October 2008
Peanut butter and jelly
Nuts for peanut butter?
If you can limit your consumption to a dollop (and if you aren’t allergic, of course), peanut butter can be a healthful snack,
providing protein, vitamin E, niacin, and fiber. But ounce for ounce, it’s also high in calories (about 200 per 2-tablespoon
serving) and fat (about 16 grams per serving for full-fat brands). So if you’re going to indulge, choose a product that’s
worth eating.
What we found
The best from our trained tasters’ tests of 11 creamy peanut butters were the excellent Smucker’s Natural, sold east of Denver, and Smucker’s Organic, sold nationally. Unlike most of the rest, they have no added sweeteners or oils. Six other products were very good overall.
Among reduced-fat peanut butters, Smucker’s rated very good; the others we tried, Skippy and Jif, were less tasty. Still, you might tempt youngsters to try a better-for-you butter: Many of the 34 children and teenagers in a separate test we conducted said that reduced-fat Skippy and Jif were tasty.
You’ll need to stir the three Smucker’s products and the Smart Balance. We tested two gadgets that stir: Grandpa Witmer’s Old Fashioned Peanut Butter Mixer models 100 and 200. They met their claims—they were easy to use and to clean, and didn’t splash peanut oil—but the 10 panelists who tried them said they wouldn’t spend $10 for a peanut-butter stirrer.
Bottom line
For the best taste, try Smucker’s Natural or Smucker’s Organic. To cut back on fat (but not necessarily calories), try Smucker’s Reduced Fat. If you don’t like to stir before serving and like a sweeter butter, choose Peter Pan, a CR Best Buy. If sodium is a concern, try Smucker’s Organic or Simply Jif, which cut sodium by at least half, to 50 mg and 65 mg per serving, respectively.
What we found
The best from our trained tasters’ tests of 11 creamy peanut butters were the excellent Smucker’s Natural, sold east of Denver, and Smucker’s Organic, sold nationally. Unlike most of the rest, they have no added sweeteners or oils. Six other products were very good overall.
Among reduced-fat peanut butters, Smucker’s rated very good; the others we tried, Skippy and Jif, were less tasty. Still, you might tempt youngsters to try a better-for-you butter: Many of the 34 children and teenagers in a separate test we conducted said that reduced-fat Skippy and Jif were tasty.
You’ll need to stir the three Smucker’s products and the Smart Balance. We tested two gadgets that stir: Grandpa Witmer’s Old Fashioned Peanut Butter Mixer models 100 and 200. They met their claims—they were easy to use and to clean, and didn’t splash peanut oil—but the 10 panelists who tried them said they wouldn’t spend $10 for a peanut-butter stirrer.
Bottom line
For the best taste, try Smucker’s Natural or Smucker’s Organic. To cut back on fat (but not necessarily calories), try Smucker’s Reduced Fat. If you don’t like to stir before serving and like a sweeter butter, choose Peter Pan, a CR Best Buy. If sodium is a concern, try Smucker’s Organic or Simply Jif, which cut sodium by at least half, to 50 mg and 65 mg per serving, respectively.
