Peanut Butter

Ingredients: Peanuts, salt.

As I was stirring a new jar of peanut butter this morning I was inspired to write about it. I've used natural peanut butter for so many years that I've sort of forgotten about the other stuff.

When I was a child I remember hearing my aunt say that natural peanut butter was awful and that it tore the bread when she tried to spread it. I'm not sure how accurate her recollection was. Maybe she poured the oil out or didn't mix it in properly. I don't know but my experience was the opposite. It was smooth and creamy even after being refrigerated.

The one we most often buy is at Trader Joe's. It's simple and affordable. $1.99 to be exact. I understand having to stir the separated oil back into the peanuts may seem like a bother to some but it's really a simple step that takes just a minute to do. Also, by turning the jar upside down for a while prior to opening makes it even easier to combine. Additionally, there is natural versions that don't require mixing. Just be sure to double check the ingredients on those ones to be sure it's not a natural peanut butter wannabe.

And speaking of wannabes, I've noticed the big brand peanut butters have come out with "natural" versions. Or have they? I was curious so I decided to compare ingredients. Check it out:

Trader Joe's ingredients: Peanuts, salt.

Skippy Natural ingredients: Roasted peanuts, sugar, palm oil, salt.

Skippy regular ingredients: Roasted peanuts, sugar, hydrogenated vegetable oils (cottonseed, soybean and rapeseed) to prevent separation, salt.

Jif Natural ingredients: Peanuts, sugar, palm oil, contains 2% or less of: salt, molasses.

Jif regular ingredients: Roasted peanuts and sugar, contains 2% or less of: molasses, fully hydrogenated vegetable oils (soybean and rapeseed), mono and diglycerides, salt.

As you can see, the two competing big brands don't offer a truly all natural peanut butter. Not sure why. Even the makers of the famous Goober Grape, Smucker's, makes a real natural peanut butter.

Peanut butter is one of those foods that is naturally nutritious and delicious all on its own. No need for added stuff. My aunt must have got a bad batch or was having a bad day because natural peanut butter is anything but awful. So throw out the Jif and the other stuff, the kiddos won't mind, I swear!

"All Natural"

We so often see the claim "all natural" on food packaging. A few years back I contacted Snapple about their all natural claims and not surprisingly, they blew me off. The email said something like "Our ingredients meet the necessary requirements to be labeled all natural. If you're looking for something without sugar, we offer a Black & White tea." Hu? Um, okay. I wasn't looking for a sugar free beverage but one that was really all natural. Clearly they didn't have one.

I think we're all aware that claims on products are governed by a very loose set of standards and so much of it is not what it seems. It's our responsibility to look beyond what the box says and in the case of Ben & Jerry's, beyond the pint. I read the following article and was not surprised. However, I was surprised to find out they are owned by Unilever. I had no idea.

Ben & Jerry's making bogus 'all natural' claims, food watchdog says

It's not that I thought they were still the small company they started out as but I guess their marketing has done a great job maintaining that small company feel and I still sorta pictured Ben & Jerry making the ice cream. I know, impossible but still a nice thought.

Anyhow, the point to this post is "all natural" really doesn't mean "all natural." Things that are really all natural don't usually need to be labeled as such. There is so much competition in the food industry and I understand the pressure to make these seemingly harmless claims to make us feel better about buying the product but if they're not true, it's no longer harmless.

Also, regarding Ben & Jerry's specifically, we pay more for their specialty, "all natural" product. But why? If the ingredients are similar to those in a bargain ice cream, what are we paying for? Most definitely not higher quality ingredients but certainly the irresistible and unique flavors no one else offers us. Genius.

We do have other options though. Making our own is likely the most economical and certainly gives us the most control over ingredients or there are ice cream companies that are using quality ingredients, we just need to take a closer look. And remember, everything in moderation. Whether a pint of Ben & Jerry's or a bowl of homemade ice cream, it's all good - in moderation.

B&J Cake Batter ingredients: Cream, Skim Milk, Water, Liquid Sugar (Sugar, Water), Sugar, Wheat Flour, Coconut Oil, Egg Yolks, Soybean Oil, Butter (Cream, Salt), Cocoa (Processed With Alkali), Chocolate Liquor, Natural Flavor, Salt, Guar Gum, Soy Lecithin, Turmeric (Color), Carrageenan