The JIF Myth

In a previous post, when referring to JIF peanut butter, I said, “you’re better off drinking a bottle of Windex”.  Because you really are. Not ready to give up your JIF just yet? Maybe this breakdown will help you reconsider.

Let’s take a gander at the ingredients...
1. Roasted Peanuts: peanuts are the #1 pesticided item. Do you enjoy chemicals with your peanuts? I don’t. Whenever choosing a peanut butter, choose organic. (All natural doesn’t count) You’re worth a couple extra pennies.
2. Sugar: this is the straight white stuff that will spike your blood sugar and then leaving you crashing an hour or too later making you reach for MORE peanut butter, candy or unnecessary calories. Also, sugar = weight gain.
3. Molasses: another sweetener.  If you’re trying to switch from Jif to the organic-no-crap-added peanut butter you’ll notice it’s not as sweet. Jif cheats and adds TWO sweeteners.
4. FULLY Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil: When a vegetable oil is hydrogenated, hydrogen is added to turn liquid oils into solids. This hydrogenation process is highly unnatural involving high heat, high pressure and the use of toxic substances, such as nickel, as catalysts and alters the shape of the molecules. Even though fully hydrogenated oils may contain no trans fat, such oils contain lots of free radicals, which can cause serious damage to body cells.
5. Mono and Diglycerides:  additives that are used to blend together two ingredients that normally wouldn’t blend well, such as oil and water. That is why most peanut butters without additives have all the oil at the top.  When you purchase it, give it a super duper good stir when you get home and put it in the fridge. You’ll never have to stir or see the gross oil bath at the top again.
6. Salt: because JIF wants you to bloat after you enjoy their peanut butter

Trying to get a JIF lover off peanut butter is like trying to get a cigarette smoker off cigarettes. It’s tough. One tactic you can try is what I like to call the Half and Half: Have your Jif lover mix half of their JIF with half of their organic peanut butter. Half is better then none. Once the Jif runs out, purchase a bottle of Windex instead.