Peanut butter and jam are the two most popular sweeteners found in the kitchen to prepare sandwiches, snacks, and many desserts.
But are they similar in nutritional value, texture, or taste? What’s the difference between peanut butter and jam?
Though peanut butter and jam can be used for the same purposes, they are different from the making process to the ingredients, texture, and health benefits.
Read on to learn the difference between these two sweetener ingredients so you can add the right one to your daily dish based on your health needs and preferences.
What Is Peanut Butter?
Peanut butter is a food paste prepared from ground, dry roasted peanuts. The added ingredients in peanut butter, like salt, sweeteners, and emulsifiers, control its taste and texture. Typically, peanut butter comes in two types: smooth and crunchy.
While smooth peanut butter is mostly used for sandwiches, crunchy is a common choice for cookies and biscuits. In addition, organic peanut butter is a result of a combination of peanut paste and salt.
In terms of nutritional value, peanut butter helps with weight loss as well as bodybuilding. It is also beneficial for blood sugar and heart health.
What Is Jam?
Jam is made of cookie food and sugar as well as fleshy vegetables. While jam can be both cooked and uncooked, neither is very beneficial for health, and one should only consume the smallest quantities.
However, it can lower the risk of causing cardiovascular disease and help people eat less to promote cravings, as it’s a rich source of sugar. Jam also offers energy and fiber.
What’s the Difference Between Peanut Butter and Jam?
Below are some key differences between these common kitchen ingredients:
Texture
Peanut butter is a thick and creamy paste that is hard to notice on bread. It is also a bit difficult to spread. Conversely, jams contain a smooth texture, making them easier to spread on bread and other foods.
Calories and Fats
Peanut butter is obviously healthier and has more fat and calories compared to jam.
It’s made of peanuts and lots of hydrogenated vegetable oil, while the jam is prepared with fruits. In general, 100 grams of peanut butter have 589 calories, compared to 250 calories in the same amount.
Sugar
Jam is a richer source of sugar and sweeteners than peanut butter. The reason is that it’s made of fruit with natural sugars and contains artificial sweeteners.
Health Benefits
Peanut butter is a handy ingredient to avoid cardiovascular disease, thanks to its monounsaturated oils. Peanut butter’s fat is also beneficial to the body because it contains Vitamin E, Vitamin B3, and p-coumaric acid.
Conversely, jam doesn’t have many health benefits. Peanut butter is also a great source of protein and includes dietary fiber and folate, while jams contain very low amounts of vitamin C.
Ingredients
Peanuts are the main source of peanut butter, while jam is made of sweet fruits including apricot, raspberry, strawberry, and peach.
Final Words
Many people thought peanut butter and jam can be interchangeable and had the same nutritional value. Once you understand what’s the difference between peanut butter and jam, hope those misconceptions won’t hurt you.
And this way you can add the right ingredients to your meal based on your body’s nutrition and calorie needs as well as your preferences.