Can You Eat Peanut Butter With Diabetes? What to Look For

Peanut butter can fit into a diabetes meal plan. For a lower-added-sugar option, check the ingredients for sugar or syrups and compare the label for the portion you actually use. Even products without added sugar contain carbohydrate and supply energy. Count the toast, crackers, or other foods you eat it with as well. (FDA nutrition label guide) (MEXT peanut butter composition reference)

What the research says about type 2 diabetes

A prospective study that followed 83,818 women found that those who reported eating peanut butter frequently developed type 2 diabetes less often than those who rarely ate it. Researchers observed what people were already eating. The result does not establish that peanut butter, or any brand of it, prevents diabetes. (Jiang et al., JAMA, 2002) (NIDDK type 2 diabetes prevention guide)

Compare ingredients and use the serving size

• Look for peanuts as the main ingredient and check whether sugar, syrup, or salt has been added.
• For a label that lists values per 100 g, multiply by 0.15 to work out the values in a 15 g serving.
• Compare spreads on the same serving basis; a sweeter peanut spread may differ from a jar made only with peanuts.

Try it with carrot or celery sticks

The author’s favorites are carrot and celery sticks with crunchy peanut butter, the style she has kept in the kitchen for years. Cucumber works as another serving idea. The original article also pointed to the family’s peanut butter chicken stir-fry, inspired by Filipino kare-kare.

Peanut butter chicken stir-fry

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