Ingredient Blog: Peanut Butter

Greetings, Nakee enthusiasts! Today, let's chat ingredients and dive into the deliciousness together, because knowing what's in you're eating is just as important to us as it is to you!

Peanut butter is one of those things we just sort of accept how it is, and don't really think about beyond whether we want it smooth or crunchy (the latter is objectively superior, but I digress). However, when it comes to the production of Nakee Butter, there's a lot more to the peanut butter we use, from its origins to its implementation.

Some might already be saying, and not without basis, that most peanut butter is not all that healthy. In many cases, this is very much true, but ours isdifferent. It's produced by the company Once Again, with whom Nakee formed a partnership after a thorough investigation of their own production process, one they were only too happy to participate in.

Once Again, a company in business for over four decades, operates by the same principles of ethical and sustainable production that inspire us, which they define and embody through their Fair in Trade program. They source their peanuts only from properly-certified farms in Nicaragua, Argentina and the United States. Their peanut butter is unsweetened and has no added sodium, preservatives or unpronounceables. If you look at one of their jars of peanut butter (you can't miss them, there's an adorable raccoon on the front!) you'll see that they have onlyoneingredient, and that is peanuts!

Another thing that sets Once Again apart is their promise to inspect and certify the peanuts that go into their products. Many larger corporations neglect their supplies, leading to the growth of mold which they often will not pay to remove before production; as a result, you don't really know what you're getting in that jar! Once Again is committed to avoiding this practice.

As for the peanut butter itself, because it is only that one ingredient, it retains the benefits that peanuts themselves have. Among these, peanut butter is an excellent source of:

• Vitamin E, an antioxidant (fights against free radicals) that contributes to the health of blood, skin and the brain; 1

• Vitamin B3, also known as niacin, which is used by the body to convert food into energy. Like E, it also benefits skin health; 2

• Vitamin B6, also known as pyridoxine, is a key ingredient in the production of both red blood cells (similar to copper) and neurotransmitters. It may also lessen the symptoms of those suffering from depression and reduce risk of cardiovascular disease and Alzheimer's disease; 3

• Manganese, an antioxidant that helps with blood sugar level control and bone health; 4

• Magnesium, which is involved with functions all around the body, from energy to the creation of proteins and the healthy movement of muscles. Additionally, it can help with mood and sleep, and helps with blood sugar management. 5

With all of this in mind, we hope that you'll see why our decision to add Once Again's delicious peanut butter to our Focus pouches was such an easy decision. Of course, the fact that it tastes fantastic definitely helps. Here's a link to their website if you'd like to know more about them and what they do, including the other kinds of nut butter they produce: https://www.onceagainnutbutter.com/

Thanks for reading! This is Brendan the Intern, signing off.