Recently, peanut butter became popular as a healthy food. It spread because of its sweet taste and creamy texture. It's also rich in many vitamins and minerals important for the body. So many people wonder if it really is healthy or just a trend. In this article, we'll explain the benefits and harms of peanut butter, when you should stop eating it, and how to store it properly to keep all its nutrients.
Why does peanut butter have a long shelf life?
Peanut butter lasts longer than many other healthy packaged foods. This is due to several reasons. First, it has very little moisture inside, which helps it stay good for a long time. Another reason is how it's made. Cheap brands often use hydrogenated oils and sodium benzoate to increase shelf life and prevent its ingredients from separating.
These oils can make peanut butter last from 6 months up to 24 months unopened, and 3 months after opening if kept in the fridge. So the difference between healthy and unhealthy peanut butter is that healthy one should have less than 10% preservatives or hydrogenated oils, with the rest being natural peanut butter.
There’s also powdered peanut butter which has less fat than regular butter. It lasts longer when stored well because it doesn’t react with oxygen. But you should keep it in a cool, dry, dark place like the fridge.
How do you store peanut butter correctly?
How long peanut butter lasts depends on how you store it. You can keep it longer or spoil it fast. Here we’ll explain how to store it properly to keep it as long as possible. The fridge is good because cold temps help it last and keep its texture. But if you don’t want to store it in the fridge, put it in a food container that’s also cool and dark.
What are the nutritional values in peanut butter?
We'll tell you the nutritional values in two tablespoons of peanut butter, so you know how much you can use. Note that peanut butter is high in calories compared to many other healthy foods. Two tablespoons contain 188 calories, 7 grams of protein, 3 grams of saturated fat, 7.5 grams of carbs, 1.80 grams of fiber, 2.5 grams of sugar, 17 mg calcium, 57 mg magnesium, and 0.85 mg zinc.
These are the general nutritional values in store-bought peanut butter, but you should check the label on each product before buying. Avoid products with high saturated fat. It's better to buy fresh peanut butter ground in front of you to get the healthy fats. Some supermarkets sell fresh peanut butter.
Foods with peanut butter
You can add peanut butter to many foods, but watch out for the calories as said before. Foods like:
1- Peanut butter sandwich: we add the butter to whole grain bread, making a healthy and tasty breakfast.
2- You can put peanut butter on rice cakes and have it as a filling snack.
3- You can dip pear or apple slices in peanut butter.
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