Natural peanut butter vs regular peanut butter

[Maximilian]

So ive just watched this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3D4gRYZvBA

One of the peanut butters he has is apparently just peanuts... nothing else. The other one is a whole ton of other crap in it.

Im in the UK and there actually isn't any peanut butter with just peanuts in it, they all have something added.

This is the closest to 100% natural we got:
http://www.tesco.com/groceries/Product/Details/?id=275503756

This is the regular stuff I usually buy:
http://www.tesco.com/groceries/Product/Details/?id=250792306

Is there much wrong with that regular stuff? Is that natural peanut butter really much better?

 

[HeXen]

I purchased some Natural PB a few weeks ago in fact. It's terrible. Bland, dry tasting. Imagine putting a handful of unsalted peanuts in your mouth and reduce the flavor by about a 1/3rd. Now imagine it in a very thick, tar like consistency where it sticks to your entire mouth.

I try to do the healthy options when I can, but no way I could stand to make PB sandwiches with this stuff. It's also thicker than the regular and has this oily base that keeps going to the top, you have to stir it up each time.

 

[gar655]

I purchased some Natural PB a few weeks ago in fact. It's terrible. Bland, dry tasting. Imagine putting a handful of unsalted peanuts in your mouth and reduce the flavor by about a 1/3rd. Now imagine it in a very thick, tar like consistency where it sticks to your entire mouth.

I try to do the healthy options when I can, but no way I could stand to make PB sandwiches with this stuff. It's also thicker than the regular and has this oily base that keeps going to the top, you have to stir it up each time.

+1

Bought some natural stuff by mistake once so decided to try it. Had to spit it out. Took it back to Costco and told them it tasted like shit and got my money back and bought the nice tasting sugary one.

 

[mple]

Just use common sense and consume the foods you enjoy in moderation.

 

[Auric]

It only needs to be stirred initially and then refrigerated to prevent reseparation and for longevity. The unnatural stuff has additives/fillers to do that while increasing profit margins and appealing to childrens' taste for sweetness. Sugar and salt can always be added to real PB but obviously cannot be removed from the fake (and chances are you would not add as much).

There must be other mongers in the UK. If not the major chains (or aforementioned Costco), then Amazon and such -even if only to find brands and then check with the manufacturer for retailers. Smaller scale "health food" stores are an option but same packaged/regulated product may be preferable to in-store processor or bulk bins.

 

[Mr. Pedantic]

+1

Bought some natural stuff by mistake once so decided to try it. Had to spit it out. Took it back to Costco and told them it tasted like shit and got my money back and bought the nice tasting sugary one.

You have sugar in your peanut butter?

 

[Riverhound777]

I use the Trader Joe's Salted Natural. That stuff is like crack to me. I forget what the Jiffy fake stuff tastes like, but the TJs is damn tasty. The unsalted stuff is pretty bland though.

 

[gar655]

You have sugar in your peanut butter?

Yes! All the major players' PB is loaded with sugar. Main reason it tastes good.

 

[Kaido]

One of my friends has a family friend who is a cardiologist. He had some pretty icky things to say about regular peanut butter and clogged arteries. As a medical expert, he would only eat the non-hydrogenated stuff, just the all-natural PB. I was already on natural PB, but that definitely helped solidify my reasons for staying haha. Do not want clogged arteries.

But like anything else, enjoy it in moderation. I've grown more used to the taste of natural peanut butter over time and the regular stuff is too thick & sugary now. Also, every single brand of natural peanut butter is different. Krema is pretty good, and Stop & Shop's brand I like as well. To complicate things, some brands are now advertised natural peanut butter, but they still throw crap in like palm oil for "no stir" PB.

 

[Mr. Pedantic]

Yes! All the major players' PB is loaded with sugar. Main reason it tastes good.

One of my friends has a family friend who is a cardiologist. He had some pretty icky things to say about regular peanut butter and clogged arteries. As a medical expert, he would only eat the non-hydrogenated stuff, just the all-natural PB. I was already on natural PB, but that definitely helped solidify my reasons for staying haha. Do not want clogged arteries.

But like anything else, enjoy it in moderation. I've grown more used to the taste of natural peanut butter over time and the regular stuff is too thick & sugary now. Also, every single brand of natural peanut butter is different. Krema is pretty good, and Stop & Shop's brand I like as well. To complicate things, some brands are now advertised natural peanut butter, but they still throw crap in like palm oil for "no stir" PB.

Amazing.

