Is Skippy Peanut Butter a healthy choice?
Yes, Skippy Peanut Butter can be a healthy choice if it is free of salt and artificial ingredients and consumed in moderation.
Continue reading to find out more and check your knowledge!
Ingredients to be cautious about
- Partially hydrogenated oils
- Excessive amount of calories
- Aflatoxins
- Saturated fat
- Artificial flavors
- Added sugar
Possible short-term side effects
- Possible allergic reactions
- Digestive discomfort
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Dizziness
Possible long-term side effects
- Increased blood pressure
- Diabetes
- Increased cholesterol
- Weight gain
- Cardiovascular disease
- If eaten in excess:
Benefits
- Enhances bone and muscle health
- Aids in cancer prevention
- Moderate consumption of natural peanut butter
- Reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes
- Helps prevent cardiovascular disease
- High in protein
Healthy alternatives
- All natural, 100% peanut butter
- Almond butter
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Many people have misconceptions about peanut butter nutrition. For example, many people think peanut butter is very high in protein. But in reality, peanut butter has more fat than protein. Today, let’s look at the nutrition of Skippy peanut butter specifically.
Skippy peanut butter is about equally healthy as other popular brands such as Jif and Peter Pan. Skippy has healthy fats and protein from peanuts, but most flavors also have added sugar, oil, and salt. Natural peanut butter brands without sugar, oil, and salt are generally considered healthier.
Below, you’ll find the most in-depth review of Skippy peanut butter nutrition currently available on the Internet. We’ll explore whether Skippy is good for weight loss, building muscle, low-sodium diets, and much more!
Is Skippy Peanut Butter Good for You?
Here are the 11 specific questions I’ll be answering about Skippy peanut butter nutrition. Click any of them to skip ahead to that section—or just keep scrolling to read them all:
- What Are the Ingredients in Skippy Peanut Butter?
- How Much Sugar Is in Skippy Peanut Butter?
- Is Skippy Peanut Butter Processed?
- Is Skippy Peanut Butter Good for Weight Loss?
- Is Skippy Peanut Butter Good for Building Muscle?
- Does Skippy Peanut Butter Have a Lot of Salt in It?
- Does Skippy Peanut Butter Raise Cholesterol?
- Does Skippy Peanut Butter Have Partially Hydrogenated Oil?
- Is Skippy or Jif Healthier?
- Is Skippy or Peter Pan Healthier?
- Is Skippy Peanut Butter Vegan?
1. What Are the Ingredients in Skippy Peanut Butter?
Let’s start by looking at some actual Skippy peanut butter ingredients. Below are the ingredients for several flavors of Skippy. I’ll share my takeaway points below the table:
Skippy Peanut Butter Flavor | Ingredients |
---|---|
Creamy Peanut Butter | Roasted peanuts, sugar, hydrogenated vegetable oil (cottonseed, soybean and rapeseed oil) to prevent separation, salt. |
Reduced Fat Creamy Peanut Butter Spread | Roasted peanuts, corn syrup solids, sugar, pea protein, salt, hydrogenated vegetable oil (cottonseed, soybean and rapeseed oil) to prevent separation, minerals (magnesium oxide, ferric orthophosphate, zinc oxide, copper sulfate), mono- and diglycerides, vitamins (niacinamide, pyridoxine hydrochloride, folic acid). |
Protein Creamy Peanut Butter Spread | Peanut Butter (Roasted Peanuts, Sugar, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil [Cottonseed, Soybean and Rapeseed Oil] To Prevent Separation, Salt), Pea Protein, Peanut Oil. |
No Sugar Added Creamy Peanut Butter Spread | Roasted Peanuts, Palm Oil, Salt. |
Natural Creamy Peanut Butter Spread | Roasted peanuts, sugar, palm oil, salt. |
Natural 1/3 Less Sodium & Sugar Peanut Butter Spread | Roasted peanuts, sugar, palm oil, salt. |
Natural with Honey Creamy Peanut Butter Spread | Peanut butter spread (roasted peanuts, palm oil, peanut oil, salt), sugar, honey. |
Here’s what I notice from these ingredients:
- Skippy Peanut Butter is mostly peanuts. Peanuts are a whole plant food, rich in healthy fats, a bit of protein, and some healthy vitamins and minerals.
- Most flavors of Skippy have added sugar. It’s not a lot of sugar per serving, but almost every flavor of Skippy has added sugar. This makes it more processed and higher in refined carbs than a more natural peanut butter with only peanuts and salt. Reduced Fat Skippy also has corn syrup solids, another sweetener.
- Skippy Peanut Butter has added oil. Some flavors have palm oil, which is high in saturated fat, which most health orgs recommend limiting. Other flavors have a mix of hydrogenated vegetable oils. In either case, these oils are highly processed and calorically dense. Not the healthiest.
