Peanut Butter Anyone?

“Let’s go have lunch.   We’re having Peanut Butter Jelly sandwiches today!” I tell my son who is dilly dallying in the public toilet.  My son smiles and eagerly makes his way to the exit.  His friend overhears us and says exuberantly “We are having Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches too!!!!”  He also hurries to head out for his lunch.  Yes, kids love their all American PBJ!  All the children in our playgroup have PBJs for lunch when we meet twice a week.  But with allergies to peanuts increasing and schools banning anything with peanuts and other tree nuts, I want to know if peanut butter is healthy for those who can eat them.  Am I offering my son a healthy lunch twice a week?

- more from World’s Healthiest Foods: Peanuts 

Ayurveda Perspective

In Ayurveda, organic peanuts in their shells are considered a nutritious food especially for Vata types (characteristics of Vata children: thin, dry skin, gassy, difficulty gaining weight).  It is particularly helpful to eat them when one is weak, when getting better from an illness, for cleaning out the red blood cells, for skin diseases, for diabetes and during lactation.  It must be avoided however if there is any allergy, congestion, autoimmune disorder, yeast infection and cancer.  Peanut butter is considered too heavy and oily for Kapha types (characteristics of Kapha children: thick lustrous hair, fair/pale complexion, oily skin, gains weight easily, slower in movement than other kids). Is my child Vata, Pitta or Kapha type?

Natural Health/Alternative Perspective

- one of the most pesticide laden foods

- heavy in omega 6, which distorts the proper omega 3:6 ratio

- often contaminated with carcinogen aflatoxin

- buy organic (pesticide free)

- throw top oil out and stir in olive oil or macadamia nut oil instead (so you don’t distort your child’s omega ratio)

- buy Arrowhead Mills Organic Peanut Butter.  (They are produced with Valencia peanuts in New Mexico, where there is apparently no mold due to their dry weather conditions.)

Raw Perspective
- buy raw, organic peanuts – these can be sprouted or blended to make butter, but I hear it does not taste so good
- eat raw nut and seed butters instead, there are so many like Raw Almond Butter, Tahini, Pecan, Coconut, Macadamia, Pumpkin and Cashew.  Raw Almond Butter tastes most like peanut butter.  Sometimes, for children who don’t particularly like the taste, they will eat it if there is some coconut and honey with it.

Raw Chocolate Fudge: one of our son’s favourite snacks

Mix together:
1 tbsp raw almond butter
1 tbsp raw coconut oil
1 tbsp local organic honey
1 tbsp of raw cacao powder or carob powder

Serve with banana or other fruit.