• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Being Nutritious
  • All Posts
  • About
  • Services
  • Media
  • Contact
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Nutrition Needs
  • Recipe Index
  • About
  • Services
  • Media
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Nutrition Needs
    • Recipe Index
    • About
    • Services
    • Media
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×
    • Balls of melon in a watermelon bowl
      Melon Salad with Ginger Lime Dressing
    • Overhead shot of cherry galette with melted ice cream on top, and a serving utensil removing a slice.
      Cherry Galette with Olive Oil Crust
    • Crispy tempeh appetizers on a plate with ranch dressing in a small bowl.
      Buffalo Tempeh Bites
    • Buffalo sauce in a small jar, with celery sticks in the background.
      Low Sodium Buffalo Sauce
    • Overhead image of three thumbprint cookies on a platter with strawberry jam in them
      Healthy Thumbprint Cookies
    • A fork with creamy vegetable pasta being lifted out of a bowl of the pasta.
      Creamy Chickpea Pasta with Veggies
    • A bowl of celery soup, garnished with microgreens, black sesame seeds and yogurt. A side salad is in the background.
      Celery and Leek Soup
    • Plate of three small waffles, topped with yogurt, oranges, raisins, and walnuts.
      Carrot Waffles
    • Berry smoothie in a mason jar, with frozen berries scattered around the outside, and a spoon with peanut butter on it.
      Berry Smoothie with Peanut Butter
    • Hand reaching into a bowl of Chex mix.
      Healthy Chex Mix
    • Bowl with collard greens and crusty bread, garnished with a lemon slice.
      Slow Cooker Collard Greens (Low Sodium)
    • Overhead image of chickpea breakfast skillet on a plate, with breakfast potatoes.
      Breakfast Chickpeas with Collard Greens

    Home » All posts » Articles on Heart Health

    The Best Peanut Butter for Heart Health

    Published: Feb 21, 2021 by Laura Yautz

    Peanut butter and jelly is classic kid food. And because of that, it's also considered comfort food for many of us. It's also not known for being very healthy. That doesn't have to be the case though. Here's how to choose the best peanut butter for heart health.

    Peanuts have an excellent nutrient profile. They are high in protein and healthy mono- and polyunsaturated fats, as well as fiber and a variety of vitamins and minerals. By extension, peanut butter also has the potential to be an excellently healthy food. The issue we run into, is that there are often many extra ingredients added. Some for texture, some for flavor, and some for shelf life.

    Smooth peanut butter in a jar

    What to look for in a healthy peanut butter

    Minimal ingredients

    To make peanut butter, you really only need one thing - peanuts. Other ingredients you may see include salt, different types of sugar, and emulsifiers to keep everything from separating. The amount of added sugar is usually even higher in reduced fat peanut butter.

    Just because the peanut butter is labeled as "natural" doesn't automatically mean it doesn't have extra ingredients you don't want. Make sure to double check the ingredient list. Find ones that have the least number of ingredients.

    Added sugar or zero-calorie sweeteners

    Sugar is added to so many foods these days, it pays to avoid it where you can. Especially because too much added sugar can reek havoc on heart health! Peanut butter doesn't need any sugar - and it's usually paired with jelly anyway, which has enough sugar for them both! Look at the nutrition label under added sugar (not total sugar) for this. You can also find added sugars in the ingredient list, under names such as sugar, molasses, corn syrup (and high fructose corn syrup), and maltodextrin. You may also see zero-calorie sweeteners like splenda/sucralose, erythritol, xylitol, etc. Those aren't needed, either.

    Added oils

    As I mentioned earlier, peanuts already contain a great amount of healthy fats. There is no need for additional oil. Oils are often added for texture and/or to make the peanut butter more solid. Palm oil is frequently used. You may find partially hydrogenated oils in peanut butter, too. Avoid those at all cost.

    And while we're on the subject, don't opt for reduced fat peanut butters. They usually aren't much lower in calories, and the healthy fats tend to get replaced with sugar! Compare labels the next time you're at the store.

    Other ingredients

    You'll probably see a whole lot of other ingredients in certain brands, too. These are mostly emulsifiers (to keep the peanut butter from separating), and sometimes vitamins and minerals. While I don't advocate avoiding an ingredient just because you can't pronounce it, in the case of peanut butter, less is more.

