PiNgPiNg
December 13th, 2004, 10:40 PM
PEANUT BUTTER
WITH NO TRANS FATS
Diana Mirkin
All of the major brands of peanut butter contain partially hydrogenated oils, which we recommend that you avoid (see report #N185.) Partially hydrogenated oils are solid at room temperature, so the peanut butter manufacturers use them to keep the oil from separating and to give their products a very long shelf life. They don't have to add very much partially hydrogenated oil, but it is there – look at the list of ingredients. They try to fool you because if the amount is less than .5 grams per serving, they can say "0 grams of trans fats" or "no trans fats." A serving of peanut butter is two tablespoons -- so they can put as much as 8 grams of trans fats in a 16-ounce jar and still attach a label that says "No Trans Fats"!.
If you think it's important to avoid trans fats, as we do, you will read the list of ingredients on every processed food you buy and put back any that include the words "partially hydrogenated" or "hydrogenated". For most peanut butter lovers, that meant a trip to a specialty store to get freshly-ground peanut butter or one of the smaller brands that contain only peanuts (and that's still a perfectly good solution.)
Today I was delighted to find that my huge regular supermarket is carrying one of these smaller brands -- CrazyRichard's Peanut Butter. However, I didn't find it in the peanut butter section! It was shelved with the specialty or gourmet foods – even though it was priced only 20 cents higher than the national brands. When I mentioned it on the show, several callers from Canada told us that their supermarkets carry Adams brand and President's Choice brand.
You'll notice when you pick up a jar that there's about ½" of oil at the top. You need to stir this in before you use it. One caller said she pours it off -- but that doesn't really help anything and may make the peanut butter feel to stiff. (Peanuts are very high in fat even after you've poured off the oil, so if you're concerned about calories or total fat content, you're better off with another food.)
I hope this means that the big supermarkets may get the message that we want choices that don't contain partially hydrogenated oils – in peanut butter and all other foods. If you can't find this peanut butter in your supermarket, go to the Customer Service desk and 1) ask if they carry any peanut butter without partially hydrogenated oils (they may be able to tell you where it is), and 2) if the answer is no, ask them to stock some. If you find any other brands of peanut butter stocked in supermarkets, let me know and I'll add them to my list.
Peanut Butter Brands
available in supermarkets
with no partially hydrogenated oils:
Crazy Richard's Peanut Butter
Adams Peanut Butter
President's Choice Peanut Butter
Smuckers All Natural
Laura Scudder's
Publix supermarket store brand
Kroger's supermarket store brand
(Check the store brand in your supermarket)
taken frm http://www.drmirkin.com/nutrition/N242.html
i recommend Adams Peanut butter cos tts one of the few brands tt u can get.. i got it frm tanglin mall cold storage, $4.50 a bottle though.. but taste great:D but u gotta stir and mix the oil wif the peanut butter cos of the Partially hydrogenated oils are solid at room temperature, so the peanut butter manufacturers use them to keep the oil from separating and to give their products a very long shelf life so u gotta keep Adams peanut butter in the fridge.. but despite all its inconvient unlike skippy, it is all worth it if u r particular bout food... of course if u got home made bread, adam peanut butter taste super darn good if u spread a thick layer.. :D
WITH NO TRANS FATS
Diana Mirkin
All of the major brands of peanut butter contain partially hydrogenated oils, which we recommend that you avoid (see report #N185.) Partially hydrogenated oils are solid at room temperature, so the peanut butter manufacturers use them to keep the oil from separating and to give their products a very long shelf life. They don't have to add very much partially hydrogenated oil, but it is there – look at the list of ingredients. They try to fool you because if the amount is less than .5 grams per serving, they can say "0 grams of trans fats" or "no trans fats." A serving of peanut butter is two tablespoons -- so they can put as much as 8 grams of trans fats in a 16-ounce jar and still attach a label that says "No Trans Fats"!.
If you think it's important to avoid trans fats, as we do, you will read the list of ingredients on every processed food you buy and put back any that include the words "partially hydrogenated" or "hydrogenated". For most peanut butter lovers, that meant a trip to a specialty store to get freshly-ground peanut butter or one of the smaller brands that contain only peanuts (and that's still a perfectly good solution.)
Today I was delighted to find that my huge regular supermarket is carrying one of these smaller brands -- CrazyRichard's Peanut Butter. However, I didn't find it in the peanut butter section! It was shelved with the specialty or gourmet foods – even though it was priced only 20 cents higher than the national brands. When I mentioned it on the show, several callers from Canada told us that their supermarkets carry Adams brand and President's Choice brand.
You'll notice when you pick up a jar that there's about ½" of oil at the top. You need to stir this in before you use it. One caller said she pours it off -- but that doesn't really help anything and may make the peanut butter feel to stiff. (Peanuts are very high in fat even after you've poured off the oil, so if you're concerned about calories or total fat content, you're better off with another food.)
I hope this means that the big supermarkets may get the message that we want choices that don't contain partially hydrogenated oils – in peanut butter and all other foods. If you can't find this peanut butter in your supermarket, go to the Customer Service desk and 1) ask if they carry any peanut butter without partially hydrogenated oils (they may be able to tell you where it is), and 2) if the answer is no, ask them to stock some. If you find any other brands of peanut butter stocked in supermarkets, let me know and I'll add them to my list.
Peanut Butter Brands
available in supermarkets
with no partially hydrogenated oils:
Crazy Richard's Peanut Butter
Adams Peanut Butter
President's Choice Peanut Butter
Smuckers All Natural
Laura Scudder's
Publix supermarket store brand
Kroger's supermarket store brand
(Check the store brand in your supermarket)
taken frm http://www.drmirkin.com/nutrition/N242.html
i recommend Adams Peanut butter cos tts one of the few brands tt u can get.. i got it frm tanglin mall cold storage, $4.50 a bottle though.. but taste great:D but u gotta stir and mix the oil wif the peanut butter cos of the Partially hydrogenated oils are solid at room temperature, so the peanut butter manufacturers use them to keep the oil from separating and to give their products a very long shelf life so u gotta keep Adams peanut butter in the fridge.. but despite all its inconvient unlike skippy, it is all worth it if u r particular bout food... of course if u got home made bread, adam peanut butter taste super darn good if u spread a thick layer.. :D