Peanut butter: two products to put in your cart immediately
If you are looking for a truly healthy peanut butter, Yuka simplifies the choice: there are only two best on the market, both with a score of 84/100 (Excellent). These are Maribel peanut cream (Lidl) and Fiorentini peanut cream. What do they have in common? Only one ingredient – roasted peanuts – without salt, without added sugars and without additives of any kind. The first is available from Lidl at an affordable price, the second is more easily found in large retailers. In both cases, these are excellent sources of protein and good fats, perfect for breakfast or an energy snack.
The complete ranking of the 10 best dried fruit creams
Looking beyond just peanut creams, Yuka has drawn up a ranking of the 10 best dried fruit spreads on the market:
- Almond cream – Euro Company (100/100 – Excellent): obtained from the sole grinding of organic peeled almonds, without any other ingredients
- Hazelnut cream – Damiano (100/100 – Excellent): 100% Italian and organic toasted hazelnuts, high fiber content and zero added sugars
- Almond cream – Consilia (100/100 – Excellent): single ingredient, finely ground organic peeled almonds
- Hazelnut and date cream – NaturaSì (94/100 – Excellent): an organic mix composed of 80% hazelnuts and 20% dates, which give a natural sweetness without added sugars
- Almond cream – Conad PiacerSi (90/100 – Excellent): made with whole unpeeled almonds, even richer in fiber and nutrients
- Hazelnut cream – Coop Fior Fiore (90/100 – Excellent): 100% Italian hazelnuts, toasted and peeled, nothing else
- Almond cream – Esselunga (90/100 – Excellent): peeled and ground almonds, no added ingredients
- Almond cream – Selex (90/100 – Excellent): 100% peeled almonds, generous in fiber and proteins
- Peanut cream – Maribel (Lidl) (84/100 – Excellent): only one ingredient, roasted peanuts, without salt or additives
- Peanut cream – Fiorentini (84/100 – Excellent): 100% roasted peanuts, without salt or added sugars
How Yuka works and why to trust it (with reservations)
Yuka is a free French app, available on iOS and Android, that analyzes food and cosmetic products by scanning the barcode. Each product receives a score from 0 to 100, based on the ingredients, nutritional values and the presence of potentially harmful additives. A traffic light system — from green to red — makes everything intuitive and immediate. The app does not accept funding from brands or place advertising, which makes it independent. However, it is not infallible: it is partly based on the Nutri-Score, which can reward ultra-processed products low in fat and penalize natural foods such as oils or artisanal cheeses. In the case of dried fruit creams, however, his logic works well: fewer ingredients, higher score.
The common denominator: the fewer ingredients, the better
Looking at the ranking as a whole, the message is clear and applies to all dried fruit creams: the best products are almost always those with a single ingredient. No salt, no sugar, no emulsifiers or artificial flavors. Only dried fruit. This simplicity translates into products naturally rich in fibre, proteins and unsaturated fats, versatile in the kitchen and suitable for breakfast, snacks or as a base for homemade sauces and desserts. The golden rule still remains to read the label: Yuka’s score is an excellent starting point, but the habit of comparing ingredients remains the real skill to develop.
How to use peanut butter in cooking (without stopping it at breakfast)
Peanut butter is much more than just a spread on toast. In the kitchen it proves to be a surprisingly versatile ingredient, capable of enriching sweet and savory dishes with an enveloping and proteinic note. For breakfast it goes very well with porridge or Greek yogurt, with a few slices of banana and a drizzle of honey, but it is outside of breakfast that it gives its best.
In the savory version, it is the ideal base for the classic satay sauce of Thai cuisine: just dissolve it with coconut milk, soy sauce, lime juice and a pinch of chilli to obtain a creamy and aromatic condiment, perfect for noodles, tofu or grilled vegetables. It is also suitable for preparing dressings for Asian-style salads, to be combined with cabbage, julienne carrots, edamame and sesame.
In the sweet version, it is the protagonist of the no-bake energy balls, the no-cook energy balls based on oat flakes, peanut butter, honey and dark chocolate: a genuine and satiating snack to prepare in a few minutes and keep in the fridge for the whole week. Also excellent in brownies or cookies, where it replaces part of the traditional butter, adding depth of flavor and an extra protein content.
Finally, those who practice sports will appreciate it in post-workout smoothies: a generous spoonful in the blender together with vegetable milk, frozen banana and bitter cocoa is enough for a tasty and nutritious muscle recovery.
