National Peanut Butter Day 2023

Today is National Peanut Butter Day: Due to peanut allergies many Americans cannot celebrate this wonderful day without minor modifications. There are many peanut butter substitutes on the market. Some of the most popular choices being: cashew, sunflower, and almond. There are even more protein packed alternatives to traditional peanut butter as well.

I took a look at a few common peanut and peanut alternative butters from a couple stores around the corner and even found an easy peanut butter recipe you can try at home to help you make the best choice for yourself.

When comparing the butters I found a few interesting things:

• Did you know that serving sizes for most nut butters on the shelves at stores are consistently 2TB? According to My Plate (1): a 1 oz. equivalent for nut butters is 1 TBSP- be aware of the difference if you are watching your portions!

• The amount of sodium is higher in the PB Fit Butters (similar to the Skippy PB) than the WF-365 Butters. A lot of people might think of the PB Fit Butters as their healthiest option but those that need lower sodium could have better options.

• Cashew Butter has almost half the amount of protein than the traditional butters.

• The Total Fats for a majority of the butters is quite similar.

BUTTERS OBSERVED

1. Organic Creamy PB (No Sugar Added)

2. Organic Creamy Peanut Butter

3. Organic Creamy Almond Butter

4. Organic Creamy Cashew Butter (No Sugar)

5. Sunflower Butter

6. Creamy Peanut Butter

7. Peanut Butter Powder

8. Peanut Butter (Added Protein)

9. Almond Butter (Added Protein)

TRY IT

10. Create Your Own Peanut Butter

Recipe by Inspired Taste (2)

Ingredients

• 2 cups (300 grams) unsalted shelled peanuts

• Pinch to 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

• 1 to 2 teaspoons honey

• 1 to 3 teaspoons peanut or vegetable oil, if needed

1 TBSP: Calories 95 | Pro 3g | CHO 3g | Fat 8g

Directions

Roast Nuts

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Add the nuts to a round or square cake pan (or rimmed baking sheet).

2. Roast nuts for 3 minutes, shake pan then roast another 3 to 5 minutes or until the nuts are lightly browned and smell nutty (careful, they can burn quickly). Let cool until you can handle them.

Basic Peanut Butter

1. If you are making crunchy peanut butter, add 1/3 cup of the roasted peanuts to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse 6 to 8 times, or until the peanuts are chopped into very small pieces. Transfer chopped peanuts to a bowl and reserve for later.

2. Add the roasted peanuts to bowl of a food processor. Process 1 minute then scrape sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Process another 2 to 3 minutes until the peanut butter is shiny and smooth.

3. Add your desired amount of salt and honey then process until combined. (We add 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1 1/2 teaspoons of honey). Check the consistency: if it seems too thick, add oil, and a teaspoon at a time until you are happy with it. For crunchy peanut butter, stir in the reserved peanuts.

REFERENCES:

1. US Department of Agriculture. "Protein Foods". My Plate. 2020. https://www.myplate.gov/eat-healthy/protein-foods

2. Gallagher, Adam & Joanne. "The Best Homemade Peanut Butter With Variations". Inspired Taste. Feb 2013. https://www.inspiredtaste.net/21318/how-to-make-peanut-butter-three-ways/#itr-recipe-21318