Which Is Healthier: Creamy Or Crunchy Peanut Butter? (2024)

FAQs

Which Is Healthier: Creamy Or Crunchy Peanut Butter? ›

As long as you are choosing a peanut butter that's all natural and pesticide free, in addition to being free from added salt or sugar, any peanut butter will be a healthy choice. However, crunchy peanut butter has a little more fiber and less saturated fat, making it overall more nutritious, even if only slightly so.

Healthline's review. It wasn't easy picking a best overall healthy peanut butter, but Crazy Richard's ultimately won out because it hits all the right notes: It's made from just one simple ingredient — peanuts — tastes delicious, and is easy to find at most major grocery stores and online.

It's fairly rich in nutrients and a decent protein source. It's also loaded with fiber, vitamins, and minerals, although this doesn't seem as significant when you consider the high calorie load. It is perfectly fine to incorporate moderate amounts of peanut butter into a healthful diet.

Partisans of crunchy peanut butter can point to the fact that, in addition to being more heartily filling and providing a more rigorously satisfying eating experience, crunchy peanut butters are slightly higher in fiber and have less saturated fat.

Our extra crunchy peanut butter has plenty of health benefits, including: Reduces heart disease risk: Our chunky peanut butter is full of monounsaturated fat, which is good for your heart health and waistline. The healthy saturated fat in peanut butter can help decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease.

From a nutritional standpoint, crunchy peanut butter is often the better option. It is lower in calories and sugar and contains small pieces of peanuts that provide extra fiber and protein. Creamy peanut butter, however, is easier to use in recipes that require a smooth texture.

Salty foods. High sodium consumption can elevate blood pressure. Many people eat too much sodium without realizing it. Highly processed foods and fast foods usually contain excessive amounts of sodium, often more than the 2,300 milligrams a person should consume daily.

If you prefer Jif peanut butter, you can feel confident that it's as healthy as most other brands. The macronutrients in Jif are nearly identical to the amount in generic peanut butter reported in the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Nutrient Database.

Yes, it's OK to eat peanut butter every day (in moderation), says Largeman-Roth. That means sticking to the recommended serving size of two tablespoons, or close to that amount.

Do you prefer crunchy or smooth peanut butter? ›

While hom*ogenous spread might not win the award for most appetizing descriptor, creamy peanut butter is preferred by the majority of Americans — although it's pretty close. According to our trusty hub of information on all things peanut butter, The National Peanut Board, 56% prefer creamy to crunchy.

According to the National Peanut Board, women and children prefer creamy peanut butter while men like crunchy peanut butter better. They also discovered people on the East Coast prefer creamy while residents on the West Coast opt for crunchy.

Smooth peanut butter came first. One of the earliest reasons for this was simply because it was a food that could be used with people who had trouble chewing and needed nutrition.

The healthiest peanut butter option, Largeman-Roth suggests, is peanut butters that have less than 5 grams of added sugar per serving and less than 100 milligrams of sodium per serving. Reduced-fat peanut butters might sound healthier, but you're likely trading those healthy fats for more carbs.

Jif also uses mono and diglycerides in its recipe as an emulsifier, which extends the product's shelf life. While they are nutritionally similar, Skippy contains 10 more milligrams of sodium than Jif and one more gram of sugar, and has fewer nutrients overall.

Fortunately for everyone who loves peanut butter, almond butter, and other nut butters, these creamy treats are fairly healthy. And as long as they don't contain hydrogenated fat, nut butters — including peanut butter — won't cause problems for your cholesterol levels.

Peanut butter is rich in a variety of nutrients. But commercial peanut butter brands often have added sugars, oils, and fats. For the best health benefits from peanut butter, look for all-natural products without these added ingredients. Some people have peanut allergies, which can be fatal in some cases.

But this peanut butter also scores higher when it comes to the nutrients that it provides. Most notably, Jif provides 17 milligrams of bone-building calcium, while SKIPPY does not have any. On the other hand, SKIPPY contains less saturated fat and still contains ample amounts of nutrients like protein.

While "reduced-fat" or "low-fat" peanut butter varieties may sound healthier, they can actually be worse for you. Peanut butter is mostly unsaturated fat, which is healthy, the experts note.

Which types of peanuts are most healthful? Raw peanuts are the most healthful variety. Peanut butter is a great choice, offering a healthy nutritional profile and a range of health benefits. Learn about the health benefits of peanut butter.