What is peanut butter and what are its uses?

If you ask a layman what peanut butter is, you would get an answer something like this - It is a tasty spread that is creamy and filling and is the tastiest thing to be had at any time of the day. Well, the different definitions that people give for peanut butter can not be considered entirely wrong. It indeed is tasty and filling and can be considered the most satisfying thing. But what exactly is peanut butter?

What is peanut butter?

Peanut Butter is a thick spread. It is made from ground peanuts. The grounded peanuts are blended into a fine paste to get the very famous smooth texture of peanut butter. It is the powerhouse of nutrients. Its health benefits are known to the world.

But why is peanut butter considered so healthy? Let us tell you -

Why is peanut butter considered healthy?

Peanut butter is an excellent source of protein and therefore, is ideal for a person aiming to gain mass and muscle. Moreover, it also helps in losing weight. Peanut butter contains trace amounts of calories per serving and it makes you feel satiated for a longer period of time. This makes people lose weight.
A common misconception in which people quite often fall is that the fats in peanut butter will make you fat. But in fact, the fats in peanut butter are mono-unsaturated fats that help in weight loss and shoot down the risk of obesity, thereby preventing heart diseases.
Another prejudice that prevails in the market is that peanut butter contains a lot of sugar and oil, therefore, it has a lot of calories. There are peanut butters available in the market like Alpino Natural Peanut Butter that is free from any additional sugar, salt or hydrogenated oils. A lot of customer feedback is valid evidence to prove that Alpino peanut butter is an excellent choice when one is considering an all-natural peanut butter spread that can also be consumed for weight loss. Without worrying about the calories, you can enjoy the taste of peanut butter every day.
Peanut butter acts as a tonic for your heart. It contains nutrients such as monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) and Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) that improve heart health. Unsaturated fats are better for us than saturated fats. The ratio of unsaturated fats in Peanut Butter is naturally high as compared to the saturated one, making it a snack that actually shoots down the risk of heart diseases. Moreover, it also contains a substance called p-coumaric acid which helps in counteracting the damage done to the cells of the heart.
Peanut Butter is relatively low on carbohydrates. It also contains fibre and fats and proteins in good amounts. This means that peanut butter, with no added sugar, is a good option for people with diabetes. People with diabetes may suffer from low magnesium levels and to replenish this, peanut butter is a good option as it contains sufficient amounts of magnesium. Even people with type 2 diabetes can consume it tension-free. The Antioxidants and oleic acid found in it not only reduces blood sugar levels but also reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes.
Eating peanut butter reduces the risk of Benign Breast Disease, also known as BBD, which eventually increases the risk of breast cancer. Even those women who had a family history of breast cancer had a significantly lower risk if they ate peanut butter, was found in one of the studies. Moreover, peanut butter is packed with cancer-fighting Vitamin E. A Vitamin-E-rich diet has the capacity to lower the risk of a lot of cancers in the stomach, lung and liver.
Peanuts contain Vitamin B3 or niacin in high quantities. People who eat foods rich in Vitamin B3 are less likely to have Alzheimer’s disease or other memory disorders. The niacin contained within peanut butter helps in the recovery of damaged cells of the brain, which provides the shield against this disease. Moreover, the p-coumaric acid found in peanut butter helps fight the oxidative stress on the cells of the body associated with neurodegenerative diseases.

These were the benefits and we have almost convinced you to try peanut butter but how would you consume it? Let us tell you a few recipes that would enhance your peanut butter experience even more -

Peanut butter recipes -

1. Peanut butter oatmeal bars -

Ingredients - rolled oats, peanut butter, honey, cinnamon, dark chocolate.

Method - Mix the rolled oats, peanut butter, honey and cinnamon. Once the gooey mixture is ready, spread it over a pan that is lined with parchment paper. Spread out the mixture evenly and put this pan in the refrigerator for 10 mins. In the meantime, melt the dark chocolate and spread it over the mixture once you take it out of the refrigerator.

Your no-bake oatmeal bars are ready.

2. Peanut butter dip -

Ingredients - peanut butter, greek yogurt, maple syrup, vanilla extract, crushed peanuts.

Method - mix all the ingredients. Top this dip with crushed peanuts and serve it with your favourite snacks. This dip is everything you have been missing since it is both healthy and tasty.

Well, now you know the health benefits that peanut butter provides. Therefore, you should make it a part of your diet. If you are looking for natural peanut butter but are unable to find one amongst all the options that are available in the market, then you might want to have a look at Alpino peanut butters.

The nutritional content of Alpino Natural Peanut Butter (Smooth) is as follows -

Nutrition	Nutritional Value Per 100g
Energy	605kcal
Protein	30g
Carbohydrate	22g
Total Fat	47g
Cholesterol	0mg
Sodium	25mg

It is worth noting that Added Sugar and Trans Fat are both 0g in the peanut butter.

Alpino Peanut Butter comes in 5 variants namely - Natural peanut butter, Chocolate peanut butter, Classic peanut butter, Coconut peanut butter, and Organic peanut butter. Texture variation of smooth or crunchy is also available. All of these are all-natural, with no added sugar, salt or hydrogenated oils.