The days of innocence and a peanut butter sandwich.
Unfortunately, reading a food label will destroy innocence just as surely as flipping through the pages of Penthouse. Two tablespoons of peanut butter can contain as much as one-fourth of the recommended daily value of fat for a day.
The good news is that the monounsaturated fat in peanut butter can be considered a ''good fat'' in its natural form. The bad news is that this fat separates from the solids in natural peanut butters, resulting in an unappetizing layer of oil on top.
Manufacturers used to add small amounts of trans fats to peanut butter to avoid this problem. With trans fats tainted, they're substituting other kinds of oils, like palm oil, which don't contain trans fats but may contain saturated fats. These oils are not so great, though a debate is raging about how good or bad palm oil is for heart health.
Here are the ABCs of three mostly stir-free PBs:
Peter Pan Reduced Fat Crunchy
Cost: $2.69 per 18 ounces
The label says: 25 percent less fat than regular peanut butter.
Nutrition: Per 2 tablespoon serving: 190 calories, 12 g fat (18 percent of daily value); 2.5 g saturated fat (13 percent daily value); 5 g sugars; 8 g protein.
The verdict: One taster found it a little too sweet (and it did have the most sugars of all brands), another thought the chunks of peanut were too big, but all agreed that it was pretty much like regular peanut butter -- and it definitely has the best nutritional profile when it comes to fat.
Grade: B+
Skippy Natural Super Chunk
Cost: $2.29 per 15 ounces
The label says: No need to stir; as always, no trans fat per serving; 2008 Chef's Best Award, best taste.
Nutrition: Per 2 tablespoon serving: 180 calories; 17 g fat (26 percent daily value); 3.5 g saturated fat (18 percent daily value); 3 g sugars; 7 g protein.
The verdict: ''Good peanut flavor''; ''most like normal peanut butter.'' But we're not sure what makes this especially ''natural,'' since it still adds palm oil to prevent separation. Reduced Fat Skippy, which doesn't tout ''natural'' on the label, only has 12 grams of fat, 2 of them saturated.
Grade: B
Smart Balance Omega Super-Duper Chunky
Cost: $4.99 per 26 ounces
The label says: Omega-3s from flax oil; no hydrogenated oil; no trans fatty acids; no refined sugar; 1,000 Omega-3's per serving (63 percent of Daily Value ALA).
Nutrition: Per 2 tablespoon serving: 200 calories, 17 g fat (26 percent daily value), 2.5 g saturated fat (12 percent daily value); 1 g sugars; 8 g protein.
The verdict: Omega-3 is one of the latest nutrients to be trumpeted on food labels, but not all are created equal. The Omega-3's in fish are linked to a lower risk of heart disease; the Omega-3's in plants ''may not prevent anything,'' said Center for Science in the Public Interest senior nutritionist David Schardt in an October 2007 press release.
This brand has the highest fat but the lowest sugars of the three tested. Unfortunately, our tasters found it pretty ''blah.'' One said it tasted ''like eating roasted peanuts'' on bread, and our kid taster spit it out. Also needs to be stirred slightly.
Grade: C-
The bottom line: The peanut gallery says, go for reduced fat.
