Good morning everyone! Peanut butter question for ya. I have an almost full jar of Kraft extra creamy peanut butter in the cupboard. I don't typically eat a lot of peanut butter, but I'm thinking it would be nice on some celery as a snack. I'm just not sure if it's phase 1 friendly. 1 tbsp only has 1 gram of sugar, but sugar is also the second ingredient in the mix. Here's what the label says:

Ingredients: roasted peanuts, sugar, hydrogenated veg oil to prevent separation, salt, fancy molasses

Nutrition facts per 1 tbsp: 90 cals, 7 g fat (1 g saturated), 0 cholesterol, 70 mg sodium, 4 g carbs, 1 g fibre, 1 g sugar, 3 g proteins.

Sorry but the answer is no. Not only is there sugar but there is also molasses. You need a PB that is all peanuts with a touch of salt.

Sorry I can't help you with a brand name because I'm in rural Ontario. Maybe some of the other Chicks will cluck in.

I'm in south-central Ontario! (Hamilton) I didn't even catch the molasses, I was so focused on the sugar. I'm not a huge PB eater anyway so I'll just leave this in the cupboard for now. I've tried natural peanut butters in the past and haven't liked them (and, I hate how hard it is to mix the natural oils back in once the stuff has been in the fridge!) so I'd rather go without. Thanks for chiming in! Hope it's not too hot up there today. I'm already starting to feel like I need to put the a/c on soon

If you don't like the natural PBs, Kraft makes a sugar and salt free PB that doesn't require refrigeration and doesn't separate. It has a blue label.

Or you can grind your own at a health food store. Yes, it is a nuisance having to stir in the oil. I usually store the jar upside down in the fridge.

Another Ontario chick! Actually we are fairly bearable right now at 26ºC. They keep promising rain but none so far.

Yet another Ontario chick here! I'm originally from Hamilton, but I live in Toronto right now.

Anyway, you should also watch out for "hydrogenated oils". They can be pretty bad for you (filled with trains fats), and only function as a stabilizer for the oil separation that is natural to most nut butters. I'm with the other chicks on this one: grind your own from organic undated nuts, or buy a sugar and added-oil free brand from a health food store.

If you can't stand the consistency of refrigerated natural nut butters, try microwaving your portion for a few seconds. It should melt some of the oils and make it much easier to spread (and make it taste more like the creamy peanut butter you're used to).

I have found smuckers brand natural p-butter in the states. I only have ever had to mix it when I open a new jar, but it has always stayed mixed in the fridge and it's yummy!! When I buy it I turn it upside down in the cupboard and the day before I open it I turn it right side up. Then the next day I open it give it a quick stir with a butter knife and put it in the fridge. I haven't had to mix any more than that. Hope this is helpful!

Thanks for the tips, everyone! Kaitri, I never would've thought to nuke it to make it easier to mix! Perhaps I'll give the natural stuff another try...will have to wait probably a week though since we just got all our groceries last night. Ruth - it's 25 here right now and not as humid as I'd expected. We could use some rain, too, but who knows when it will come (probably later today since I just finished washing the outside windows, lol). Hope everyone's having a great Saturday!

I was so mad when I first started the first thing I did was buy "Natural" peanut butter. As I was going along in the diet and started paying closer attention to ingredients I looked at the "natural" peanut butter I bought and there is sugar in it!!! SO MAD!!! It didn't effect my weight loss in any way but I maybe could have lost more if I didn't eat it? :/ LOL Oh well... PB is a must have for me.

Jen - after you start eating cleaner, you may find your tastes changing and suddenly the natural PB starts tasting really good. I was never a fan before because I adored the creaminess since I'm personally not a chunky fan. However, now the natural tastes really peanutty to me! I buy small containers of freshly ground at my grocery store - it doesn't seem to separate as much as the jarred ones.

I was going to say the same things as Mysh and Cat...

My tastes really changed and over time I grew to LOVE natural PB. And I also stored mine upside down in the pantry before I opened it. You can also buy little gadgets that are a replacement lid with a stirring paddle attached, but I've never done that. Or try other "nut" butters, like almond or cashew, also watching for no sugar added.

Trader Joe's has a natural peanut butter as well as almond butter. There are two ingredients in both, the nut and some sea salt.

Too bad we don't have Trader Joe in Canada.