Hi Ladies. I wanted your opinion on skippy natural peanut butter and my three year old. My daughter requests peanut butter on a daily basis and because she doesn't eat a lot of food.. I go ahead and give it to her. Sometimes I give her a cut up apple with it.. but usually she comes to me with the clean spoon and the peanut butter jar and says, "More peanut butter please!" If she can't find it (I've tried hiding it) she'll just come with the spoon and ask. This Peanut buttter only has roasted peanuts, 3g sugar(per 2 Tbsp), palm oil and salt . 3.5g Saturated fat, no trans and 16g total fat. Now she has returned with a new jar and the empty one is sitting here in front of my keyboard. She is not overweight AT ALL.. So I don't see the harm.. am I overlooking something?? What do you guys-- I should say what do you girls think?
I think its ok. Especially if you teach her to eat veggies with it. Celery and carrots dipped in peanut butter is good too. So is vanilla ice cream. Kids go through phases were they'll only eat certain things. My son was hotdogs. My niece was hotdogs too. She'd eat them cold out of the fridge. My nephew is ice cream. I know one kid that will only drink milk.
It could be that she is missing something vitamin-wise. Does she take a daily vitamin?
Megan
Hi Lex,
I had to smile when I read this post -- cute. My son also loves peanut butter. Its a great snack (lots of good protein and some fiber)! If youre concerned about the sugar and/or salt content, then try switching to Smuckers no salt added creamy peanut butter. It only has 1g of sugar.
Cheers!
Juliet
Nut butters are actually very nutritious, but try to buy the natural pb that has nothing but peanuts in it. She is young enough that you can shape her to like this version best. Also expose her to almond butter, soy butter, etc. I think it is great, if you avoid white bread and jelly - use just whole grains and whole fruit and veggies. My four-year old's favorite meal is natural pb on 100% whole wheat with sliced bananas or apple butter (just apples no sugar).
When I was pregnant, she ate that every day for lunch for about three months!!
If you are interested, Dr. Sears' "Healthiest Kid in the Neighborhood" is FANTASTIC as a nutrition guide and it is a really easy read. They talk a lot about this topic.
If she's eating a whole jar in one sitting that ends up being quite a bit of sugar. I buy peanut butter that is only peanuts and a little added salt - no sugar or added oil. Other than that of all the things to be addicted to it's probably not too bad although I might check with you dr just to make sure.
Oh and good luck with school I'm currently finishing and English and Psych degree online.
Rachel A
Just to reassure you, my daughter just turned 19 and for many years of her childhood she only ate 3-4 different foods. She is now a healthy, smart young adult...and she never was malnourished!! My pediatrician kept telling me that she would eat what she needed and, at the time, I had a hard time believing that any child could live just on peanut butter sandwiches and ice cream :) I would feed my daughter her favorite foods at every meal, but I'd also put something new on her plate to expose her to different options (even though she never ate the new foods!).
I would recommend giving your daughter a child multivitamin every day and keep giving her the natural healthy peanut butter, because her body probably needs the protein or something else in peanuts.
My daughter is still a VERY picky eater, but she did eventually start eating more than PB&J sandwiches. And she still takes her vitamins :)
Switch her to smuckers organic..even if you don't get the organic one it is the natural one you stir then refrigerate it is an excellent source of food...that is wonderful!!!! Cheri [email protected]
if you could also get it onto a good fiber bread that would even be better...this is a blessing liking peanut butter...it is a protein and proteins are good!!
I would just recommend caution in that she could end up developing an allergy to peanuts.
Too much of anything -even a good thing- can be bad, eventually.
I used to teach 3yr olds at a pre-school. They're able to understand alot more than you'd think. I would recommend you start telling her that "Sometimes, if we have too much of good things, it can make us sick. I can't give you Peanut Butter today. I don't want it to make you sick. Let's choose another snack today and you can have Peanut Butter tomorrow." Then, I just suggest attention and care as to how much you give her when you do give it to her and how often you give it to her. Maybe you can try graham crackers with Cool-Whip or crackers with jelly or cheese, or maybe fruit salad as alternatives to see if you can vary her interest.
I hope this helps.
Hang in there -- kids (and adults!) go through food fads. Most likely, she'll get sick of it soon enough! Be glad she is "stuck" on something relative healthy. After all, peanut butter has a lot of protein. You might try giving her some other things to learn to spread it on -- celery, apples, pears, crackers... anything other than your keyboard! Because the food is easy-to-use and spread, she might like the independence of "fixing" it all by herself. Why not try her with some other easy or spreadable foods -- cream cheeses, dips, yogurt products, other nut butters and foods where you might proudly hear her say "I can do it by myself!"
