by Denise Calaman

Created on: January 16, 2009   Last Updated: October 19, 2010

One of the tastiest all natural foods on the market today is peanut butter. All natural peanut butter is simple, containing only peanuts and depending on what brand of peanut butter, a little salt. Some companies choose to add natural oils to their products to help stop separation. All natural peanut butter has none of the additives that a processed peanut butter has such as hydrogenated oils. It's the absence of these hydrogenated oils in all natural peanut butter that makes it a healthier choice for the consumer. All natural peanut butter is high in protein and monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats (good fats).

Most consumers like the idea that they are eating smarter, or healthier, but the first time that some consumers open a jar of all natural peanut butter they are somewhat appalled, or amazed, at what lies at the top of the jar. In shipping the good fats in all natural peanut butter separate from the peanut butter itself.  In processed peanut butter this doesn't happen due to the process of hydrogenation. The process of hydrogenation (chemical alterations) is what makes processed peanut butter smooth and silky. Because all natural peanut butter isn't hydrogenated it has a rougher texture until the top layer of oil is stirred back into the peanut butter itself.

A Comparison-

Smart Balance, Smuckers and Skippy Natural are just three of the brands of all natural peanut butter on the market. So which tastes better? Which is the least expensive? Which is healthier and most natural?  Comparing all three brands, all three were priced evenly, within a few cents of one another, for a 16 oz jar. Prices will vary from store to store. All three brands contain 0 grams of trans fat and no hydrogenated oils in any variety of their all natural peanut butters.

Smuckers All Natural Peanut Butter comes in four varieties, Creamy, Chunky, Creamy Peanut Butter with Honey and Creamy Organic. Of all three brands Smuckers remains the most natural, listing their ingredients as peanuts and salt. The other two brands have natural oils added to their peanut butters. Smuckers has 16 grams of fat per serving including 2.5 grams of saturated fat. Smuckers manages to maintain some sweetness in their all natural peanut butter without the harmful additives.

Skippy All Natural Peanut Butter comes in two different varieties, Creamy and Crunchy. Skippy lists its ingredients as roasted peanuts, sugar, palm oil and salt. Adding oil, even natural oil like palm oil, increases the amount of saturated fat. There is no product separation with Skippy All Natural Peanut Butter, so there is no need for stirring and it tastes like the original Skippy product. There is 16 grams of fat per serving including 3.5 grams of saturated fat, and 3 grams of sugar.

Smart Balance has two varieties of all natural peanut butter on the market, Omega Extra Creamy and Omega Super Duper Chunky. Smart Balance lists the ingredients on their labels as peanuts, a natural oil blend(flaxseed and palm fruit oil), salt, and molasses. Smart Balance is smoother than most all natural peanut butters due to the oil blend that they use in their product. Smart Balance Omega All Natural Peanut Butter is gluten free and offers 1000mg per serving Omega 3's. There is 17 grams of fat per serving including 3 grams of saturated fat.

In my opinion Skippy All Natural Peanut Butter tastes more like Orginal Skippy.  Smart Balance is the least sweet and the one that I would probably not buy again. Of all three varieties of all natural peanut butter that I tried I liked Smuckers the best.  It tasted the sweetest it was the best tasting. 

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