    Additional ingredients that are great, include flax seed, chia seed, and other nuts or seeds, like almonds, cashews, etc.

    Selected Healthy Peanut Butter Brands

    Here are some brands to check out:

    • Costco's Kirkland Signature Peanut Butter
    • Smucker's Natural Peanut Butter
    • Once Again Organic Creamy Peanut Butter (there is a crunchy version, too!)
    • MaraNatha Organic Creamy Peanut Butter (not the no-stir variety)

    Mixing Natural Peanut Butter

    So, you purchased a brand of peanut butter that probably says "natural" on the front, and has very minimal ingredients. Awesome! You probably noticed they have a layer of oil at the top that you have to mix in.

    I know, I know. It's a pain to mix those things. But it's worth it, I promise! (By the way - I hate mixing those too!)

    Here's how to make it a tad less painful:

    1. Dump the entire contents of the jar into your food processor, making sure to scrape every little bit you can out. A wooden spoon is helpful for this.
    2. Run the food processor on high for a few minutes, until everything is mixed thoroughly, and there are no more lumps or chunks.
    3. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the now-mixed peanut butter back into the jar.
    4. Refrigerate! Refrigerating will keep the peanut butter from separating again.
    Peanut butter in a food processor

    For all our heart healthy peanut butter recipes, be sure to visit our peanut butter archives! Need something to pair your peanut butter with? Learn more about choosing a healthy jelly.

    What is your favorite brand of peanut butter for heart health, and what is your favorite way to eat it? Tell me in the comments!

    More Articles on Heart Health

    • Frozen food section at grocery store
      Heart Healthy Frozen Foods Guide
    • Strawberry jam in a jar
      How to Choose a Healthy Jelly Brand
    • Hand holding a can with the nutrition facts label showing
      How to Read Food Labels for Heart Health
    • Black licorice candies sitting on licorice root, with lemon slices behind.
      Should I Avoid Black Licorice If I Have Heart Problems?

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Laura Yautz

    Hi, I'm Laura! I’m a Registered Dietitian and I love food and cooking, It’s my passion to help you discover how delicious and easy heart healthy eating can be! I’m glad you’re here! Take a look around. You’re going to LOVE Being Nutritious!

    More about me →

    Enroll in the FREE EMAIL COURSE to make your kitchen heart healthy!

    Memorial Day Eats

    • Small tray with strawberries, blueberries, and white peaches arranged in the shape of an American flag.
      Red White and Blue Fruit Salad
    • Close up of a jar of BBQ sauce.
      Low Sodium BBQ Sauce
    • Strawberry cucumber salad on a small plate, from overhead
      Strawberry Cucumber Salad with Basil and Mozzarella
    • Bowl of dip, surrounded by chips, cucumber slices, and baby tomatoes. Hand holding a chip with dipping it.
      Healthy French Onion Dip
    • Bean burger on a bun, with onions, tomatoes, lettuce and sauce dripping out.
      Quinoa Mushroom Burgers with Black Beans
    • Iced tea in Mason jars, with ice, blackberries, and mint.
      Blackberry Iced Tea
    • Three Mason jars with lemonade in them.
      Tropical Mango Lemonade
    • Dessert bars stacked on a plate.
      Peanut Butter and Jelly Dessert Bars
    • Serving platter with vegetable skewers piled on.
      Marinated Vegetable Skewers on the Grill
    • Overhead shot of wooden bowl with vinegar red cabbage coleslaw in it.
      Red Cabbage Vinegar Slaw
    • Close up of a strawberry muffin on a wire rack.
      Strawberry Cardamom Muffins with Yogurt
    • Close up of Fudgy Mocha Black Bean Brownies
      Fudgy Mocha Black Bean Brownies
    • Strawberry Watermelon Agua Fresca
    • Casserole dish with baked beans in it.
      Healthy Homemade Baked Beans (with Lentils)

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclaimer
    • Terms & Conditions

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Services

    Copyright © 2023 Being Nutritious. All rights reserved

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience. By continuing to use this site, we'll assume you're ok with this. Cookie settingsAccept
    Privacy & Cookies Policy

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
    Necessary
    Always Enabled
    Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
    Non-necessary
    Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
    SAVE & ACCEPT