For the Love of (Peanut) Butter by: Katie Russ

So back in my high school days I was in much better shape...I did ballet and jazz competitively and was a cheerleader.  School, practice, school, practice, competition, competition, practice...you get it.  I miss so much about being that athletic teenager; the rock hard abs, that 118 that met me on the scale, the insane amount of energy, and the fact that I could smear peanut butter on anything and everything, and the added calories were nothing if not beneficial.

So how healthy is peanut butter for non-16-year-olds who don't exercise five hours per day?  The answer is not so simple, because not all peanut butters are created equal.  One thing to remember about all peanut butters is that they are all very calorie and fat dense.  In other words, a little goes a long way so measure out how much you are eating so you know you have the right serving size.  But how do you start making distinctions?

1. Cut the additives!
Anything that is labeled "natural" or "organic" does not mean they have not put any additional sugar or oil into their product.  Peanut oil has healthy fat, but if there are added oils, they may add fat without adding nutrition.  It should go without saying that sugar does not add nutrition unless you have recently been in the hunger games arena.

2. Check your local health-food stores!
A lot of healthy grocery stores such as Fresh Market have machines which literally grind the peanut butter in front of you, so you know exactly what you are getting, it is incredibly fresh with no additives, and you can get a little at a time so that it does not spoil.

3. Cut the Carbs!
Because peanut butter already contains a decent number of carbohydrates, it is much healthier to pair it with a fruit or vegetable that also provides your body with water, vitamins, and fiber, rather than smearing it on bread or dipping pretzels.  Apples, bananas, and celery all pair well with peanut butter and provide nutrients the pb can't.

Now no healthy food plan should completely eliminate the foods you love, so of course every now and then I spread some peanut butter on a brownie, but this, sadly, is no longer my daily routine and I balance those peanut-butter-brownie days with more rigorous workout routines.  Not five hour routines, but you know, rigorous for ten years after my glory days.

Katie Russ