re at the grocery store, walk on past the fancy energy bars or protein powders, and instead pick up a jar of peanut butter, a real food that gets real results.

This food is not only a tasty, satisfying performance enhancer, but also is nourishing and good for our health.  Unless you have an allergy to peanuts, peanut butter is a valuable source of nutrients with many health-promoting benefits we all can enjoy. 

·      Peanut butter is satiating and satisfying

 Peanut butter has a sort of stick-to-your-ribs satisfaction without causing a feeling of being overly stuffed.  Since hunger is our body’s way of reminding us to eat, you want to choose foods that keep you feeling full and peanut butter is one of the best.  Peanut butter is a good source of protein and fiber providing that feeling of fullness to squelch hunger pangs. 

Choosing peanut butter tends to leave one pleasantly full leading to fewer calories consumed over the course of a day.

·      Peanut butter is a good source of protein

Notice the bullet point says “good source of protein” and not “great source of protein.”  Let’s be honest, two tablespoons of peanut butter provides about 7 grams of protein which is good but not great.  Compare that to 2-3 ounces of turkey in a sandwich which offers about 20 grams of protein. 

To give a boost to the protein value of peanut butter, pair a peanut butter sandwich with Greek yogurt or swirl peanut butter into cooked oatmeal or soymilk, and you just created a quick, easy, and inexpensive source of quality protein.

·      Peanut butter is affordable

Buying numerous energy bars or other overly expensive engineered sports foods can break your food budget.  A jar of peanut butter is much more affordable and will often last longer, depending on how frequently you use it. 

If we compare the cost of peanut butter in terms of calories ingested, one hundred calories of peanut butter (about 1 tablespoon) costs about $0.07, far less than 100 calories of other protein sources such as cottage cheese ($0.55), tuna ($0.60), or deli turkey breast ($0.75).

·      Peanut butter contains mostly healthy fats

There is no need to overly fret or have concerns with the type of fat found in peanut butter.  The fats that dominate in this nut butter are the heart healthy fats of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.  Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats can help improve blood cholesterol levels which can reduce the risk of heart disease.  These same fats may also benefit insulin levels and blood sugar control, especially helpful for those with type 2 diabetes.

The fat found in peanut butter also helps absorb the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K.  Always include a healthy fat at each meal and peanut butter is an easy way to do this.

·      Peanut butter protects the immune system

The magic ingredients in peanut butter are numerous bioactive compounds called phenols that give a shot of adrenaline to the immune system.  A particularly rich source of anti-oxidants and fiber are Spanish peanuts and the peanut skin.  The fiber provides food for the trillions of bacteria in your gut whose job is to enhance your immune system and health.

But isn’t peanut butter too high in…..

There are always the naysayers who will tell you to stay away from peanut butter.  It’s too high in sugar or too high in sodium or you should only eat “natural” peanut butter.  Let’s take a look at these claims and see if there is any validity to them:

·      Too high in sugar – Peanut butter brands such as Skippy, Jiff, or Peter Pan, have only 2 to 3 grams of sugar in a two tablespoon serving size.  That is minimal compared to about 26 grams of sugar in two tablespoons of grape jelly or 30 grams of sugar in two tablespoons of honey.  Sugar is added to commercial peanut butters for flavor.

·      Too high in sodium – A two tablespoon serving size of peanut butter provides between 140-150 milligrams of sodium, depending on the brand.  The 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends choosing foods with no more than 200 milligrams of sodium per serving, which puts this standard serving size of peanut butter well below that number.  Again, like sugar, sodium is added to commercial peanut butters for flavor. 

·      Shouldn’t we buy only all natural peanut butter? – There has been much confusion over the difference between standard peanut butter and all natural and can both types be considered healthy? 

To be called peanut butter, both traditional and “natural” types must contain a minimum of 90% peanuts, with no artificial sweeteners, colors, or preservatives.  Commercial peanut butters are blended or homogenized for convenience and for creaminess, whereas natural peanut butters require stirring and are not as smooth in texture.

To stabilize commercial peanut butter and to eliminate separation, manufacturers may add a small amount (less than 1-2%) of partially hydrogenated, or full hydrogenated oil.  But even with these additions, changes in macronutrient content per serving compared to “natural” peanut butter is minimal. 

Bottom line, choose whichever peanut butter you like best, commercial or natural, both are healthy and can be enjoyed as a sports enhancing food to its fullest.