Peanut butter is, no doubt, a real star in American cuisine. Moreover, this product is highly appreciated all over the world. And a surprising fact for you: you can use peanut butter as a part of your healthy meals! Do you want to learn more about this tasty and nutritious product? We can bet, in this article, you will face some more surprises about it.

What Is Peanut Butter and How Is It Produced

Peanut butter is a product derived from thoroughly grated peanuts. While producing this product, peanuts are sorted, sometimes, dried, and then ground to the consistency of a homogeneous paste. Due to the fatty structure of peanuts, the resulting paste has a silky and oily texture which allows it to spread easily and enjoy its sticky texture on the tongue.

The Main Types of Peanut Butter

Manufacturers provide consumers with a diversity of tastes for peanut butter. The most popular types of this product are as follows:

  • Salted peanut butter with a bit of salt added to the paste.
  • Sweet peanut butter is produced using sugars or honey.
  • Unsalted peanut butter provides the taste of the product as-is.

Besides, there are options made of raw or toasted peanuts, with additional flavors and ingredients.

Unveiling Myths About Peanut Butter

While gaining popularity, peanut butter was also overgrown with myths. Some of them have real backgrounds while others are simply prejudices which occurred due to the high content of fats in peanut butter.

Myth #1: It Is Extra Fatty

Of course, peanut butter is called butter not occasionally. It consists of almost 50% of its while its carbs levels are only 10-11%. Besides, half of the fats in peanut butter belong to oleic acid, fat acids which also are present in olive oil. They are useful for heart health and provide better insulin sensitivity. One more component of peanut butter is Omega-6 fatty acid which is present in the product in considerable amounts. This substance is a must for HLS maintenance and a healthy diet.

Myth #2: It Increases Bad Cholesterol

Peanut butter in its pure form doesn’t provide the boost of bad cholesterol. Moreover, it helps to maintain its normal levels.

Myth #3: Peanut Butter Boosts Obesity

Lots of nutritionists banned peanut butter from their recommendations due to its high energy value. Peanut butter indeed has over 580 calories per 100 g. But this product is highly nutritious, and a regular person can hardly eat more than a couple of teaspoons of it. Of course, thoughtless consumption of peanut butter can play a bad joke on you. Yet, lots of other products can do the same. Moderate consumption of peanut butter and a diverse menu never leads to obesity.

Facts About Useful Properties of Peanut Butter

Now let’s consider some facts about peanut butter. The first is that peanut butter is not a nut-based product. Peanuts are not nuts but legumes and they are closer to beans and soy than to cashews or walnuts. That’s the secret why peanut butter is one of the most appreciated products for vegetarians and vegans.

Peanut butter has been made since ancient times by Indian tribes from Mexico; they smeared the peanuts and then ground them into a paste. In Chinese cuisine, it was used as a storehouse of various sauces. Moreover, in recent centuries, American nutritionist Dr. Kellogg prescribed it to people with limited ability to chew as a substitute for meat. So, you shouldn’t discard it from your menu if you decide to follow one of the diets.

And one more surprising fact. You shouldn’t mistake peanut butter with peanut oil. These are two quite different products.

Peanut Butter

 

Now let’s learn about facts which are related to peanut butter’s benefits as a part of a healthy meal.

Fact #1: It Is a Low-Carb Product

The rate of carbs in peanut butter is surprisingly low. Only 10 g of carbs are present in 100 g of product. This is good news for appreciators of the keto diet or low-carb menu.

Fact #2: It Has a Bunch of Vitamins and Microelements

The diversity of useful vitamins and microelements in peanut butter amazes consumers greatly. On average, this product consists of:

  • Vitamin E (almost 60% of the daily norm),
  • Vitamins B3, B5, and B6,
  • Folates,
  • Copper,
  • Iron,
  • Zink,
  • Potassium,
  • Magnesium.

Add to this also the fact that peanut butter is a source of fiber which is necessary for good digestion.

Fact #3: It Is a Great Source of Protein

What we love in peanut butter besides its bright taste is its high protein levels. Almost a quarter of it is proteins! That’s why it is appreciated as an alternative to meat. Especially, if you get it in the form of a yummy and useful meal, for example, in the form of Peanut Butter Protein Bars.

The Key Benefits of Peanut Butter for Well-Being

Summarizing the facts, let’s highlight the most essential benefits to appreciate when adding a bit of peanut butter to your daily meals.

  • It gives a feeling of satiety for a long time, and also nourishes the body with the necessary protein;
  • Contributes to the normalization of cholesterol levels in the body;
  • It helps strengthen immunity;
  • Peanut butter helps to prevent the development of heart and vascular diseases;
  • It positively affects brain activity;
  • If used correctly, it is included in the diet at the stage of losing weight or gaining muscle mass;
  • It contains tryptophan, which benefits the nervous system;
  • It suits people with diabetes and those who for various reasons do not eat meat products (vegans, vegetarians, people with intolerance, etc.);
  • In men, peanut butter is also a helper which boosts testosterone production and positively impacts reproductive health;
  • As a rich source of antioxidants, peanut butter helps with rejuvenation, anti-aging processes, and youth preservation.

Yet, is there a fly in an ointment? Of course, it is. Peanuts are one of the strongest and the most dangerous allergens. Thus, peanut butter is strictly prohibited to consume if you have an allergy or peanut intolerance.

How to Make Peanut Butter a Part of Your Healthy Meals

Do not forget also that peanut butter gained a controversial reputation not fully occasionally. It happened due to non-reliable manufacturers which, to reduce costs for peanut butter production included the recipe harmful additives like extra sugars, trans fats, and cheap veg oils. All of them increased the levels of calories and mitigated useful properties of the product.

Thus, to make peanut butter a safe and nutritious healthy meal for your menu, it is better to adhere to the following tips.

  • Select products which are 100% made of peanuts with no trans fats or colorants.
  • Better select unsalted peanut butter with no sugar.
  • Do not use it in combination with high-carb products like wheat bread, cookies, biscuits, etc.
  • The best dosage of peanut butter per day is a tablespoon. In case when you are training hard to increase muscle mass, you can increase this dose twice.
  • Protein bars with peanut butter are among the best and the most balanced types of meals with this product. Besides, you can get them delivered by us.

So, since ancient times, peanut butter has been a valuable source of nutritive components. It is rich in fats and proteins, its taste is amazing, and it can work for your well-being tip-top if you consume it thoughtfully.