If you LOVE Peanut Butter, than you’ll want to read every word of this blog post…
It’s a complete review of the some of the finest Nut Butters from self proclaimed “Nut Butter Connoisseur” Adam Foster.
Adam has been a regular follower of the Total Fitness Bodybuilding Blog and YouTube videos for the past 6+ years.
During this time he has transformed his physique from a skinny teen to ripped muscular bodybuilder.
Adam has competed at the British Bodybuilding Championships placing a respectable 6th place among a very competitive line up.
Below you’re going to get a review of The BEST Peanut Butters for Bodybuilders… 🙂
Peanut butter is awesome. If you don’t like it, what the heck is wrong with you?
Ok so maybe there is nothing wrong with you, you’re allowed to have your own opinions and tastes. However, for me, I just love the stuff. Not just peanut butter either. Almond butter. Cashew nut butter. Pretty much any kind of nutty spread is all fair game. Nutritionally however, some are a lot better than others.
Natural peanut butter is pretty much a staple part of any bodybuilding diet. Quite rightly so.
Typically, a natural peanut butter, per 100 grams offers:
579 calories
Protein: 29.6g
Carbohydrate: 11.6g (of which sugars): 5.9g
Fat: 46.0g (of which saturates): 8.2g
Your typical tablespoon, 36 grams, will give you around 16 grams of healthy fats and 10 grams of protein. An awesome snack straight out of the tub, or a perfect spread to round off that breakfast bagel. It’s also a very filling food.
I like to consider myself somewhat of a nut butter connoisseur. And I’m on a quest to find the world’s best peanut butter. This journey is going to take me through a whole heap of tubs.
Best. Journey. Ever.
You can find out my thoughts in my Ultimate Nut Butter Review & Taste Testing Guide, where I aim to rank the best & worst peanut butters, almond butters, and everything in between.
Remember, this is all just opinion. Everyone has different tastes. Some will eat nut butters for their health benefits, whilst others will eat purely as a “treat”. Here are some of my peanut butter pointers though.
Natural or Enhanced?
No I’m not talking about steroids here. I’m talking about natural peanut butters and, well, non natural peanut butters.
The difference?
Generally, companies that produce nut butters with more than 90% of the ingredients being nuts are considered “natural”.
However, I personally, believe that a natural peanut butter should be closer to the 100% mark. The only reason it shouldn’t be 100% is:
– If a blend of different nuts have been used
– If it’s a protein fortified nut butter
– If it contains dried fruit and or flavoring (for example cinnamon & raisin almond butter)
A fail safe way to tell if your nut butter is “natural” or not, is when you first open it you should see a puddle of oily liquid is sitting at the top of the tub.
This is the nut oil separating after it has been blended into a butter. Non natural nut butters will add different kinds of chemicals and preservatives to prevent the oil from separating.
When you first try a natural peanut butter you may think your tub is “off” because of this separation of oil. But don’t worry, this is totally normal. Simply give it a stir before you spread it.
After you’ve stirred it up, the oil will mix in well with the nut butter.
Is Natural Best?
How can we quantify the term “best”.
I would say that natural is the healthier option. With no nasties, junk, or crap added. It’s almost the equivalent of taking chicken breast, and packing it full of stabilizers, e-numbers and other junk. Do you really want that? I sure don’t!
From a taste perspective, I LOVE the taste of natural nut butters, way more than regular nut butters. I’m confident that once you try a natural nut butter, you’ll be converted to!
Good Fats You Say…
IIFYM (If It Fits Your Macros) simple as that… Some people foolishly believe that “Peanut butter is healthy fat, so I can eat as much as I want“. They’re then surprised when they see the number on the scales increasing, and their waistline expanding.
Fat doesn’t make you fat. It’s an over abundance of caloric intake that makes you fat. We need fat in our diet to function properly. Having adequate fat intake helps to increase your testosterone levels.
On the flip side, some people are scared to have nuts or peanut butter because they know they’re high in fat. Again, these are good fats.
Make it fit in with your macro-nutrient and caloric needs and you’ll be fine!
Regular or Protein Fortified?
The high protein nut butter market has exploded over the past few years. New companies are popping up all over the internet on facebook, twitter and everywhere in between.
But what are they?
High protein nut butters, are simply nut butters, with added protein. The most common type of protein supplement to be used, at least from the brands I’ve tried is whey protein isolate, or a blend of whey protein.
I’ve reviewed Nuts ‘N More from Go Nutrition. The fat to protein content is roughly 1:1. From trying other brands such as P28, this seems to be common practice.
They do make meeting your protein requirements so much easier, and are even more filling than regular nut butters.
Do you need them though?
No.
They are quite pricey for a food supplement. If your budget is tight, then don’t even consider them. Stick to regular nut butters. If your not adhering to a tight budget however, then splash out and treat yourself. I enjoy them from time to time.
Hard Gainers Rejoyce
If you’re a hardgainer, and struggle to gain weight, then peanut butter is one of the most valuable foods you can have in your diet.
You can easily eat this off a spoon in between meals. Make sandwiches with it, or blend it into protein shakes.
It is quite a filling food, however adding it into a shake and blending it up, along with some oats and protein powder will provide some of the easiest calories you can add to your diet. Do this a couple times a day and I guarantee your weight gain plateau will be smashed.
Peanut Butter Plunge
If you’re ready to take the peanut butter plunge, then join me in my quest to try as many nut butters as you can. Hopefully it will introduce you to some you’ve never tried before. Likewise, you might have an awesome nut butter that I’ve never heard of. If that’s the case, then please recommend it to me!
You can get in touch with Adam at: Facebook, Twitter & YouTube.
This content was originally published here.
