This may seem like a stupid question given that most people probably know that answer....what's the difference between natural peanut butter and, say, Jif or Skippy?

Jif or Skip is "set" with partially hydrogenated oils, and icing sugar is added for sweetness. That's why once open it can sit on the shelf and the oil will not seperate.

Natural Peanut butter needs to be refridgerated once opened as it's simply dry roasted peanuts ground up (some have salt and sugar added) and will suffer oil separation. It's because of the separation that you have to refrigerate otherwise the oil will turn rancid. You have to occasionally stir it back in.

From what I understand....the "amount" of hydrogenated oil is less than what most people think but the further we get from "added" transfat the better I say.

Since the Peanut Butter Diet has so many potential health benefits, you'd naturally want to buy the peanut butter that's the healthiest, too. Maybe you prefer the "natural" varieties, made from peanut butter and sometimes salt--and that's it. Then again, maybe you prefer the pre-mixed, emulsified varieties like Skippy, Jif, and Peter Pan. But these brands are rumored to pack lots of trans fats--proven to be as unhealthy for cholesterol readings as saturated fat, and possibly more so.

To my surprise, laboratory analysis of emulsified peanut butter shows that every brand analyzed had ultra-low levels of trans fats. In fact, they were at least 100 times lower than 0.5 grams per 2 tablespoons, the level at which, under a proposed FDA labeling law, a manufacturer could describe a product as trans fat-free.
Source: http://www.prevention.com/article/0,5778,s1-4-121-48-1290-2,00.html

So if I understand correctly, there really isn't that much of a difference, right? What about the taste?

So if I understand correctly, there really isn't that much of a difference, right? What about the taste?

Personally, I think Natural tastes ... more natural :) It just tastes better, like Whole Wheat bread tastes "Better" then white bread. Like there is more 'health' stuffed in it. It's weird.

Ultimately though, other then the bad for you partially hydrongenated oils there isn't going to be a huge differences in the peanut butters.

-Allen

So if I understand correctly, there really isn't that much of a difference, right? What about the taste?

Not a huge diff. Taste-wise I find the "added" stuff too sweet for my liking. Kinda like once you make the leap to skim milk, 2% tastes like cream. It simply becomes a matter of preference.

Natural peanut butter as described above tastes more "natural" whether or not that's a good thing is totally individual I figure.

i tried the natural pb but i didnt like it, i just stick to old faithfull, proper peanut butter. :p :tu: :tu: :tu:

Whew, I'll admit that I'm happy they're about the same. I just bought a ton of peanut butter and it wasn't easy to get ahold of. Thanks for the input guys.

Actually they're not the same. Jif of Skippy contains hydrogenetad oils. Effect of fat loss? Well it inhibits storage of fat in the abdomen area. The only purpose of this oil is to prevent the oil from seperating, that's why you need to mix the PB first if it's natural. Taste? I hate to say it but the Jif or Skippy taste better than the natural. But I think it's an accuired taste, once you get used to it, you'll be fine :tu: Just out of curiousity, what did you bought? :confused:

Actually they're not the same. Jif of Skippy contains hydrogenetad oils. Effect of fat loss? Well it inhibits storage of fat in the abdomen area. The only purpose of this oil is to prevent the oil from seperating, that's why you need to mix the PB first if it's natural. Taste? I hate to say it but the Jif or Skippy taste better than the natural. But I think it's an accuired taste, once you get used to it, you'll be fine :tu: Just out of curiousity, what did you bought? :confused:
I am a little confused. Are you telling him that hydrogenated oils inhibit the storage of fat in the abdomen?

ive switched to natural peanut butter. one thing i noticed though when i once tried a different brand is that some natural peanut butter tastes awful. personally i buy a kind that kraft sells (only ingredient is peanuts). i once bought a store house brand, and ugh, i could barely stand the stuff :(

keep this in mind if you arent much for a brand of natty pb you buy. buy a few brands, even though they are all supposedly the same thing, the taste difference can be huge. at least in my experience.

I am a little confused. Are you telling him that hydrogenated oils inhibit the storage of fat in the abdomen?
I remember a few months ago I was asking in this forum what bad effect does hydrogenated oil has and that was the answer...

I think heart concerns are your biggest worries with transfats is that they are notorious for increasing the ratio of LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol) to HDL cholesterol (the good cholesterol). I believe transfats negate the positive benefits of polyunsaturated fats and that may be what you read.

I remember a few months ago I was asking in this forum what bad effect does hydrogenated oil has and that was the answer...
I agree totally that transfats are not something you want to consume. Reading the post, it sounded like Don was saying that hydrogenated oils inhibit fat storage. I dont believe that is the case, as I have never heard of transfats being used for weight loss. However, I may be reading the reply incorrectly.

I think he either meant "promotes fat storage" or "inhibits fat loss." Either way, I think that's incorrect because there are no data that suggests that trans fatty acids are metabolized into fat cells differently than normal saturated fat. However, levels of LDL cholesterol play out as an issue with trans fat, and that's why you should avoid anything with high levels of transfat. You can't escape it all (very low levels in some meats, milk, etc), but if you are choosing something with hydrogenated oils vs. natural, you really should choose the natural every time.

