Your Guide To Peanut Butter - Recipe, Nutrients and Everything You Need To Know
Peanut Butter And Its Benefits
Peanut butter, that beloved spread, is not only one of the most popular choices among spreads but also a reliable source of protein. Its exquisite taste and unique texture, especially when it sticks to the roof of your mouth before melting away, are sensations familiar to many. However, in the midst of our peanut butter appreciation, it's essential to acknowledge that not everyone can partake in this culinary delight. For a small percentage of the world's population, peanut allergies pose a severe and potentially life-threatening risk. But what about the remaining 99% of the population? Is peanut butter a healthy addition to their diet? Let's delve into the facts and find out...
…About The Details
Peanut butter is relatively unprocessed - it’s simply peanuts, often roasted, crushed into a spreadable consistency, However, this is not always true for several commercial brands, which often add various ingredients such as:
Sugar
Vegetable oils
Trans fats
In the world of nutrition, products composed with excessive added sugar and trans fats have long been associated with a range of health issues, including heart conditions. It's no surprise then that this concern extends to peanut butter. While peanut butter itself is essentially a paste made from peanuts, it's crucial to be vigilant about those varieties that come with additional sugar and trans fats. Many lower-quality peanut butter brands choose to incorporate sugar and vegetable oils into their products. This is where consumer awareness becomes paramount. When shopping for peanut butter, we strongly recommend paying close attention to ingredient labels and nutritional information to ensure you're making a choice that aligns with your health goals.
A Good Source Of Protein
As previously mentioned, peanut butter contains a large protein amount, making it a valuable addition to your diet as a relatively balanced source of energy. It provides you with all three essential macronutrients, offering a breakdown as follows:
Carbohydrates: Peanut butter contains approximately 22 grams of carbohydrates, with 5 grams being dietary fiber. This fiber content accounts for 14% of its calorie content.
Protein: A noteworthy feature of peanut butter is its protein content, with about 22.5 grams per serving, making up 14% of its calorie count. This protein level is comparatively high, especially when compared to other plant-based protein sources.
Fat: Peanut butter is notably rich in fat, with roughly 51 grams of fat per serving, constituting a substantial 72% of its calorie content.
To put it in perspective, peanut butter is a robust source of protein, contributing a significant 25% of its calorie content. Furthermore, it boasts a relatively low carbohydrate content, comprising only 20% of its total calorie count.
Is It Healthy To Eat Peanut Butter?
However, peanut butter does contain a large amount of fat, which means that a serving of 100 grams contains 600 calories. However, they are good calories if you are looking to lose weight, as they are healthy fats and a good protein source. Half of the fats are oleic acid, which is also found in olive oil. Therefore, it can’t be dismissed that there are actually health benefits to eating peanut butter in its pure form, but you should also watch out for added sugar, vegetable oils and trans fats. It can quickly become unhealthy, even if these might taste better for someone with a sweet tooth!
How To Make Home-made Peanut Butter
Making your own home-made peanut butter is super easy. All you need to prepare homemade peanut butter will be a food processor or a blender as your kitchen companion. Here's a step-by-step guide:
Begin by adding your desired quantity of peanuts into the food processor.
Start the food processor and let it run. As it processes the peanuts, you'll notice the texture transforming from chunky to gradually becoming smooth and firm. Remarkably, there's no need to incorporate any additional vegetable oil during this process.
Continue allowing the food processor to run. The transformation of your peanuts into creamy peanut butter is a matter of patience. As it keeps processing, the texture will evolve, and you'll eventually achieve the smooth and delightful consistency that's ready to be served.
With these simple steps and your food processor, you can enjoy the wholesome goodness of homemade peanut butter without the need for any extra additives.
What Goes Well With Peanut Butter?
A teaspoon of peanut butter is delicious on your porridge, yogurt or in your smoothie. For some it’s also an essential for acai bowls. At MAIKA’I we use peanut butter in our acai bowls extensively. We serve acai bowls in Copenhagen and in Iceland, and we have actually created our very own peanut butter, which we recommend using on all our bowls. It creates a fantastic taste and texture in combination with our acai and delicious fruits such as bananas, blueberries and strawberries. Just like acai bowls, peanut butter is a healthy form of “fast food”. It can be made quickly, and it tastes just as good (or better) than fast food, but the nutritional value is significantly better.
Come And Try MAIKA’I’s peanut butter
As mentioned, we take great pride in our peanut butter and consider it an important component of our acai bowls. So come by MAKA’I in Frederiksberg Centeret and try one of our bowls with peanut butter and judge for yourself. We hope to see you in our pink bar right between the Fotex and Metro Entrance!
