Calling All Peanut Butter Lovers

Did you know, one 12-ounce jar of peanut butter contains 540 peanuts?  Peanut butter is one of the most loved foods nationwide and is the leading use of peanuts in the United States, which is why there is an entire month to celebrate America’s favorite spread – November is National Peanut Butter Lovers Month! 

Peanut butter is a versatile spread that can be combined with anything: next to jelly on a sandwich, as a dipper for fruits and vegetables like bananas, apples and celery, as an ingredient or flavoring in baked goods or added to shakes and smoothies; the possibilities are endless!  Peanut butter is a simple spread made from ground roasted peanuts.  Nowadays, there are so many different varieties of peanut butter on the supermarket shelves, it could get confusing to decipher which is the healthiest to buy.

Though peanut butters is considered a healthy food, some manufacturers add salt and sweeteners, which is why it is still important to know what to look for on the label when buying peanut butter.  My suggestion is to opt for all natural peanut butter! You might need to mix it when you open it, but at least you know you’re getting pure peanuts and no added sugars and hydrogenated oils. The quickest way to know if the peanut butter is in its purest and healthiest form is to go directly to the ingredient list.  If the only ingredient listed is “dry roasted peanuts”, you can add it to your shopping cart!

There are dozens of other nut butters on the market as well, but peanut butter has long been a favorite for many. If you have a peanut allergy or you simply do not like the taste, don’t be discouraged because you can still incorporate the other heart healthy nut butters into your menus, such as almond, cashew and sunflower seed butter.

Peanut butter is a good source of protein, vitamin E and contains heart healthy mono and polyunsaturated fatty acids.  Though high in healthy fats, you should still limit peanut butter to 2 tablespoons per serving since it is a high fat/high calorie food.

Your turn to take action: If you are one of the millions of peanut butter lovers out there, go to http://peanutbutterlovers.com/ and take the quiz to find out what peanut butter combo is best for you! I took the quiz and my Perfect PB Combo is PB & Celery!

What’s yours!

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