- Skippy Peanut Butter has added salt. If you’re trying to keep your sodium intake very low, you may need to limit your portions of Skippy, as it does have added salt. There is a Low Sodium flavor, however. See below for more details on sodium content.
Related Questions:
- Does Skippy Have Xylitol? Skippy peanut butter does not contain xylitol. This means it is generally safe for dogs to eat (in moderation).
- Does Skippy Peanut Butter Have Palm Oil? Many flavors of Skippy contain palm oil, including the Skippy Natural product line. However, some flavors of Skippy—including the original flavor—contain various other vegetable oils instead.
- Is Skippy Peanut Butter Real Peanut Butter? Skippy peanut butter is made with real peanuts. It simply has other ingredients added, too. This is standard for peanut butter today, but it’s possible to get peanut butter made of only peanuts if you prefer. (Try this brand on Amazon.)
2. How Much Sugar Is in Skippy Peanut Butter?
Most flavors of Skippy peanut butter have about 3 grams of total sugar per serving (two tablespoons). However, some of that is natural sugar from the peanuts. The Skippy flavor with the least sugar is No Sugar Added Skippy, along with the Natural 1/3 Less Sodium & Sugar flavor.
Here is a table showing the sugar content of various Skippy flavors:
Skippy Peanut Butter Flavor | Total Sugar (Per 2 Tbsp) |
---|---|
Creamy Peanut Butter | 3g |
Reduced Fat Creamy Peanut Butter Spread | 4g |
Protein Creamy Peanut Butter Spread | 3g |
No Sugar Added Creamy Peanut Butter Spread | 2g |
Natural Creamy Peanut Butter Spread | 3g |
Natural 1/3 Less Sodium & Sugar Peanut Butter Spread | 2g |
Natural with Honey Creamy Peanut Butter Spread | 5g |
It’s interesting to note that the “No Sugar Added” variety still has 2g of total sugars. Prior to checking these labels, I wouldn’t have guessed that peanut butter would naturally contain that much sugar.
Related Question:
- Does Skippy Natural Have Sugar? Skippy Natural does have added sugar. In fact, Skippy Natural With Honey has more grams of total sugar per serving than any other flavor of Skippy I checked (5 grams, compared to 3 grams in most flavors).
3. Is Skippy Peanut Butter Processed?
It’s generally understood today that the healthiest foods are minimally processed. When we eat food in its more natural forms, we typically get many more nutrients than if it’s been processed into flour, flakes, syrup, or oil.
The term “processed food” is a bit imprecise, though. Technically, even if you just cut a carrot in half, you’ve “processed” it. But that’s not what most people mean when they say “processed food.”
In practical terms, the easiest way to spot “processed food” today is to check the ingredients list for refined oils, sugars, flours, artificial ingredients (sweeteners, colors, additives), or high amounts of salt.
Overall, Skippy peanut butter is not really “highly processed” or “ultra processed,” as the main ingredient is peanuts. That said, it is somewhat processed:
- All Skippy flavors I checked have some kind of refined oils.
- All Skippy flavors I checked have added salt.
- Most Skippy flavors I checked have added sugar (all but the “No Sugar Added” flavor).
- Reduced Fat Skippy has corn syrup solids, another highly processed ingredient.
Skippy peanut butter is not nearly as processed as something like Twinkies or soda. But it’s still a bit processed, no matter which flavor you buy. The least processed flavor is probably the “No Sugar Added” Skippy. But even that flavor still has added oil and salt.
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4. Is Skippy Peanut Butter Good for Weight Loss?
Another practical consideration when talking about the health impact of peanut butter is whether it will cause you to gain weight.
Skippy peanut butter is a high-calorie food, with around 95 calories per tablespoon. If eaten in moderation, it should not cause weight gain. However, large servings can add a lot of calories to your diet. In fact, peanut butter is one of the best foods to eat if you’re trying to gain weight.
Personally, I’ve gone through phases where I smeared peanut butter on so many of my snacks and meals, it did cause weight gain over the course of a few months.
But I’ve also incorporated peanut butter into healthy diets when I was maintaining or losing weight. It’s all about portion size and total calorie balance.
If you’re watching your weight, just be aware that peanut butter contains a lot of calories, almost 100 calories per tablespoon. And that can add up fast.
5. Is Skippy Peanut Butter Good for Building Muscle?
Skippy peanut butter can be a good choice for building muscle, as it is high in calories and moderate in protein. Most Skippy flavors have 7 grams of protein per serving. However, there is a high-protein flavor of Skippy with 10 grams of protein per serving (about 40% higher than most peanut butter).