Lex,
I think it would be great if you could change peanut butters to Healthy Balance!
http://www.smartbalance.com/PeanutButterFamily.aspx
It is as creamy as skippy but without the sugar, sugar causes free radicals, makes the body more acid, and lowers the immune system. I think it would be a great choice!!
:o)
Dear Lex W.,
When my daughter was 3 or 4 years old, all she seemed to want to eat was peanut butter and jelly sandwhiches and hot dogs. I was so riddled with guilt I "confessed" this to her pediatrician, and braced myself for the threat of social services getting involved and taking her away. He calmly informed me this was normal and not a problem. He stated she passed her physical and was apparently getting the nutrients her body needed. She was slender then and at sixteen is still slender. May I suggest you talk with her pediatrician if this continues to bother you. Good Luck.
Hi Lex,
I would trust her. What I have learned in my holistic practice is that there are some people who are designed to eat very specific things over and over, sometimes for months at a time. If she is innately doing this at 3, there's a good chance this is her nature.
There is so much that is not understood about our bodies that is more recently being revealed.
Best to you and your family,
Suzanna
Peanut butter is a nutrient rich food. I dont see any harm in it. All kids have their addictions. When my daughter was that age, she was addicted to chicken nuggets and even wanted them for breakfast. Now shes burned herself out on them.
I would just keep offering the variety of foods so she can see thats what you are supposed to do. But if thats all she wants right now, so what! Its easy, cheap, and healthy! Sounds like you are giving her the good stuff too.
If you got really sick of it- you could try buying peanut butter you dont think she'd like and offering that to her (maybe the really thick organic stuff that isnt very sweet). Maybe that'll turn her taste buds!
I wouldnt worry about it though, she sounds healthy and happy.
My 2 1/2 year old goes through phases of the same thing. I don't hink it's a problem but if we get too carried away he has a bit of a problem with constipation so keep a watch for that. Just let her be and she'll get tired of it soon enough and move onto something equally stressful!
Good luck~
The only concern I would have is her eating spoonfulls of peanut butter, since this is a choking hazard. Many children have choked on a big glob of peanut butter when they try to swallow it. So I'd put it on bread, apples, crackers, or something else. She can dip fruit, celery, or even pretzels in the peanut butter also. And like the others, I would go for a natural peanut butter with nothing in them other than peanuts and salt. If you're near a Trader Joes, they have an excellent natural peanut butter that is very inexpensive, as well as organics and other nut butters. You have to stir it up each time, but it is very yummy!
Peanut butter isnt a bad food at all!
Now, as suggest by several others you should do a little comparison shopping and find the absolute best (least suger/most protien) variety and use that. You should also give other "butters" a shot...Sesame seed butter (called tahini) is mild and tastes alot like peanut butter, and there's other nut-butters she may like as well.
As far as developing a food allergy, yes too much of anything can cause problems but I highly doubt shell magically develop an allergy if she's not had any problem thusfar. Don't stress yourself.
If shes eating a ton (like more then a cup) or pb a day, watch her for poo issues...make sure she gets pleanty of milk and water to help.
Good luck!
I don't see a problem with it especially since you said she doesn't eat a lot of food. When my daughter was 2 she would only eat yogurt, cheddar cheese and rice, she's 14 now and eats everything! Peanut butter is pretty good, nice protein. It could be worse, it could be frosting!
Be concerned about the presence of palm oil in Skippy. It's high in saturated fat, and possibly linked to cardiovascular disease. Also, the sugar content adds up if she's eating so much at a time.
I agree with others who suggest that you try other brands that are purely peanuts, or peanuts & salt. You might have to mix it with Skippy to get your daughter to make the transition, but it'll be worth the effort.
Hi Lex,
Have you talked to your pediatrician? Call your local children's hospital and talk to the nutritionist to see what he/she says.
Good luck. Donna
We use a natural peanut butter, you mix it once and leave it in the fridge. There is no palm oil (which is not good for you). The consistency is similar to the others, and you don't have to mix it every time.
Other than that, peanut butter is the most concentrated form of protein there is. She is definitely getting her daily requirement!
I'd see if I could incorporate it into other things... there is a peanut butter type of salad dressing I think it's Thai, see if she'll eat veggies in a salad that way.
Chicken Satay is wonderful, has a peanut butter sauce ... and you can drissle it over whatever veggies are served.
Or just use it as a dip for carrots, zucchini, celery, etc
How is the rest of her diet?