But it depends on your goals. Are you asking about nutrition for health's sake, or to change your body? You'll find out soon that these two goals should be one and the same.


I agree totally that transfats are not something you want to consume. Reading the post, it sounded like Don was saying that hydrogenated oils inhibit fat storage. I dont believe that is the case, as I have never heard of transfats being used for weight loss. However, I may be reading the reply incorrectly.

I think he either meant "promotes fat storage" or "inhibits fat loss." Either way, I think that's incorrect because there are no data that suggests that trans fatty acids are metabolized into fat cells differently than normal saturated fat. However, levels of LDL cholesterol play out as an issue with trans fat, and that's why you should avoid anything with high levels of transfat. You can't escape it all (very low levels in some meats, milk, etc), but if you are choosing something with hydrogenated oils vs. natural, you really should choose the natural every time.

But it depends on your goals. Are you asking about nutrition for health's sake, or to change your body? You'll find out soon that these two goals should be one and the same.
Just so long as the original poster does not go away thinking that hydrogenated oils can help his weight loss or overall health in any way. They can only serve to hinder his progress in both areas. :tu:

Sorry for the confusion I've made guys, I was rushing when I typed those so it might have sounded wrong... Anyway, what I meant was hydrogenated oil promote fat storage. Whether it's stored differently than normal fat, well I'm not totally sure. But bottomline is, limit trans fat because it's bad for you. And it will never help any fat loss goal!
Again, limit it if you can't avoid it! :tu:

I feel obligated to say this every time this question comes up. It's been speculated that when the new labels come out late this year, early next that specify fats, natty and reg PB will have the same label because the amount of transfat in reg is so low it will just be a "*" on the label.

We'll see if that's true.

Thanks guys for all the info...I'll admit that it's more than I expected, and won't lie in saying I'm a little confused. I'll just limit my Jiffy (i.e. not the best choice PB) intake, and try to stay away from trans fats (the kind I think can be found in fried food). As soon as I can get some natural PB I'll give it a try.

[QUOTE=Gordo]Not a huge diff. Taste-wise I find the "added" stuff too sweet for my liking. Kinda like once you make the leap to skim milk, 2% tastes like cream. It simply becomes a matter of preference.QUOTE]


Hahaha! Correct! I am used to Lactose Free Skim Milk.. so when I drink some regular whole-fat milk, wow, tastes so good.

I realized this one too. For quite some time now I always drink my coffee without added creamer nor milk, just plain coffee and splenda. So one day I decided to make a cafe au lait. I can't find a non-fat milk so I decided to use a low-fat milk (98% fat-free) and I can say that it surely taste smoother compared if using the non-fat milk :drool:
Hahaha! Correct! I am used to Lactose Free Skim Milk.. so when I drink some regular whole-fat milk, wow, tastes so good.

The best tasting natural peanut butter is Smucker's reduced fat natural peanut butter. Believe it or not the reduced fat one is a lot sweeter because they replace some of the fat with maltodextrin. I don't know if maltodextrin is good for you but it must have some protein in it because the reduced fat peanut butter has a few more grams of protein than the regular stuff.

I feel obligated to say this every time this question comes up. It's been speculated that when the new labels come out late this year, early next that specify fats, natty and reg PB will have the same label because the amount of transfat in reg is so low it will just be a "*" on the label.

We'll see if that's true.
I just looked at my creamy jif label and it has Tansfat content "O". So less than 1% Trans fat isn't too bad IMO.

I just looked at my creamy jif label and it has Tansfat content "O". So less than 1% Trans fat isn't too bad IMO.

There seems to be some confusion. Lets get this straight.

NO MORE "REGULAR" peanut butter. :mad: ONLY EAT NATTY.

!!!!!!PERIOD!!!!!!!

Regular has more sugar and the heart stopping fat.

You have to refrig Natty, but that taste is good. I dont miss the old stuff at all.

I feel obligated to say this every time this question comes up. It's been speculated that when the new labels come out late this year, early next that specify fats, natty and reg PB will have the same label because the amount of transfat in reg is so low it will just be a "*" on the label.

We'll see if that's true.
I'm still eating regular peanut butter, just because it's cheaper when you buy it on sale. Taste-wise, I could eat either of them. I'm not fussy. But I do feel guilty about not going for the natural variety. Nutrition Action Healthletter had an article about transfats in one of their issues a while back, and it surprised me to see that peanut butter was one of the things they said you should NEVER eat. I can't find the article now, but I'm suspicious. Prevention says (http://www.prevention.com/article/0,5778,s1-3-61-93-2392-1,00.html)
Low-fat foods aren't safe either. Small amounts can add up, especially with too-easy-to-overeat foods such as chips and crackers. A happy exception: peanut butter. Although homogenized brands may list partially hydrogenated fats, several tests--including one by Prevention--have shown the amount of trans fats to be too minuscule to measure.

