Eating peanut butter with added sugars is okay, and here is why.
Peanut butter is a good source of plant food for your bones. It contains protein and potassium, which are essential for skeletal health. A minimal amount of sugar is added that isn’t harmful to your bones.
Why sugar is added to food
When processing peanut butter, sugar is often added to enhance the flavor and consistency.
Many foods contain sugar, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Sugar contributes not only to flavor but also to the texture and color of a food. It also helps to preserve food.
How much sugar is in your jar of peanut butter?
We looked at several peanut butter brands and found that there are only 2 grams of added sugar in conventional creamy and crunchy peanut butter.
Does the amount of sugar in peanut butter vary?
The grams of added sugar in different varieties of peanut butter, including reduced-fat and “natural,” can differ.
What matters is not that you are eating sugar, but how much you eat and how often. If you don’t want your peanut butter to be flavored with sugar, you have the option to make your own.
A few of the more powerful blenders can be used to make peanut butter. Also, some supermarkets give you that opportunity, and there are some brands that offer peanut butter with no sugar added.
What about peanut powder?
Peanut powder is also available, but it may have added sugars. The one we looked at only had one gram per serving. There are fewer calories in peanut powder, because it contains only a small amount of fat.
How much added sugar is too much?
The 2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans read that less than 10 percent of our total calorie intake should come from added sugars. This 10 percent does not include naturally occurring sugar that you find in milk, fruit, and some veggies.
What does that look like?
If you eat 1800 calories daily, 180 calories can come from added sugars or 45 grams.
That may sound like a lot, but keep in mind that a 12-ounce can of regular sweetened cola provides 39 grams of added sugars.
If you are concerned about added sugars in your eating pattern, consider all the foods and beverages you consume in a day and add the grams of added sugars. Then, compare that to the recommendations from the Dietary Guidelines, and see how you do.
Summary
If you avoid peanut butter due to the amount of sugar in it, you don’t have to! Peanut butter supports your bones with protein and potassium.
Standard peanut butter with only 2 grams of added sugar in a 2-tablespoon serving is not much. The overall message to consider is how much and how frequently you eat peanut butter and any other added sugars you may be consuming.
Peanut butter is a staple in our homes. To learn more about this and other staples we use, check our Meal Prep for Strong Bones.
Stephanie Turkel is a registered dietitian nutritionist based in Texas. She has 30 plus years of experience in the nutrition field. She now takes her gained knowledge and shares it with you to explain science articles into easy-to-understand information.
Grace Rivers, RDN, CDCES
Grace is a registered dietitian nutritionist residing in Texas. She has over 30 years of experience in nutrition. Grace loves translating science articles into easy-to-understand information for you.