Reduced-Fat Peanut Butter

Flavor just doesn't measure up

To many connoisseurs, reduced-fat peanut butter is a culinary oxymoron. They suggest that if it doesn't have the fat and oils, then it's not really peanut butter. As much as they tinker with their formulas, food makers can't seem to make reduced-fat brands taste as good as full-fat, processed peanut butters, or even natural peanut butters lacking extra sugar or hydrogenated fats. Even worse, it turns out that some reduced-fat peanut butters don't necessarily entail reduced calories.

In a fascinating post on Diet-Blog.com, for example, the author examines Reduced Fat Skippy Creamy (*Est. $3.25 for a 16-ounce jar) in excruciating detail, discovering that it makes up in carbohydrates (specifically, corn starch) what it lacks in fat. Peanuts, as she points out, "are all about fats and protein," meaning that Skippy has "simply taken a good basic product and manipulated it to conform to our dieting obsession."

Other reviewers, though, are more forgiving of the flaws of big-brand reduced-fat peanut butters -- provided, of course, you don't expect full-fat, processed taste. In a review by Cook's Country comparing reduced-fat peanut butters by Skippy, Jif and Omega, Reduced Fat Skippy Super Chunk earns top honors for its "well-balanced peanut flavor" and "extra-chunky texture," but testers says it's grainy and unnaturally sweet compared to "real" Skippy.

Because we were unable find wholehearted endorsements of any major-brand, reduced-fat peanut butters, we've highlighted a wacky-sounding product that has garnered some serious online attention from dieters. PB2 Powdered Peanut Butter (*Est. $12 for four 6.7-oz. jars) is exactly what it sounds like: finely ground roasted peanuts (no other ingredients) that you mix with water to the desired consistency. A discussion thread on Runner's World is fairly representative of the buzz PB2 is generating: Many posters are skeptical, while others strongly defend this product, praising its ease of use and roasted peanut flavor. Based on its ingredients, this is as close to a genuinely low-fat peanut butter as you're likely to find, which is why we've included PB2 in ConsumerSearch Fast Answers. Unfortunately, PB2 is not available in stores; it has to be ordered online from BellPlantation.com. Otherwise, you could try one of the major-brand reduced-fat products, none of which particularly stands out.