Peanut butter can be healthy staple
Is peanut butter healthy for you?
Two tablespoons of peanut butter is packed full of protein and can become a filling component of a meal or snack, says Hayley Ewing, the in-store dietitian with Atlantic Superstore in Bridgewater and Liverpool, N.S., and it can be a great option for people looking for quick, cheap ways to up their protein consumption.
When standing in the aisle and trying to decide which peanut butter variety to buy, Ewing says there's not really a lot of nutritional difference in the various nut butters available, which includes WOW butter (soy), sunflower, cashew, almond, and peanut.
“It is a big myth that smooth or processed peanut butter isn’t as nutritious as other varieties,” she says.
Many consumers think all-natural peanut butter is a superior choice because it has fewer ingredients (100 per cent peanuts and sometimes salt). While it's a great option, a couple of additional ingredients in smooth peanut butter do not make it less nutritious, says Ewing.
In comparing all-natural and smooth peanut butter, there is no significant difference in the calories, fat, cholesterol, fibre, sugar, or protein, she says. There is slightly more sodium in smooth peanut butter, but it still falls within recommended daily value of less than five per cent sodium for a serving.
Wondering about the oils? Smooth peanut butter has hydrogenated vegetable oil, which is easily confused with partially hydrogenated vegetable oil — a form of trans fats and should be avoided. This type of man-made oil has been banned in Canada for a few years, she says, pointing out that the fully hydrogenated oils found in peanut butter are actually heart-healthy fats.
PLENTY OF OPTIONS
When it comes to eating peanut butter (or any other type of nut or soy butter) there many more things to do with it than just putting it on toast. Ewing recommends considering it for savoury dishes as well.
For example, peanut butter makes a great base for a quick, homemade Asian sauce. Mix it with some soya sauce, ginger, garlic, sriracha (optional), and a sweetener of choice. Pair it with your favourite stir fry veggies, a protein (think chicken, shrimp, edamame, or tofu), and a grain.
“A stir fry doesn’t need to be made with just rice. In our house, we love to use whole grain spaghetti noodles. They are so good with peanut sauce,” says Ewing.
This peanut sauce could also be used as a dip for rice paper rolls.
Wet some rice paper in hot water for a few minutes, then lay it on a cutting board and start adding your fillings horizontally. Options could include chopped raw veggies such as carrots, cucumber, lettuce, cilantro, and green onion. Add a protein if you like, such as shrimp, chicken, tofu, or edamame, or rice vermicelli noodles. Then fold the outer edges of the rice paper over the edge of the fillings and roll like a burrito. Dip in peanut sauce.
This sauce can also work as a salad dressing — just add water until you reach the desired consistency and pour over an Asian salad, such as slaw, red peppers, cilantro, edamame, green onions, and peanuts.
Ewing points out there are school-safe options available, like WOW butter, which is made from soy and comes with peel-off stickers under the label to put on the lunch container or sandwich baggie. Sunflower seed butter is generally school safe, but she recommends always checking the school policy first.
Because peanut butter, WOW butter, and sun butter are nutritious and versatile, they make great food bank donation items, she adds.
OTHER USES
• Nut butter is great to help bind energy bites. Add peanut butter, oats, flax seeds, chocolate chips, and maple syrup or honey. Optional additions include dried fruit like cranberries, cinnamon, shredded coconut.
• Oatmeal. Add some protein and healthy fats from peanut
butter to bulk up your breakfast and stay fuller for longer.
• Yogurt dip. Simply add about 1 tbsp peanut butter to half a cup of plain Greek yogurt with a sweetener of choice and/or vanilla. This is a delicious and nutritious dip for apples, pears, and celery.
• Cookie dough hummus. In a food processor, add a can of drained and rinsed chickpeas, peanut butter, maple syrup, and process until smooth, scraping down the sides if necessary. Stir in chocolate chips. Use as a dip for fruits, veggies, graham crackers, and more. Add 1-2 tbsp of chocolate hazelnut spread to make it a chocolate hummus.
• Smoothies. Add to a blender with milk of choice, a banana, some ice and cocoa powder if desired.
• Pancakes/waffles. Add right into your favourite recipe or use as a topping
• Banana roll up. Spread peanut butter on a whole wheat tortilla. Place a banana in the middle and roll. Cut into slices for a fun-packed lunch or snack.
• Loaded sweet potato. Instead of using baked potato toppings, top a baked sweet potato with peanut butter,
yogurt, and cinnamon for a delicious twist.
• Bird food. Spread peanut butter on a pinecone and roll it in seeds. Tie a string around the top and hang it from a tree, like an ornament. This is a great craft idea for kids.
GREEK YOGURT PEANUT BUTTER DIP
3 tbsp vanilla Greek yogurt 2 tbsp peanut butter
Optional: sprinkle granola, chocolate chips, shredded coconut, cinnamon and/or cocoa powder. Stir ingredients together in a bowl. Serve cold with apple or pear slices, celery sticks or graham crackers.
COOKIE DOUGH HUMMUS
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed 2 tbsp nut butter of choice
1 tbsp oil of choice
2 tbsp maple syrup or honey
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
Process all ingredients except the chocolate chips in a food processor until smooth, scraping down the sides if necessary. Stir in the chocolate chips. Enjoy cold, served with apple or pear slices, celery sticks or graham crackers.