Building muscle isn’t just about protein, but that’s certainly an important factor. So here’s a table showing the protein content for various Skippy flavors:
Skippy Peanut Butter Flavor | Protein (Per 2 Tbsp) |
---|---|
Creamy Peanut Butter | 7g |
Reduced Fat Creamy Peanut Butter Spread | 7g |
Protein Creamy Peanut Butter Spread | 10g |
No Sugar Added Creamy Peanut Butter Spread | 7g |
Natural Creamy Peanut Butter Spread | 7g |
Natural 1/3 Less Sodium & Sugar Peanut Butter Spread | 7g |
Natural with Honey Creamy Peanut Butter Spread | 6g |
Peanut butter has a reputation of being high in protein. But most of the calories in peanut butter actually come from fat, not protein. That’s true across the board, from Jif to Skippy to Peter Pan, and the organic brands, too.
Still, peanuts are a bit higher in protein than most nuts. And there’s another muscle-building benefit to peanut butter: Calories!
Peanut butter is very calorically dense. If you’re trying to gain weight, it’s easy to add a few hundred calories of peanut butter to many meals by just smearing it on the top.
But again, unless you’re specifically buying the Protein flavor of Skippy, then it’s pretty similar to other peanut butter brands nutritionally. It’s not really going to be better or worse for bodybuilding or building muscle than other peanut butter brands.
[Related post: Popcorn and Bodybuilding: All Your Questions Answered.]
6. Does Skippy Peanut Butter Have a Lot of Salt in It?
Skippy peanut butter has between 100mg and 170mg of sodium per serving (two tablespoons). This is a similar amount of sodium as in a serving of salted nuts or tortilla chips. The Skippy flavor with the least sodium is the Natural 1/3 Less Sodium and Sugar flavor.
Here is a table showing the amount of sodium in various Skippy flavors:
Skippy Peanut Butter Flavor | Sodium (Per 2 Tbsp) |
---|---|
Creamy Peanut Butter | 150mg |
Reduced Fat Creamy Peanut Butter Spread | 170mg |
Protein Creamy Peanut Butter Spread | 150mg |
No Sugar Added Creamy Peanut Butter Spread | 110mg |
Natural Creamy Peanut Butter Spread | 150mg |
Natural 1/3 Less Sodium & Sugar Peanut Butter Spread | 100mg |
Natural with Honey Creamy Peanut Butter Spread | 140mg |
For comparison, Tostitos Scoops chips have 120mg of sodium in each serving (13 chips).
If you’re looking for truly low sodium peanut butter, you may want to look for a “natural” or “organic” option that is made of only peanuts. For example, on Amazon there’s a popular brand called Spread the Love that is made of only peanuts. Surprisingly, it still tastes great!
7. Does Skippy Peanut Butter Raise Cholesterol?
Skippy peanut butter does not contain dietary cholesterol. However, depending on the flavor, Skippy has 2g to 4g of saturated fat per serving (2 tablespoons). This could potentially affect blood cholesterol levels, as saturated fat consumption is linked to higher LDL cholesterol.
Here’s a table showing the cholesterol and saturated fat content of various Skippy peanut butter flavors:
Skippy Peanut Butter Flavor | Cholesterol | Saturated Fat |
---|---|---|
Creamy Peanut Butter | 0mg | 3g |
Reduced Fat Creamy Peanut Butter Spread | 0mg | 2g |
Protein Creamy Peanut Butter Spread | 0mg | 3g |
No Sugar Added Creamy Peanut Butter Spread | 0mg | 4g |
Natural Creamy Peanut Butter Spread | 0mg | 3.5g |
Natural 1/3 Less Sodium & Sugar Peanut Butter Spread | 0mg | 4g |
Natural with Honey Creamy Peanut Butter Spread | 0mg | 3.5g |
In recent years, there is some debate over whether saturated fat is actually so bad or not. But the current consensus among most health organizations is to limit saturated fat for reasons related to cholesterol and heart disease.
If you have high cholesterol, you may want to ask your doctor or dietitian about how much saturated fat to include in your diet. Then consider the amount in Skippy in relation to your personal daily allowance.
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8. Does Skippy Peanut Butter Have Partially Hydrogenated Oil?
Skippy peanut butter does not have partially hydrogenated oil or trans fat. However, it does contain fully hydrogenated oil, which is still a highly processed ingredient.
In normal Skippy peanut butter, whether Creamy or Extra Chunky, they use hydrogenated vegetable oil “to prevent separation.” The word “hydrogenated” has long been a red flag in ingredient lists—because partially hydrogenated oils contain trans fat.
Trans fat is known to be the worst kind of fat, even worse than saturated fat. Here is a page from the American Heart Association on why trans fat is so unhealthy.
