Is Peanut Butter Actually Keto
Like a reliable old friend, peanut butter has been beside you throughout every stage of your life. In the past, your parents put sandwiches spread with PB and jelly in your elementary school lunch box. And as you got older, you found that adding peanut butter to your morning toast is the perfect way to pack some protein into your breakfast. But although peanut butter has been with you through thick and thin, you may be worried that you’ll finally have to give it up due to your keto diet.
On the one hand, since keto requires a large fat intake , peanut butter seems like a great keto-friendly food choice. After all, according to Very Well Fit, one 2 tablespoon serving of your favorite PB brand offers you 16 grams of healthy fat. However, in the end, a keto diet always comes down to carb intake. So how does peanut butter’s carb count stack up? Well, according to Healthline, it depends on the brand.
Contains Monounsaturated Fats That May Lower Your Risk Of Heart Disease
One of the healthy fats found in peanut butter is oleic acid. Epidemiological studies suggest that monounsaturated fats, particularly oleic acid, reduce heart disease risk by lowering LDL cholesterol. In addition to its ability to lower cholesterol, oleic acid may also reduce blood pressure.
While not a type of dietary fat, niacin or vitamin B3 can also be found in ground peanuts and one of its health effects is to lower cholesterol in the blood.
Does It Matter What Kind Of Peanut Butter You Eat
“It’s always best to stick to peanut butters that are organic or really from the source,” says Blevins, which means no added sugars. You’ll also want to steer clear of products that contain fillers, like palm oil or other kinds of hydrogenated oil, which are usually added to preserve freshness, per Ernst.
Getting freshly ground peanut butter from your local grocery or health food store is the best way to go, since it’s usually made with just the nuts and maybe a little salt. “That is amazing because then it’s extra nutritious,” explains Blevins.
Justin’s Classic Peanut Butter
If you can’t find that, Justin’s Classic Peanut Butter is also a great and convenient option you can buy. It only contains six grams of carbs per serving and no added sugar. It’s also available in individual packets for an easy keto snack on the go.
Common brands like Jif and Skippy ballpark at around a similar number for carbs , but both products have added sugars. You can definitely still have some while on keto, but opting for naturally sweetened versions is still your best bet.
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Net Carbs In Peanut Butter
Net carbs are calculated by deducting the amount of fiber from the total number of carbs.
There are 14 grams of net carbs in peanut butter .
As discussed above, if you are eating a traditional keto diet, your aim is to stay below 20 grams of carbs in a day.
A tablespoon serving of peanut butter will be around 15 grams of peanut butter. Even if you are liberal and have 2 tablespoons of peanut butter you will only be eating around 4.2 grams of carbs.
What Are Todays Most Popular Best Peanut Butter For Low Carb Diet Models
There are many best peanut butter for low carb diet items accessible today for men and women seeking quality and reliability. Every best peanut butter for low carb diet model follows the same essential premise. But they appeal to various users.
Inevitably, certain products will only appeal to particular types of people. Which products are the most popular amongst customers as a whole, you could ask. If you’d want a list, we have one here. Check out our wide range of products that look to be appealing to people of various ages, genders, and places.
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Peanut Butter On A Low Carb Diet
There is a lot of confusion around whether or not peanut butter is suitable on a low carb diet, mainly because of its classification and how it is manufactured.
Despite having the word nut in the name, peanuts do not form part of the tree nut species, they actually belong to the legume family. Anyone who has been following the diet for quite some time will know that most legumes are a big no in the ketogenic world. However, most nut butter lovers will be pleased to know that peanuts are classified as nuts because their taste and nutritional profile closely resemble that of tree nuts.
The second reason behind the confusion is how the peanut butter is manufactured. Many brands of peanut butter are processed using trans fats such as hydrogenated oil, which helps to extend the products shelf life and maintain its consistency in warmer temperatures. In addition to this, many store-bought nut butters contain excessive amounts of sugar. Fortunately, not all peanut butter is created equal, there are many brands that do not have added sugar or other artificial ingredients included in their formula.
Ingredient No Bake Keto Peanut Butter Balls
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Peanut butter recipes are a huge snack favorite around here, like the healthy peanut butter no bake cookies and healthy low carb peanut butter bars!
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Wait Peanuts Aren’t Nuts
This is why the number of calories and carbs in peanuts aren’t the only thing to consider.
For some, consuming legumes can lead to an inflammatory response in the body. Chronic inflammation is linked to many of the diseases that kill Americans, like heart disease, cancer, and type 2 diabetes.
Inflammation can also cause joint pain and lead to autoimmune disorders like arthritis.
Fortunately, low-carb diets that place an emphasis on eliminating processed foods and eating lots of vegetables have been shown to reduce inflammation.
Further, nut consumption has been shown to reduce inflammation in the body.
