“What’s in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet.”
Romeo and Juliet (II, ii, 1-2)
Okay, maybe it’s a stretch, but with a name like Better ‘n Peanut Butter, you better be ready to prove it. I’m always interested in peanut butter because from time to time, I love to nosh on the stuff.
It’s good, this Better ‘n Peanut Butter. It doesn’t taste the same as the Jif or Peter Pan peanut butter I usually buy, but for those of us who weren’t born with the “stay skinny your entire life” gene, two tablespoons of Better ‘n Peanut Butter with 100 calories and just two grams of fat is pretty darn good. Especially when compared with two tablespoons of Simply Jif, which has 190 calories and a whopping 16 grams of fat.
I spied the Better n’ Peanut Butter in a small town Bi-lo grocery store, and snapped it up, even though the price was $5.99, a couple of dollars more than I would normally pay for peanut butter. I was happy that I didn’t have to order it online or look for a Trader Joe’s.
My tasting began with the spoon test. I plunged it deep into the smooth brown stuff that closely resembled peanut butter and took a bite. It reminded me of those black and orange peanut butter kisses that appear in stores around Halloween, of which I happen to be quite fond.
Next, I spread the Better n’ Peanut Butter on a slice of whole wheat bread. The stuff tends to drip a bit, unlike peanut butter, but I can live with that. As I munched on my open-faced sandwich, I thought of all the fat calories I wasn’t consuming.
The next day, I carried an apple to work along with the jar (no, I didn’t eat the whole thing!) for a little apple dipping. Again, the Better n’ Peanut Butter dripped a bit, but that’s a small price to pay for a low-fat snack. I tried stirring it, but not for long because I was hungry and couldn’t be bothered to waste too much time.
So how did they come up with this Better n’ Peanut Butter name? It doesn’t roll off the tongue easily–maybe something snappier and catchier would be better, not that anyone asked. To me, it’s “good enough” peanut butter. It’s not quite peanut butter, but it’s a pretty good substitute if you’re counting fat calories.
Carbohydrates and proteins are a different story. Better n’ Peanut Butter has 13 grams of carbs and four grams of protein per two tablespoon serving, while Simply Jif has just six grams of carbs and 8 grams of protein per two tablespoon serving. So it depends on whether you want to cut back on fat grams or carbs, as well as how much protein you want.
Despite the name claim of being better than peanut butter, the label is modest and unassuming. No flash, no gimmicks, just an understated red, yellow and tan label plainly stating it contains 85% less fat and 40% less calories than peanut butter. It’s easy to miss the skinny peanut on the right side of the label wrapping a tape measure around its middle.
Also, a day went by before I noticed the “Refrigerate After Opening” on the back of the jar, although it’s not because it was printed in small letters. I just assumed I could put it in the cupboard like I do peanut butter, although refrigeration would probably take care of the drippy factor.
All in all, I like this Better ‘n Peanut Butter well enough, and I will probably buy it again. I’m also motivated by price, coupons and whatever happens to be on sale, though, so I hope to come across some coupons in the Sunday paper soon.
