Is it safe to eat peanut butter?
Peanuts and peanut products, such as peanut butter, are just the latest items to be recalled because of Salmonella contamination. But does that mean you should stop enjoying these otherwise healthy foods? No! Peanuts and peanut butter are rich in heart-healthy monounsaturated fats. Plus, peanuts deliver some protein, fiber, magnesium, copper and vitamin E.
What you should do before you enjoy peanuts or peanut products is check to make sure the food you have isn't part of the recent recall. The Food and Drug Administration's website at fda.gov is the best place to go for an up-to-date list of products involved in the recall.
But once you've determined your peanuts and peanut butter have a clean bill of health, enjoy them in healthy peanut recipes, quick snacks like Gorp (recipe below) and kids' lunch recipes.
Gorp
1/2 ounce whole shelled (unpeeled) almonds
1/4 ounce unsalted dry-roasted peanuts
1/4 ounce dried cranberries
1 tablespoon chopped pitted dates
1 1/2 teaspoon chocolate chips
Combine almonds, peanuts, cranberries, dates and chocolate chips in a small bowl.
Makes 2 servings.
Per serving: 102 calories; 6 g fat (1 g sat, 3 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 11 g carbohydrate; 3 g protein; 2 g fiber; 29 mg sodium; 69 mg potassium. What you get: Potassium, magnesium, fiber, vitamins E and C.
By Michelle Edelbaum
Michelle is the associate editor of interactive for EatingWell Media Group. In between editing and writing, she enjoys sampling the tasty results of the easy, healthy recipes that the EatingWell Test Kitchen cooks are working on.
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