peanut butter ingredients

The main ingredient in peanut butter is ground peanuts. Oil is added to give it a smooth, creamy texture, but some oils are healthier than others. Honey, molasses or sugar help add a touch of sweetness to peanut butter. If the peanuts are not salted, salt may be added as a final ingredient to add more flavor. Make your own peanut butter at home with these simple ingredients. This way, you can control the amount of sugar and salt in your food. Calories and Protein Peanut butter is high in calories, providing around 95 calories per 1-tablespoon serving. Calories may vary slightly depending on brand and serving size. Check the nutrition facts label on your favorite brand of peanut butter to determine the proper serving size. Peanut butter is rich in protein. You need protein for tissue repair and muscle growth. Each gram of protein provides 4 calories, according to the Institute of Medicine. Your diet should consist of 10 to 35 percent protein. If you typically follow a 2,000 calorie diet, you need 50 to 175 grams of protein. This serving of peanut butter provides approximately 3 1/2 grams of protein, or about 13 calories from protein. Carbohydrates and Fat Peanut butter contains a little less than 4 grams of carbs and about 8 grams of fat per 1-tablespoon serving. This equals about 15 calories from carbohydrates, since carbs provide 4 calories per gram. Fat provides approximately 68 calories because fat has 9 calories per gram. Carbohydrates break down into glucose during digestion. Glucose, or blood sugar, fuels each and every cell in your body, including brain cells. In addition, you need some fat in your diet to allow vitamins A, D, E and K to absorb properly and to help with hormone secretion. Your diet should have 45 to 65-percent carbohydrates and 20 to 35 percent fat. An average 2,000-calorie diet, requires 225 to 325 grams of carbs and 44 to 78 grams of fat. Vitamin E Peanut butter is high in vitamin E. This powerful vitamin acts like an antioxidant in your system by getting rid of harmful free radicals. When you have a high amount of free radicals in your system, cells become damaged and your risk of chronic disease goes up. Additionally, vitamin E plays a role in normal immune function, gene expression and cellular communication. As an adult, you need 15 milligrams of vitamin E each day, the Office of Dietary Supplements reports. A 1-tablespoon serving of peanut butter has about 2.5 milligrams of vitamin E, or about 15 percent of your daily requirements. Niacin Peanut butter contains about 2.5 milligrams of niacin, or vitamin B3, which is more than 15 percent of your daily needs. You need niacin to metabolize energy from the foods you eat and to maintain healthy skin and normal nerve function. Women need 14 milligrams of niacin each day, but men require 16 milligrams, notes MedlinePlus. About the Author Melodie Anne Coffman has been writing for various online and print publications since 1996, specializing in human and animal nutrition. After receiving her master's degree in food science and human nutrition, she opened up her own nutrition consulting business in the New England area.