Creamy Vs Crunchy Peanut Butter – Which One Better?

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eanut butter is way more than just a spread for your sandwiches. It can be considered a staple, a pre or post-workout food, a comfort food, and more. But for some reason, there are some very strong feelings around creamy versus crunchy peanut butter.

Some people love the convenience of just mixing it in with whatever they are making, while others prefer a crunchy texture. However, you choose to have it, peanut butter can offer great taste, protein, and energy, and is an excellent way to fuel your body and fill you up. Whether it is post-workout recovery food, a healthy snack, or you find a new favourite recipe from it, there is something for both to offer. So, which is probably the top choice? Let's break it down in this blog…

Also Read: How to Store Peanut Butter?

CREAMY & CRUNCHY – What Sets Them Apart?

Choosing the appropriate peanut butter between creamy and crunchy is not just a choice of texture, it is a choice of how the manufacturing process of the creamy and crunchy will affect flavour, function & even nutrition. 

Creamy Peanut Butter - Smooth & Versatile
Creamy peanut butter is made through a process of grinding roasted peanuts down to smooth spreadable peanut butter. Peanut butter manufacturers may just grind the peanuts slightly longer so that the grinding will eliminate chunks of peanuts. Some enduring styles of creamy peanut butter are made by adding a stabilizer or emulsifier during production that keeps the creamy peanut butter from separating and makes it easier to spread, stir, and/or mix into other food or recipes.

Crunchy Peanut Butter - Bold & Satisfying
Crunchy peanut butter is a product made almost exactly like creamy peanut butter (both made from grinding raw & crushed roasted peanuts). Crunchy peanut butter will leave small pieces of unground peanut that have been crushed. Leaving pieces of crushed peanuts provides some different texture, the bigger pieces - crunchier peanuts - provide a nuttier experience.

Is There A Nutritional Difference Between Creamy & Crunchy Peanut Butter?

When we talk about nutrition, creamy versus crunchy peanut butter is essentially the same. They both meet our palate with the same great peanut taste, healthy fats, protein, and energy potential. Creamy spread or crunchy bite are the same nutritionally.

Macronutrient Breakdown
Some peanut butter brands will maintain the same nutritional content for both the creamy and crunchy varieties. Others will show slight differences in fat and fiber. Both forms provide healthy fats, protein, and fiber content, but crunchy peanut butter tends to have slightly more fiber because it has peanut pieces - and that means crunchy peanut butter probably has a little bit less fat overall than creamy peanut butter.

Also Read: Does Excess Calories in Peanut Butter Make You Gain Weight?

Calories & Energy Content
Creamy, or crunchy, the calories remain roughly the same. Both have about 90-100 calories per tablespoon. Therefore, peanut butter can be regarded as an energy-dense and energy-efficient food that is great for workout refuelling, recovery and daily nutrition sustenance. The calories in peanut butter come from healthy fats. Healthy fats are a source of slow-burning energy that can keep you fuller longer, and support endurance-based activity. The protein in peanut butter will also help muscle recovery, and the small amount of carbohydrates will create an extra boost for performance.

Also Read: Is Peanut Butter Good For Weight Loss?

Protein Power for Muscle Growth
Peanut butter is a protein-rich food that is helpful for muscle repair and building muscle strength. Whether you are training for a performance, trying to build muscle or just maintaining a higher level of activity, peanut butter has the essential amino acids necessary for muscle repair, muscle building, and for recovery. Peanut butter is a protein-rich food with dietary nutrients that can be a great part of your active lifestyle preferably complete with other high-quality protein sources, such as AS-IT-IS Whey Protein, BCAAs, etc., for muscle repair and quality performance. Spreading it on whole grain toast, mixing it into post-workout shakes or eating it straight from a spoon will keep peanut butter a part of muscle-based nutrition.

Also Read: Natural Peanut Butter – Benefits, Side Effects & Uses

Added Ingredients & Processing
Although creamy and crunchy peanut butter comes from the same source of roasted peanuts, both are processed in a way that can affect texture, taste, and wholesomeness. Creamy peanut butter is sometimes processed to achieve ultimate smoothness and best spreadability. Some brands and types add oils (e.g., palm oil, vegetable oil) and emulsifiers to stabilize the ingredients' contents and to prevent the natural settling of ingredients over a lot time on shelves. Oiling and emulsification improve the peanut butter spreadability, but all may affect its nutritional profile slightly. Crunchy peanut butter doesn't have to be emulsified, as it has whole peanut pieces in it to provide structure, and more variably, some brands make it from nothing else but whole peanuts.

Also Read: Myths & Facts About Peanut Butter

Which One Should You Choose – CREAMY OR CRUNCHY?

Both provide the same powerhouse nutrition; the choice is completely dependent on how you prefer to enjoy peanut butter.

• Want something smooth that mixes well into shakes, spreads, and dressings? Creamy peanut butter is the best option to allow for easy mixing and meal prep.

• Want a bold bite to add texture to snacks and meals? Use crunchy peanut butter, it has a more solid feel and added satisfaction. At the end of the day, you are getting the same protein, healthy fats, and energy-boosting advantage, so the question should be —what texture do you enjoy taking a bite of?

Also Read: Recipes on Peanut butter

CHOOSE THE RIGHT PEANUT BUTTER

When it comes to peanut butter, quality is just as important as flavour. AS-IT-IS Peanut Butter and ATOM Peanut Butter both provide nutrient-dense products for fuelling your fitness journey— but how do they stack up? 

AS-IT-IS Peanut Butter – Pure & Minimalist Nutrition

• 100% natural roasted peanuts, no added ingredients, preservatives, or sugars
• A clean source of protein and healthy fats for muscle recovery and energy
• A great fit for someone looking for pure peanut nutrition without any extras.

ATOM Peanut Butter – Fortified for Performance

• High-protein peanut butter options with upgraded flavours
• Additional functional ingredients may include Whey protein for sports-specific benefits
• A great fit for someone wanting a ticket to added protein, relating to athletic needs.

Regardless of which side of the nut butter divide you fall on, they both are packed with protein, energy and that nut butter flavour you just can't beat. Both are great for powering your workouts, fuelling your hunger, and enhancing your favourite meals any way you want…

What are you waiting for? Grab a spoon, get a healthy scoop or two, and enjoy every moment because when it comes to nut butter, there is no right answer - just all-out fuel for your journey…

Also Read: Is Plant Protein Good For Weight Loss?

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