For these reasons, you might want to choose a nut butter or nut product over peanuts.
Is Peanut Butter More Keto
Peanut butter definitely isnt the only nut butter to choose from cashew butter, almond butter and sunflower seed butter are just some of the other options youll see lining the shelf too. Good news all of them are keto-friendly, too! Nut butters made of pecans, walnuts, macadamia nuts or almonds will have slightly fewer carbs than peanut butter, while ones made with pistachios or cashews will have slightly more, Blatner says.
No matter what nut or seed butter youre considering adding to your cart, the same rules apply when figuring out whether its keto-friendly or not: Check the nutrition label to see if the ratios mirror the ketogenic diets ratios and pay attention to the sugar content.
General Tips For Knowing If a Food Is Keto-Friendly
Remember the keto ratios that Blatner spelled out? You may want to snap a photo of them to save to your phone because they are the key to knowing if a food is keto-approved or not. You know if a food is keto-friendly because it follows the ratios of the diet: high in fat, moderate in protein and very low in carbs, she says. In a typical day, she says that most people following the keto diet eat between 20 grams and 50 grams of carbohydrates. If you eat three meals a day, thats about 15 grams of carbohydrates per meal, she says.
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Not All Butters Are Created Equal
Peanut butter is only as good as its ingredients, and the best keto peanut butters have no more than two ingredients peanuts and salt. Anything else is frankly unnecessary.When youre perusing nutrition labels at the grocery store, try to avoid any peanut butters that have added sugars and hydrogenated oils.Also, be wary of any peanut butters that contain xylitol. Its a low-carb sweetener with a low impact on blood sugar levels when consumed in small amounts, so it seems perfectly keto on paper. Your body only digests 50% of xylitol, though. The rest ferments in your colon which can cause bloating, gas, and diarrhea. Xylitol is also incredibly toxic to dogs even small amounts can be fatal. If youre planning to share your peanut butter with your pets, put the xylitol back on the shelf.Pass on reduced fat and low fat butters, too. One keto is a high fat diet, so cutting out fat is just counterproductive. Two reduced fat and low fat versions of anything are highly processed and usually contain added sugars to make up for the lack of flavor that happens when you take out fat.All-natural or organic peanut butters are your best bet. Generally, these varieties dont contain any unnecessary added ingredients and have the least amount of carbs.
Keto Peanut Butter Nutrition Facts
Two tablespoons of keto-friendly peanut butter contain around:
- Two grams of net carbs
- 16 grams of fat
- Three grams of fiber
If you love peanut butter and dont want to eat it in moderation, keto peanut butter is a must. With only two grams of net carbs, you can spread it on your low-carb sandwiches, top it with ice cream or make it in a smoothie.
Now lets look at some health benefits of eating keto peanut butter.
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Carbs In Peanut Butter
A typical serving of regular peanut butter is two tablespoons, and contains about 190 calories. A serving of regular peanut butter has 16 grams of fat, 8 grams of carbs, 6 grams of net carbs, 2 grams of fiber and 7 grams of protein.
However, you can also buy sugar-free peanut butter. A typical serving of sugar-free peanut butter is two tablespoons, and contains about 200 calories. A serving of sugar-free peanut butter has 17 grams of fat, 7 grams of carbs, 4 grams of net carbs, 3 grams of fiber and 8 grams of protein.
Its Rich In Essential Nutrients
Peanut butter contains hard-to-find nutrients like vitamin E, iron, potassium and niacin. So eating it can help fill in these nutrients if you lack them.
For example, vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin found to reduce oxidative stress caused by free radicals in your body. This oxidative stress is a significant cause behind many chronic diseases like Alzheimers, multiple sclerosis and even cancer.
Fortunately, four tablespoons of peanut butter contain 36 percent of your daily vitamin E needs. You can fulfill your remaining requirements with foods like eggs, meat and vegetables.
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Peanut Butter Nutrition Facts
Peanut butter is super nutritious.
Yes, its high in calories, but that doesnt mean its unhealthy. Your bod needs nutrient-dense, high fat foods for many important functions. So, dont judge a food simply on the number of calories it has. Its also a good source of magnesium, which can be lacking in very low carb diets.
Here are the deets for a 2-tablespoon serving of peanut butter:
- Vitamin E: 19 percent of the daily value
- Niacin: 27 percent of the DV
- Magnesium: 13 percent of the DV
- Phosphorus: 9 percent of the DV
- Manganese: 23 percent of the DV
Just keep in mind that a serving of PB contains about 7 g of total carbs and 5.6 g of net carbs . That isnt considered high carb, but it might take up a considerable portion of your daily carbs.
Youll typically keep your carb intake below 50 g per day on a keto diet. This helps you reach and maintain ketosis, a metabolic state where your bod burns fat for fuel.
