Peanut butter - Page 2

[Magelet]

I HATE maranatha (at least the crunchy stuff I just bought), for the same reason I imagine you might like it. It is unnaturally smooth (like skippy), and tastes horribly sweet to me (used to natural peanut butter) even though it is unsweetened. But the texture is the worst, it really is exactly like skippy or those other unhealthy peanut butters. Give it a try with some honey, you might like it a lot.

[EMS]

Palm oil is good. My favorite peanut butter was the organic one from Whole Foods which is made with palm oil.
Oh, I miss peanut butter! Here I have to make my own, and it's just not the same.

[jpamama]

I feel the same guilt - just can't stomach the natural peanut butters - anyone know of a good brands to try in Canada that don't have the gritty taste to them - my family is addicted to Kraft smooth peanut butter but would love to change to something more healthy as my kids eat peanut butter almost once a day if not twice... yikes!

[rhiOrion]

My favorite is the Smart Balance peanut butter. They have one that is made with Molasses, and they have one that is made with Agave nectar. Neither are super-sweet, but they are sweeter than the all natural stuff. And I think the ingredients are basically peanuts, salt, and molasses (or agave).

Mmmmmmm.

You can find it at any grocery store.

[Harmony08]

I like the bad stuff too. I grew up on Jiff. YUM. We get the storebrand at Whole Foods. It sounds like the natural skippy cause it has palm oil and some sugar, oh and salt of course.

[noobmom]

Have you guys tried the Arrowhead Mills Organic Creamy Valencia Peanut Butter? I think it's really yummy and doesn't have that grittiness to it. Then again, I haven't had regular PB in years, so my taste buds could be off.

[inky leeuhhh]

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.

ok, sorry to butt in, but i am sitting here like an idiot trying to figure out what CO stands for. ill probably think of it right after i post this. could someone enlighten me? lol.

[Karamom]

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.

yum! my favorite way to eat PB!

Originally Posted by inky leeuhhh

ok, sorry to butt in, but i am sitting here like an idiot trying to figure out what CO stands for. ill probably think of it right after i post this. could someone enlighten me? lol.

coconut oil

[tanyalynn]

For those that don't like natural peanut butters, maybe try an almond butter or another type of nut butter for a while? Similar uses, but the flavor may be different enough (along with the different texture) that it won't be that direct comparison. At least that type of stuff worked for me when we transitioned gluten-free, the direct substitutions were often disappointing, but things that were somewhat new often tasted better.

[2xshy]

you can try mixing it with icing sugar to make it sweeter and have a different consistency.

[Purple*Lotus]

Originally Posted by cristeen

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.

I had no idea what to make of the oil on top of my natural organic almond butter that I bought. So I dumped it out without stirring it in It tastes fine though, now I know for next time to stir it!