Peanut butter

[LeahBoo]

I really like peanut butter. But only the bad stuff - full of sugar and hydrogenated oils. I have tried eating the natural kind. I can't stand it. I don't like that I can never get it stirred enough, or that it is still gritty, or that it is just a little runny. Or the flavor. .

I bought some today, "natural" skippy. Made with palm oil and non-stirry. Still has sugar.

Is palm oil healthy? Has to be better than "partially hydrogenated vegetable oil", right?

Also is there something I can do for the big jar of kirkland organic peanut butter my friend gave me? (someone gave it to her, she avoids all things healthy - pretty much lives on white bread and american cheese) Can I add to it (honey, coconut oil?), or blend it or something?

[cristeen]

Originally Posted by LeahBoo

Also is there something I can do for the big jar of kirkland organic peanut butter my friend gave me? (someone gave it to her, she avoids all things healthy - pretty much lives on white bread and american cheese) Can I add to it (honey, coconut oil?), or blend it or something?

Yes, palm oil is definitely healthier than partially hydrogenated oil.

As for the natural, combine 2 parts melted CO, 2 parts PB and 1 part honey (roughly - it doesn't have to be exact), blend well, then pop it in the fridge until firm. Scoop it out with a melon baller or a cookie scooper and make PB balls - you can roll them in shredded coconut, cocoa powder, chopped nuts or just leave them plain. Store in the fridge or the freezer. They'll keep indefinitely, and they make a great healthy snack.

[LeahBoo]

Right after I posted, I was thinking I could use the natural pb to make cookies or dog buscuits. But I love the PB balls idea. I think I'll make some for my gluten-dairy-soy free sister. I think I'll also try adding it to oatmeal.

[Therese's Mommy]

When we could have pb I always loved the Maranatha brand. It wasn't too hard to stir and stayed stirred up if kept in the fridge. It was also very creamy. It had only peanuts and salt.

[ursusarctos]

If you have a Whole Foods around they often have nut grinders so you can grind your own fresh peanut or almond butter. Nothing compares :

[GreenKnitPocket]

I like the "bad" peanut butter too. It's so good! I want to try the reduced fat natural style by smucker's. Has anyone tried that? Fitness magazine chose it as the best peanut butter for their healthy food awards so it must be good! They actually had a lot of interesting picks for breakfast and lunch. Did anyone else see the article?

[cristeen]

Originally Posted by GreenKnitPocket

I like the "bad" peanut butter too. It's so good! I want to try the reduced fat natural style by smucker's. Has anyone tried that? Fitness magazine chose it as the best peanut butter for their healthy food awards so it must be good!

They replaced the fat with sugar. Corn based sugar, at that. Not what I would call particularly healthy.

As for natural PBs, my favorite has always been Laura Schudders. It doesn't have the gritty texture that most of the natural PBs do. Also, a tip for stirring in the oil - dump it out into a bowl first, it's WAY less messy. Then stir it really well, scrape it back into the jar and pop it in the fridge. You shouldn't have to stir it again if you refrigerate it. I know some people also store it upside down, which supposedly prevents the separation, but I've never tried it.

[staceychev]

I second the suggestion to use a grinder. Won't help with the lack of added sugar, but isn't oily and doesn't need to be stirred. Maybe you can use that and run it through the blender with coconut oil and honey like the PP suggested.

[frontierpsych]

I shop at Fry's which has a peanut grinder. It is very good peanut butter. I was never a fan of the natural jarred stuff either.

[Smocked]

Originally Posted by ursusarctos

If you have a Whole Foods around they often have nut grinders so you can grind your own fresh peanut or almond butter. Nothing compares :

yes, yes, YES! I don't know if you live in an area that has WinCo, but they have it there too. Very affordable too I have never had it separate on me.

[Magelet]

I think safeway has the grind your own as well... or at least I know some of them do. the one where I went to school did, in a crazy huge bulk nuts section.

I can't help with brands, I've always bought the cheapest non-large food conglomerate natural. (no adams, etc)

[BAU3]

Something that helped me become a fan of the natural pb is that I started eating it in ways that I wouldn't have eaten pb normally. Like, on whole wheat crackers..or in pb balls, as previously suggested.

When you try to just replace the regular with the natural, its an unexpected difference.. like in a pb and jelly sandwich etc.. The whole thing tastes different. But when you start out eating it in different ways it, for me, became a much preferable taste. And now the regular stuff tastes like crisco to me. yuck.

[anniegirl]

A good way to get used to natural PB, you need three things: a spoon, jar of natural PB, and chocolate chips.

[Mama~Love]

Originally Posted by cristeen

Yes, palm oil is definitely healthier than partially hydrogenated oil.

As for the natural, combine 2 parts melted CO, 2 parts PB and 1 part honey (roughly - it doesn't have to be exact), blend well, then pop it in the fridge until firm. Scoop it out with a melon baller or a cookie scooper and make PB balls - you can roll them in shredded coconut, cocoa powder, chopped nuts or just leave them plain. Store in the fridge or the freezer. They'll keep indefinitely, and they make a great healthy snack.

: That sounds DELICIOUS! I will have to try that!!

[LeahBoo]

Oh, no, it's not a matter of getting used to it. I have tried, really tried. For years. I've eaten whole jars of it in the past (not all at once ). Figuring I would get used to the difference. I don't. blech!

[dziwozony]

Originally Posted by anniegirl

A good way to get used to natural PB, you need three things: a spoon, jar of natural PB, and chocolate chips.

oh man, this is my ultimate downfall!

[Laniemama]

I like the Maranatha brand also. The almond butter by them is so good too! To stir my natural pb and keep it like that, I use my hand mixer and one dough hook. I mix it very well with that, then freeze it for a few hours, then store in the fridge. I let it warm up for a few min. before trying to spread it. It never separates and is always creamy!

[liliaceae]

Santa Cruz peanut butter is SO good! Kind of expensive though. I think it's normally $6 a jar, but goes on sale at Whole Foods for $4.50 pretty regularly. It's not gritty at all, but you do have to stir it. Conventional PB makes me feel sick when I eat it now.

[mamadelbosque]

I grew up eating natural PB, but I still love the sugar-added stuff... I've taken to Natural Jiff though lately - I get it from WIC and it is SO god. And it at least doesn't have the hydrogenated oils...

[FancyNancy]

I know what you mean...i can't get used to natural PB at all! I recently bought some from whole foods and I know its supposed to be good for you but I just can't make myself like it. I'd rather stick to the "bad" stuff