First, for those of you who can’t or don’t eat peanut butter, I apologize. Maybe you have some insight into the type of nut butter you like or can eat. I do like almond and cashew butters but there are more than that.

I have enjoyed eating peanut butter as most my age have since they were kids. Seems like in recent years more children are allergic to it. I heard a comedian one time state “who knew our country could be wiped out by an enemy dropping peanut butter instead of bombs.” I’m not making light of anyone’s allergies at all. Some have violent reactions.

Now, onto the article…

I prefer all natural peanut butter. Many varieties I see have so many additives. I have learned that if the label says “peanut butter spread” then I won’t even bother looking. Most have added sugars, oils, and salt. Many years ago when I was working with a group the helped teenagers, we only used natural nut butters. The kids called it fake. My response was, no, this is how it’s suppose to taste. Their is one brand labeled as Natural but is filled with sugar and oils. I understand that most add hydrogenated oil to keep it from separating. Problem is, from my understanding, hydrogenated oils are altered and not far away from plastic. YUCK!

Another issue that I’ve found is that the price can increase substantially with a more natural product. With the cost of food today and many living on limited budgets, we have to make choices we wouldn’t prefer to make. From generic or box store brands to premium brands, the price difference can be quite large. Check out all the additives in the lesser priced brands. When the chemicals and additives are added, the product becomes less and less like peanut butter and more like a lab experiment. I believe that can lead to a decline in health if larger quantities are consumed.

I have another dilemma. I am very opposed to salt in my diet. It has some to do with my health and my kidney stone issue but as I’ve reduced my salt intake to the point of not having any table salt of any kind in my house, I’ve become more intolerant of it in any food. I don’t eat soups in restaurants because it has such a high salt content. I’m careful what I buy, even with frozen foods, because of the high sodium in MOST foods. God gave us so many herbs and seasonings so why do we over salt so many things? I remember as a kid that my dad would threaten to throw away salt shakers because my mom would over salt things. Maybe some of that came from then but I like flavor, not salt.

Which brings me to my Great Peanut Butter Chase. Do you realize how hard it is to find unsalted natural peanut butter in most stores? There was one brand that I liked that I found in a box store that offered an unsalted version. I would buy a jar a week because I feed it to my dog too. I bought it for months and then nothing. They stopped carrying it. I contacted the company who sent me to many stores, including the same company in a different location, and even online. What I found was that it is extremely difficult to find it.

Thankfully I found some. I stopped into a local shop that offered natural and gluten free items. I didn’t need the gluten free, but it was good to find someone who had a nice variety. This store grinds their own dry roasted peanuts in house and adds nothing to it. It’s a little grittier than others but I don’t mind. It tastes like peanut butter should…..like peanuts! The price isn’t bad and I expected to pay more anyhow.

I’m still amazed at the length I had to go through just to find it. Is it not a big seller? It seemed to sell at the box store when I started buying it. Is it more about price? Unsalted doesn’t cost more than natural salted peanut butter. Do people even care if theirs has salt or not? I would think there are people with high blood pressure issue that would prefer unsalted. I’m still trying to figure out why I had to chase down a product that should be common, or at least available.

One thing I’ve found for natural peanut butter is the oil separation. Some don’t like to have to stir it. In my experience, if you refrigerate it, it makes it much easier. I never minded the stirring but it’s nice to make it easier. I also keep it in my fridge upside down.

So do you buy natural instead of regular peanut butter? Does health determine your choice or is it price? Are there any brands you’ve found that you really liked? Two brands that I do like are Teddie’s and Crazy Richard’s. There are others but those two brands are ones I’ve grown to like if I can find it unsalted. What do you eat it with or do you eat it by itself?

As we walk through this journey, we are all different but the psalmist says about God:

Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out;
    you formed me in my mother’s womb.
I thank you, High God—you’re breathtaking!
    Body and soul, I am marvelously made!
    I worship in adoration—what a creation!
You know me inside and out,
    you know every bone in my body;
You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit,
    how I was sculpted from nothing into something.
Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth;
    all the stages of my life were spread out before you,
The days of my life all prepared
    before I’d even lived one day.

Psalm 139:13-16 The Message