Adams' Natural Peanut Butter

Paleo'ers usually stay away from peanut butter because:

(1) Peanuts are legumes, and not nuts;
(2) Peanuts contain lectins, which are associated with inflammation and digestive diseases in the human body (read this);
(3) Peanuts, both normal and organic, are susceptible to a mold which produces a carcinogenic substance called aflatoxin. High levels of aflatoxins can cause liver cancer (read this).

Most everyone will say though that peanut butter is one of the most delicious butters out there, and I myself eat peanut butter and roasted peanuts once in awhile.

If you are going to eat peanut butter, stay away from the products that are pre-mixed as they probably contain nasty hydrogenated vegetable oil, added to prevent the peanut oil from separating. Instead, look out for "natural" peanut butter, which should have a layer of oil floating on top, and check the ingredients.

The brand we get is Adams (which is the only brand sold in larger supermarkets here anyway), and I always buy crunchy.

Serving size is 2 tbsp (32g), with about 14 servings in the jar.

But I just end up polishing off a lot of the jar at one time with a big spoon.

It is a little troublesome to mix the layer of oil into the thick spread yourself, but once you have had a taste of hearty natural PB, those versions with hydrogenated oils will taste really artifical and plasticky. Adams' crunchy peanut butter tastes much heartier than hydrogenated PB. My mother enjoys it on her toast, and I enjoy it as a snack. 

The make-up from bottom up is mostly spread, followed by a thin layer of peanut chunks and then the layer of peanut oil. As I love crunchy things, I do wish that there were more chunky bits in the jar.

Adams' Natural Peanut Butter is sold at NTUC for S$4.95 a jar of crunchy, creamy or unsalted creamy. NTUC also sells a "no-stir" creamy version, but that contains hydrogenated oils.

(Edit 02/12/12 : NTUC has raised the price to S$5.20 a jar.)