For us, "regular" peanut butter has peanuts, oil, and maybe salt. "Natural" peanut butter is just peanuts, and sometimes oil. I've never heard of a peanut butter having sugar in it before. But then, you guys are the same people who put HFCS into your bread. So who am I to judge?

 

[QueBert]

The Skippy natural with Honey's pretty good imho. It's not Jiff, but no natural PB ever will be.

 

[CA19100]

If you'd like to save some typing, we just did this:

http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2331642

 

[Mr. Pedantic]

http://www.jif.com/Products/Details?categoryId=451

WTF is whipped peanut butter? How do you whip peanuts?

 

[IGemini]

Amazing.

For us, "regular" peanut butter has peanuts, oil, and maybe salt. "Natural" peanut butter is just peanuts, and sometimes oil. I've never heard of a peanut butter having sugar in it before. But then, you guys are the same people who put HFCS into your bread. So who am I to judge?

Sugar and molasses are fairly common additives even for "natural" peanut butter, though it doesn't add much overall (like 2g/serving overall). Partially hydrogenated oils and corn solids are worse. Can't imagine I'd want to try whipped peanut butter...

Reduced fat Jif and the like were common growing up. But when I moved out I switched to natural peanut butter, among other things. I think I've dropped 50lbs since then...tastes just fine to me if all that's needed is a little sugar. True natural peanut butter is pretty bland and the oil separates quite a bit. Whether PB is good for a bodybuilding diet sounds logical, but with all the fillers and changes companies do to foods to make it more "weight-conscious," it's ultimately less satisfying and makes you want to eat more.

 

[Mr. Pedantic]

Sugar and molasses are fairly common additives even for "natural" peanut butter, though it doesn't add much overall (like 2g/serving overall). Partially hydrogenated oils and corn solids are worse. Can't imagine I'd want to try whipped peanut butter...

Reduced fat Jif and the like were common growing up. But when I moved out I switched to natural peanut butter, among other things. I think I've dropped 50lbs since then...tastes just fine to me if all that's needed is a little sugar. True natural peanut butter is pretty bland and the oil separates quite a bit. Whether PB is good for a bodybuilding diet sounds logical, but with all the fillers and changes companies do to foods to make it more "weight-conscious," it's ultimately less satisfying and makes you want to eat more.

Well, when you only have 15g or so per slice of toast, 2g of sugar seems like quite a bit.

I love peanuts, and I love peanut butter, so the natural stuff tastes good to me. I can imagine if I'd been raised believing that peanut butter was supposed to have sugar in it, the normal stuff would taste pretty bland. But believe it or not, that's how peanuts are supposed to taste.

 

[IGemini]

Well, when you only have 15g or so per slice of toast, 2g of sugar seems like quite a bit.

SS is ~33g. By mass, the difference of non-sweetened PB is 3% vs 6%. There are still much more significant areas to worry about sugar than peanut butter by any account, was my point. Not really concerned if "that's what it's supposed to taste like," don't care.

 

[HeXen]

Just use common sense and consume the foods you enjoy in moderation.

What kills me about this idea though is that most foods that are affordable and actually taste good are all supposed to be eaten in some kind of moderation which has always been used vaguely and in no specific amount per day/month..etc.
So if you eat PB in moderation then wtf are you supposed to eat the rest of the time? Apples and green beans I assume. Not terribly realistic for modern day America.

Granted us American's need to eat better and not just the fatties either, but when so much of our food sold is mostly processed junk and the vegie people debate about the amount of pesticides considered safe, then I really don't think eating anything in moderation really matters. The fatties just need to burn more calories but no matter how healthy you look and feel right now, most of the foods available that you eat is pure shit.

 

[deadken]

FWIW: I love the natural peanut butters. I love how they weld my mouth shut like peanut butter is supposed to do. I do have to stir a bit before eating it, but it's not really a problem unless the container of peanut butter is brand new. When it is new, the likelihood of spilling some of the separated peanut oil is greater.

I know it isn't as sweet as the other processed brands, but I simply make the sandwich with a bit more jelly then one would normally use and it works out just fine. Sometimes I spread the peanut butter on an apple or banana and it's just fine (sweet enough) for me.

 

[Auric]

I often have pure PB with banana or apple too but also enjoy it without.

Natural food does tend to be affordable and tasty. Minimal marketing and processing generally equates to best value, nutrition, and variety of flavour and texture. It seems a common misconception that processed food is cheap when the reality is that it's largely high-margin sweetened slop.