While some Mainers may look at peanut butter and think that it’s all the same, unfortunately, not all peanut butter is created equally.

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There are many reasons why people love peanut butter. Aside from its taste, peanut butter is also a great source of plant-based protein, which is important for people who follow vegetarian or vegan diets.

Spoon with Peanut Butter
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Personally, there was a period when my father became a vegan, changed his eating habits, and embraced the lifestyle that came along with that conversion. Peanut butter was something that he took very, very seriously. He would only buy a specific type of peanut butter, and it would have to be stored in a particular way. To him, it was important.

So, it’s clear that people take their peanut butter very seriously.

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The publication 24/7 Wall St. put together a list of the '13 Worst Peanut Butter Brands To Avoid,' and it’s a little discouraging. However, it does provide us with a good playbook for what we should truly be looking for when searching for the 'right' peanut butter. What’s best for us, and what we should be looking to avoid.

24/7 Wall St.’s article discusses the methodology for determining the 13 worst peanut butter brands, focusing on metrics such as flavor, texture, and nutritional value. It highlights the common additives in commercially available peanut butter, such as sugar, salt, and hydrogenated oils, and their potential health risks.

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The recommendation is to choose peanut butter with the fewest ingredients, ideally only peanuts, to avoid these additives and their associated health concerns.

But seriously, what is the worst peanut butter brand?

Credit: Smuckers.com
Credit: Smuckers.com
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Well, unfortunately for fans of Smucker’s Goober Grape, that is the worst peanut butter brand for you.

24/7 Wall St. says the following on Smucker’s Goober Grape,

I love the idea of Smucker’s Goober Grape. I begged for it as a child. And the fact that goober is another name for peanuts in the Southern United States makes me love the name. But the idea of eating it? The high fructose corn syrup alone is enough to make me pass. Potassium sorbate, a mold and yeast suppressant that is considered generally safe by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), is heavily regulated in Europe. This is due to its status as a genotoxin. A genotoxin is an agent that causes DNA or chromosomal damage. Be a savvy consumer. Read labels. And remember that in the world of peanut butter, less is more.

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What are your thoughts on the 'worst' peanut butter brand?

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