Peanut butter: a vegan super food

May 7, 10:24 AMSeattle Vegan ExaminerVirginia Messina, MPH, RD

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Peanut butter: A Great Vegan Snack for Decades

Peanut butter is considered a food staple by most Americans, consumed in about 75% of U.S. homes. And it also deserves a place in the Vegan Foods Hall of Fame.

First, it’s truly a part of vegetarian history. The process of making peanut butter—which isn’t much more than ground up peanuts—was patented in 1895 by vegetarian health activist John Harvey Kellogg. It was part of his ongoing effort to concoct meat substitutes for the patients at his sanitarium in Battle Creek, Michigan. Peanut butter was later introduced at the 1904 Universal Exposition (World’s Fair) in St Louis as a health food.

Unfortunately, a focus on low-fat eating during the past few decades has caused some to shun peanut butter and other higher-fat foods. That’s a mistake since peanut butter is nutritious and versatile and a great fit to vegan diets. It’s especially helpful for vegan kids who might be at the picky eater stage, since it’s rich in protein and zinc, and most children like it.

For adults, peanut butter is a good addition to heart healthy diets. Researchers from Pennsylvania State University found that adding 2 to 3 servings of peanuts or peanut butter to the daily diet was more effective than a low fat diet for protecting against heart disease. Most likely this is because peanuts are high in monounsaturated fats. But they also contain about 30 times the amount of resveratrol—the phytochemical responsible for health benefits of red wine—as grapes have.

And, while consuming excessive amounts of fatty foods can boost calories, moderate amounts of fat actually help control hunger and improve willpower. Studies show that when people have a snack that includes peanuts or peanut butter, they stay satisfied longer, and therefore control their food intake better. People who eat diets containing peanuts or other fat-containing foods actually maintain their weight loss more easily than those eating a low-fat diet.

In choosing peanut butter, look for natural brands that don’t contain added emulsifiers or sugar. More processed brands of peanut butter contain trans fats, although the amount is usually very small. Many natural foods markets let you grind your own for a truly fresh option.

Here are some ideas for adding peanut butter to vegan diets:

• Melted peanut butter makes a great replacement for margarine on waffles or pancakes. Use it alone or combine ¼ cup of peanut butter with ½ cup maple syrup.

• Make a quick and easy sauce for rice or vegetables: Heat together  ½ cup peanut butter,  1 ½ cups water, ½ cup sautéed onions, ½ tbsp apple cider vinegar, and a dash of tamari and cayenne pepper. Try this on leafy green vegetables for an authentic taste of African cooking.

• For Asian noodles, stir together and heat ½ cup veggie broth, 1/3 cup peanut butter, 3 tablespoons teriyaki sauce, 2 tbsp brown sugar, 1 tbsp lime or lemon juice, and a dash of cayenne. Toss with whole wheat noodles and shredded carrots.

• Spread peanut butter thinly on apple slices or celery slices—a great snack for kids.

• Fill a whole wheat pita pocket with peanut butter, shredded carrots and cucumber slices or sweet pickles.

• Top open-faced peanut butter sandwiches with slices of crisply cooked tempeh bacon.

• Mix one tablespoon of peanut butter into a serving of oatmeal for a breakfast that will see you through the morning.

• And—are you ready to think outside the box? For a great appetizer, spread peanut butter on Ritz crackers and top with a dollop of prepared horseradish.