Trans fat raises your LDL (bad) cholesterol, while lowering your HDL (good) cholesterol and increasing your risk of heart disease and stroke. (source)
However, in recent years, the FDA banned partially hydrogenated oils. So, nowadays, what you get in Skippy and other peanut butter is fully hydrogenated vegetable oils, mixed with other vegetable oils.
This means Skippy today does not contain trans fat. That said, some people still worry about the hydrogenated oil in Skippy. It’s a very processed ingredient—that’s for sure. I wrote a bit more about it in my post about Crisco.
If you’re concerned about the hydrogenated oils in Skippy peanut butter, you can switch to Skippy Natural. Skippy Natural does not contain hydrogenated oils.
9. Is Skippy or Jif Healthier?
Skippy and Jif peanut butter are about equally healthy. Skippy has slightly more sugar and sodium, but Jif has slightly more saturated fat. Jif has a bit more of vitamins and minerals (iron, potassium, and niacin). They have the same amount of protein and fiber.
Here is a detailed breakdown of the original, creamy flavor of Jif versus the original, creamy flavor of Skippy:
- Sugar: Jif wins (barely). Both brands have 3g of total sugars per serving. But according to the labels, Jif has only 2g of “added sugar,” while Skippy has 3g. So Jif may be a bit better here.
- Saturated Fat: Skippy wins (barely). Skippy has 3g of saturated fat per serving, while Jif has 3.5g. Again, this is very close, so I wouldn’t put much stock in the difference.
- Sodium: Jif wins (barely). Jif only has 140mg of sodium per serving, while Skippy has 150mg. But again, it’s close—there’s really not a big difference.
- Vitamins and Minerals: Jif wins. Jif has more iron than Skippy (1mg vs 0.4mg per serving); more potassium (185mg vs 94mg); and more niacin (5mg vs 3.2mg). This may be the biggest nutritional difference between the two brands.
- Calories: Tie. Both Skippy and Jif have 190 calories per serving.
- Fiber: Tie. Both Skippy and Jif have 2 grams of dietary fiber per serving.
- Protein: Tie. Both Skippy and Jif have 7 grams of protein per serving.
- Ingredients: Skippy wins (?). Skippy and Jif have very similar ingredients, but Jif has added molasses and mono- and diglycerides. If you’re a fan of minimal, simple ingredients—like I am—then Skippy’s ingredients may look a bit better to you.
So yeah, Skippy and Jif are very similar nutritionally. There are only small differences. For a bigger difference, consider a brand like Spread the Love, which is made of only peanuts. It’s surprisingly good.
10. Is Skippy or Peter Pan Healthier?
Skippy and Peter Pan peanut butter are about equally healthy. Skippy has slightly more sugar and sodium, but Peter Pan has slightly more saturated fat and calories. They have the same amount of protein and fiber, as well as the same ingredients.
Here is a detailed breakdown of the original, creamy flavor of Jif versus the original, creamy flavor of Skippy:
- Sugar: Peter Pan wins (barely). Both brands have 3g of total sugars per serving. But according to the labels, Peter Pan has only 2g of “added sugar,” while Skippy has 3g. So Peter Pan may be a bit better here.
- Saturated Fat: Skippy wins (barely). Skippy has 3g of saturated fat per serving, while Peter Pan has 3.5g. Again, this is very close, so it’s not a big difference.
- Sodium: Peter Pan wins. Peter Pan only has 125mg of sodium per serving, while Skippy has 150mg. This makes Peter Pan’s original flavor the lowest in sodium when compared to Skippy and Jif.
- Calories: Skippy wins (barely). Skippy has 190 calories per serving, while Peter Pan has 200. If you’re trying to keep your calories low, then Skippy may be a slightly better choice.
- Fiber: Tie. Both Skippy and Peter Pan have 2 grams of dietary fiber per serving.
- Protein: Peter Pan wins (barely). Skippy has 7 grams of protein per serving, but Peter Pan has 8g per serving. So if you’re looking for high protein, Peter Pan may be a bit better.
- Ingredients: Tie. Skippy and Peter Pan have the same listed ingredients. No real difference here.
So, Skippy and Peter Pan are very similar nutritionally. There are only small differences. For a bigger nutritional difference, consider a brand like Spread the Love, which is made of only peanuts.
11. Is Skippy Peanut Butter Vegan?
Skippy peanut butter is generally considered vegan. Unless you buy one of the flavors with honey, there are no animal products. It’s possible the sugar in Skippyis refined using bone char from animals, but most vegans are okay with that possibility.
For a more in-depth explanation of whether Skippy peanut butter is vegan, check out my dedicated blog post on the subject. There’s actually quite a bit to discuss!
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