Thrillhouse, do you have a food processor? When I was living in Europe, I made my own peanut butter and almond butter by just blending up a bunch of nuts, sometimes adding a touch of peanut oil along with it. If there are no nutritional labels on your food, you never know what's in them.

I just looked at my creamy jif label and it has Tansfat content "O". So less than 1% Trans fat isn't too bad IMO.

Well, trans fat is one of the worst things you can put in your body. But the amount in peanut butter is pretty insignificant. I eat natty most of the time, but I'll have regular sometimes. I'm not particularly worried about it.

With a food processor how would I go about making my own pb? I have a ton of almonds, and almond butter just sounds good...make that great.

Anyone with a blender or food processor can easily make their own homemade peanut butter.
INGREDIENTS:

2 cups roasted shelled peanuts
1 tablespoon peanut oil
1/2 teaspoon salt (omit if salted peanuts are used)
PREPARATION:

If using a blender, put the oil in first. Add the peanuts and salt next. Blend until desired consistency is reached.
In the food processor, use the metal blade to process ingredients continuously for 2 to 3 minutes.

Stop the machine to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Continue to process until the desired consistency is obtained.
For crunchy peanut butter, stir in an additional 1/2 cup chopped roasted peanuts after the processing is completed.

Yields 1 cup creamy or 1-1/2 cups crunchy peanut butter.

I think I tried this with a blender with not quite satisfactory results, but with a food processor, it was great. You have to process this for quite a long time to get it smooth. The texture won't be nearly as smooth as commercial peanut butter that contains trans fats, and even store bought natural peanut butters are a little more smooth than you can make it at home. But with the price of peanut butter in Europe, it's much cheaper to make your own.

There seems to be some confusion. Lets get this straight.

NO MORE "REGULAR" peanut butter. :mad: ONLY EAT NATTY.

!!!!!!PERIOD!!!!!!!

Regular has more sugar and the heart stopping fat.

You have to refrig Natty, but that taste is good. I dont miss the old stuff at all.

Why would you have to refrigerate natural peanut butter? I never refrigerate it. Of course, it's always gone within a week anyway.

Why would you have to refrigerate natural peanut butter? I never refrigerate it. Of course, it's always gone within a week anyway.

You don't have to refrigerate. But if you don't the oil separates.

also i think it has to do with how natty pb will go bad faster than regular would, so the refridgeration helps prevent that somewhat.

I prefer almond butter myself. My local health food store has a grinder so I use that. I can't stand the taste of non-natural peanut butter - overwheming sugar and the difference in fats does have a flavor difference.

I think there's a risk that it will go rancid if left to long while the oil is seperated. But if you use it almost daily and you're stirring the oil back in, there's no issue.

I made almond butter for the first time yesterday...not bad but I guess I'm a peanut butter guy. I might try roasting the nuts first and then process next time. That may be where I went wrong.

Why would you have to refrigerate natural peanut butter? I never refrigerate it. Of course, it's always gone within a week anyway.

I just bought some Skippy Natural creamy. Tastes just like regular.

I think he either meant "promotes fat storage" or "inhibits fat loss." Either way, I think that's incorrect because there are no data that suggests that trans fatty acids are metabolized into fat cells differently than normal saturated fat. However, levels of LDL cholesterol play out as an issue with trans fat, and that's why you should avoid anything with high levels of transfat. You can't escape it all (very low levels in some meats, milk, etc), but if you are choosing something with hydrogenated oils vs. natural, you really should choose the natural every time.

But it depends on your goals. Are you asking about nutrition for health's sake, or to change your body? You'll find out soon that these two goals should be one and the same.

What Tennisball said.

The basic issue with the hydroganated oils is that (and this is the non-educated, repeated from an expert version, so sorry if it sounds childish). Okay, so on you cells there's a place for this this called Lypace (sp? right name?) and that burns fat. But the hydogen molecules jump in it's spot and then the fat does not burn. I hope that made sense.

I think what the peanut butter debate comes down to is do you want to be healthy or thin? You can eat a ton of "fat-free" stuff and processed "low-fat" meals, and you might loose weight, etc., but you won't be healthy. Have you ever compared the ingrediant information on the two kinds of PB? It's crazy. Why if you are trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle would you want to pour chemicals in your body? And I have been reading this book that talks about how people may have trouble loosing that last bit of weight because of all the chemicals cloged in their liver and colon.

And, so you know, I married into healthy. I grew up on Skippy, white pasta, and lots of dessert. My husband has helped me to get to where I am. Now, when I first started with the natural PB, i didn't like it, but now I woudn't eat anything else. When I first started switching to wheat pasta. I hated it. Now, it's pretty good. (not as good as the PB). And we actually make our own PB. We take one big jar of salted peanuts and one not salted (to cut the salt in half) and put it in the blender. Works nice, saves money.

Anyway, hope that first part makes sense and doesn't sound foolish. :tu: