Why Natural Peanut Butter Is Better: Plus 6 Brands To Try
Every peanut butter isn’t always the healthiest option. Therefore when choosing one, let’s answer this question. Why natural peanut butter?
Natural peanut butter is better because its main ingredient is peanuts and doesn’t have unhealthy additives. It contains protein and unsaturated fats beneficial for heart health and cholesterol. Unnatural peanut butters contain unhealthy hydrogenated oils, sugar and sodium.
Natural peanut butter is a guilt-free alternative. Read on to learn more about natural peanut butter and five brands which don’t have the extra additives.
Disclaimer: Some links in this article are affiliate links which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Why Is Natural Peanut Butter Better for You?
As a Certified Health Coach many clients ask me about food comparisons including peanut butter. Therefore, I have researched this topic in the past and present. I consume natural all the time. Let’s examine them closely starting with nutrients.
Natural peanut butter is better for you than regular peanut butter because it lacks hydrogenated oils, sugar and sodium. The lack of unhealthy additives typically present in regular peanut butter makes it healthier.
Peanuts are healthy, so peanut butter must be healthy too, right? It’s difficult to answer because it all depends on what peanut butter you’re buying. Let’s look at Skippy Creamy Peanut Butter as an example 1.
Sure, it’s sweet and delicious, but 32g (2 tablespoons) contains 150mg of sodium, 3g of added sugars and hydrogenated vegetable oil.
If you compare it to virtually any natural peanut butter, you’ll quickly realize the difference.
Natural peanut butter doesn’t contain hydrogenated oils, bad for your cholesterol, heart and increase inflammation or the risk of type 2 diabetes 2.
It also doesn’t contain sugar, which is bad for your health like hydrogenated fats 3. In addition, most natural peanut butters doesn’t contain any sodium or a lot less than regular.
Here’s a comparison of Skippy Peanut Butter and Crazy Richard’s Natural Peanut Butter, one of my favorites 4.
Skippy Peanut Butter and Crazy Richard’s Natural Peanut Butter Nutritional Values
Nutrient | Skippy Peanut Butter (Regular) 2 Tbsp. |
Crazy Richard’s Peanut Butter (Natural) 2 Tbsp. |
Calories | 190 | 180 |
Fat | 16g | 16g |
Protein | 7g | 8g |
Carbohydrates | 6g | 5g |
Sugar | 3g | 2g (0 added) |
Sodium | 150mg | 0mg |
Hydrogenated Oil | Yes | No |
The 150mg of sodium in two tablespoons doesn’t sound like much, but it’s approximately 10% of the recommended daily intake.
Let’s say you’re making two peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for breakfast. You put one tablespoon on each. Add to it the sodium from bread and jam and you just ate more than half of the daily recommended intake.
On the other hand, natural peanut butter often contains a third or less of the sodium as regular peanut butter.
Health Benefits of Natural Peanut Butter
Now you know how natural peanut butter stacks up against regular peanut butter. But let’s shift the focus now to the health benefits of natural peanut butter. Let’s answer the question, why natural peanut butter is good for you?
Natural peanut butter is good for you because it’s rich in protein which boosts muscle protein synthesis. It’s high in unsaturated fats which is heart healthy and lowers LDL cholesterol 5.
There are two types of good unsaturated fats, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated. Of the 16g total fats contained in natural peanut butter, 13g are from these two fats.
The American Heart Association recommends 8%-10% of daily calories should come from polyunsaturated fats 6.
A review and analysis of previous scientific studies found replacing saturated fats with polyunsaturated decreased the risk of heart disease 7.
Another examination of 60 scientific studies found replacing carbohydrates with polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats decreased bad cholesterol and increased good cholesterol 8.
A recent study found substituting monounsaturated fats for carbohydrates lowered blood pressure, improved cholesterol and lowered the risk of cardiovascular disease 9.
Another benefit is peanuts don’t contain many carbs and most of them are gut-healthy fiber. Of the 5 grams of carbohydrates in Crazy Richard’s, 3 grams are fiber. This is important for those trying to follow a low-carb diet.
Here’s a list of the essential micronutrients 10 found in peanut butter:
- Vitamin B6
- Iron
- Calcium
- Fiber
- Potassium
- Vitamin E
- Niacin (Vitamin B3)
- Magnesium
- Manganese
- Copper
- Folate
- Biotin
- Zinc
- Selenium
- Vitamin B5
6 Of The Healthiest All Natural Peanut Butters
I’ve picked some of the healthiest peanut butter brands you can indulge in. Remember, just because it’s healthy, don’t overdo it when trying to lose weight. The calorie content of peanut butter, even natural, can add up quickly.
There is a ton of natural peanut butters available but not all of them are the best because some of them have too much sodium or additives. I only picked out the best ones.
I strongly recommend trying them all to find your favorite because different peanuts can taste completely different. Each of these natural peanut butters can be found on Amazon.com.
I even included an ultra creamy with can be drizzled over other food! In addition, one option below your kids will love.
1. Crazy Richard’s All Natural Peanut Butter
Here’s an all natural peanut butter that tastes incredible. It proves you don’t need anything other than peanuts to make a high-quality peanut butter.
Crazy Richard’s has smooth or crunchy all natural peanut butter. The natural oils peanuts contain are enough to give it a smooth consistency. The crunchy has bits of peanuts for a crunchier and diverse texture.
It’s BPA-free, kosher, gluten-free and non-GMO. It has no added sugar or sodium. On it’s nutrition label, when you look at the ingredients, there’s only one listed and that’s peanuts.
Take a look for yourself on Amazon here, Crazy Richard’s Natural Peanut Butter.
2. 365 Whole Foods Market Organic Peanut Butter
This peanut butter is another of my personal favorites. If you were to ask me, what is the healthiest all natural peanut butter?
The healthiest all natural peanut butter is organic without any additives, sugar or sodium. The healthiest all natural peanut butter has peanuts as its only ingredient.
365 Whole Foods organic peanut butter fits the description of the healthiest peanut butter. It’s only ingredient is organic dry roasted peanuts.
The nutty flavor and smell of roasted peanuts are phenomenal, and they carry over to the 365 peanut butter.
It’s organic, GMO-free, kosher, vegan and contains zero added sugar and sodium. Check out its current price here on Amazon, 365 Whole Foods Market Organic Peanut Butter.
3. Teddie All Natural Peanut Butter
Teddie natural peanut butter only contains dry roasted peanuts and salt. It doesn’t have any added sugar.
If you’re having a tough time eating peanut butter without the sodium, this is a great choice because it contains some but less than regular peanut butter. They have smooth and super chunky options.
The kicker here is the peanuts are exclusively grown on US soil. If you want to support farmers, buying this peanut butter is an excellent way to do it.
Teddie is a family-owned business with a long tradition. Its flavor is what everyone thinks of when someone mentions peanut butter. Check it out on Amazon here, Teddie All Natural Peanut Butter.
4. Santa Cruz Organic All Natural Peanut Butter
This is another option for those who want a little salt. Santa Cruz only contains 55mg which is less than Teddie. The only other ingredient is organic roasted peanuts. There is no added sugar.
Santa Cruz has creamy and crunchy options with either light roasted or dark roasted peanuts. Check it out here on Amazon, Santa Cruz Organic Peanut Butter.
5. Smucker’s Organic Creamy Peanut Butter
The only ingredients are organic roasted peanuts and less than 1% salt. Like Santa Cruz, this peanut butter contains some sodium, 50mg. Smucker’s has less sugar than all the rest with only 1g, zero added.
Check it out on Amazon, Smucker’s Organic Creamy Natural Peanut Butter.
6. Spread The Love Organic Peanut Butter
Spread The Love also fits the description of the healthiest peanut butters. It’s organic, has no added sugar or sodium. It only has one ingredient, dry roasted organic peanuts.
It’s made to be extra creamy, so it can be drizzled onto your favorite food making it even better.
Spread The Love is an eight year-old family owned business located in the State of California. The peanut butter is packaged into BPA free jars.
Check it out and its current price on Amazon, Spread the Love Organic Peanut Butter.
Nutrient Comparison Of All Natural Peanut Butters
Nutrient | Crazy Richard’s |
Whole Foods |
Teddie | Santa Cruz |
Smucker’s | Spread The Love |
Calories | 180 | 190 | 190 | 180 | 180 | 180 |
Fat | 16g | 16g | 16g | 16g | 16g | 15g |
Protein | 8g | 8g | 8g | 8g | 8g | 7g |
Carbs | 5g | 7g | 7g | 5g | 5g | 6g |
Sugar | 2g 0 added |
2g 0 added |
2g 0 added |
1g 0 added |
1g 0 added |
1g 0 added |
Sodium | 0mg | 0mg | 125mg | 55mg | 55mg | 0mg |
Hydrogenated Oil |
No | No | No | No | No | No |
Skippy Natural Creamy Peanut Butter
This peanut butter is good for trying to transition a child from regular peanut butter to something more natural.
I used Skippy Creamy Peanut Butter earlier to showcase a few nasty ingredients in regular peanut butter.
However, the natural version of the same food is entirely different. If Skippy is your child’s favorite brand, you’ll love this spread.
It’s not the healthiest option, which is why it didn’t make the list, because it contains added sugar, palm oil and salt. But it doesn’t have the hydrogenated vegetable oils, which is for the best.
Skippy is known to be slightly sweeter than other brands. If you or your child have a sweet tooth, it’s still healthier to have this as a snack than a peanut butter cup. Check out the current price on Amazon, Skippy All Natural Peanut Butter.
If you have any questions to ask me about this article don’t hesitate to comment below or email us. You can find an email on our contact page.
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- Skippy: Skippy Creamy Peanut Butter[↩]
- National Center for Biotechnology Information: The negative effects of hydrogenated trans fats and what to do about them[↩]
- Harvard Health: The sweet danger of sugar[↩]
- Crazy Richard’s: Creamy Peanut Butter[↩]
- National Center for Biotechnology Information: Peanuts as functional food: a review[↩]
- American Heart Association: Polyunsaturated Fat[↩]
- National Center for Biotechnology Information: Effects on coronary heart disease of increasing polyunsaturated fat in place of saturated fat: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials[↩]
- Harvard Health: Types of Fat[↩]
- National Center for Biotechnology Information: Effects of protein, monounsaturated fat, and carbohydrate intake on blood pressure and serum lipids: results of the OmniHeart randomized trial[↩]
- Nutrition Value: Natural peanut butter[↩]