Can You Take Peanut Butter On Keto
Following a keto diet plan isnt easy. And if your favorite foods like pickles, pasta, and peanut butter arent keto, dieting can be difficult.
Fortunately for you, peanut butter is keto friendly, but when taken in moderation.
You see, if youre on keto, youre allowed to consume a net of 50g of carbs daily. And as we discussed earlier, one tablespoon of peanut butter has only 3.6. So, if you use 1-2 spoons on your sandwich, you are good to go.
The only problem is you have to be conscious. Any diet be it of any cuisine usually has a high proportion of natural carbs. For instance, even pulses known for their proteins have a substantial amount of carbs.
It is tough to check the carb content of each little ingredient in your diet when you are on keto. Because unlike fats or proteins, carbs are present in almost every food.
So, if you want to have more than two spoons of peanut butter, you will have to be utterly conscious.
Another factor you must consider when looking for what to eat on keto is the number of calories and fillers.
Peanut butter is high in calories but not unhealthy. It is rich in protein, fats, and fiber.
However, most commercial peanut butter contains sugar and other fillers, making them unusable for keto dieters.
The best way to ensure your peanut butter is keto friendly is to make your own natural, unsweetened, and homemade peanut butter.
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Dont Worry About Aflatoxins
One concern around peanut butter you may have heard about is aflatoxin exposure. Aflatoxins are a family of toxins found on various crops, including peanuts and tree nuts.
One case-control study found that long-term exposure to aflatoxins increases ones risk of liver cancer, malnutrition, and impaired immune function.
While this is a real concern, you likely dont need to worry because the USDA and FDA has implemented guidelines to minimize risk, including close monitoring of susceptible crops and imported products.
Can I Use Peanut Butter On Keto Diet
Peanut butter is unprocessed food. It is just peanuts that are roasted and ground till they become a paste.
Peanuts are rich in fat. The substance that sticks on the roof of your mouth when eating peanut butter on keto diet is fat.
As explained in the above section, a ketogenic diet prizes fats so that you are supposed to consume up to 70% of your daily energy from them. To reach such a target, you need to consume foods full of fats and low in carbs.
100 grams of this spread contains the following :
- 20 grams of carbs, 6 of which will be fiber. You will get 13% of its total calories from this macronutrient
- 25 grams of proteins containing 15% of calories
- 50 grams of fat-containing about 72% of total calories
Since peanut butter is high in fats and has fewer carbohydrates, then you should be in the clear, right?
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Which Brands Of Peanut Butter Are Best For Keto
The nutrition information shown for each product listed below applies to 2 tablespoons of that product.
- Justins Classic Peanut Butter | 210 calories, 18g fat, 7g protein, 5g net carbs
Honorable Mentions These products are usually available at most grocery stores, so you wont have to go out of your way or order online to find them. Though the macros are okay for keto, these peanut butters contain added sugars and hydrogenated oils, so we recommend choosing other options if youre able.
- Skippy Creamy Peanut Butter | 2 tablespoons = 190 calories, 16g fat, 7g protein, 4g net carbs
- Jif Natural Creamy Peanut Butter | 2 tablespoons = 190 calories, 16g fat, 7g protein, 5g net carbs
Is Skippy Peanut Butter Keto
Two of the most popular brands of peanut butter are Skippy and Jif. Are these two beloved brands keto-friendly too? Well, it depends. Devine says that if the peanut butter youre eyeing is loaded with added sugar, its no longer keto-approved. Added sugars will cause glucose and insulin to spike, which not only prevents metabolic ketosis but can cause sugar and carbohydrate cravings as well as increased hunger, she says.
Fay says that both Skippy and Jif sell peanut butters with no added sugar. Skippys no-added-sugar peanut butter contains 18 grams of fat, 7 grams of protein, 4 grams of carbs, and 2 grams of natural sugar per serving. Jifs no-added-sugar offering contains 17 grams of fat, 8 grams of protein, 7 grams of carbs, and 2 grams of natural sugar per serving. Both follow the set keto ratio making them keto-approved.
But even if your go-to peanut butter is the original Skippy or Jif, Fay says it can still have a place in the keto diet because what really matters is what youre eating overall, not just one specific food. If thats the peanut butter you can afford or you like the taste of, theres nothing wrong with that, she says.
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So Is Peanut Butter Keto
This is a breakdown of regular peanut butter’s nutritional value, according to the USDA.
- Serving size: 32 grams
- 5.5 grams of net carbs
Natural peanut butter, on the other hand, looks more like this.
- Serving size: 32 grams
- 7 grams of carbs
- 4 grams of net carbs
So, yep, peanut butter is ketoin small amounts. It’s a great source of fat, fiber, and protein, says Priscilla Blevins, RD, the owner of Keto Girl Nutritionist.
One note, though: The calories and carbs can add up quickly, so it’s best to stick with one serving or less per day, Ernst notes.