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Unless you’ve been hiding in a cave since New Year’s, you’ve surely heard of the recent salmonella outbreak linked to peanut butter. In this post:

1. A quick recap of the facts.
2. Seven healthy alternatives, including tahini, almond butter and more.

Outbreak status:

As of Sunday morning, January 18, about 500 people have been infected by Salmonella Typhimurium in 43 states. The first  infections began as early as September. Six deaths have been associated with this outbreak.

The FDA (Food and Drug Administration) and the CDC (Center for Disease Control) recommend:

• Do not eat products that have been recalled and throw them away in a manner that prevents others from eating them.
• Postpone eating other peanut butter containing products (such as cookies, crackers, cereal, candy and ice cream) until information becomes available about whether that product may be affected.
• Persons who think they may have become ill from eating peanut butter are advised to consult their health care providers.

To demonstrate the severity of the situation, even the American Peanut Council is urging consumers to postpone consumption of products made with peanut butter.

The FDA has asked  30 companies to consider holding or recalling their peanut-containing products due to the ongoing  investigation. The recall list is getting longer by the day:

• King Nut, distributor of peanut butter produced by Peanut Corporation of America, has recalled bulk packages sold to institutions.
• Peanut Corporation of America is recalling bulk packages of peanut butter and peanut paste.
• Kellogg’s is recalling 16 peanut butter snacks. Press release here.
• Hy-Vee supermarkets is recalling bakery products in 7 states.
• Perry’s Ice Cream Company is recalling peanut butter ice cream products.

Healthy Peanut Butter Alternatives:

There are certainly plenty of tasty and healthy options to help you and your children tide the coming peanut-butter-less days. Who knows, you may even expand your child’s gastronomic horizons!

1. Almond butter. A portion of two  tablespoons (35 grams) provide almost 50% of your daily values of vitamin E, which helps to reduce the rate of aging in body cells, and manganese. The calorie count, as for all nut and seed products, is not low at 200 per serving. Spread thin.

2. Tahini.  a great source of protein, and calcium from the  Middle‐Eastern kitchen. Tahini, made from ground sesame seeds, is usually eaten as a dip, and also used in preparation of hummus. A 50 gram serving contains 300 calories, 15% of your daily value of fiber, and 30 grams of fat, mostly polyunsaturated (the desirable kind).  Tahini is  rich in calcium, iron, and vitamin B1. Recipe idea: mix 1 cup tahini with 1/2 cup of honey and serve as a spread on whole grain bread.

3. Soynut butter. Soynut butter is made from roasted soybeans. After crushing the roasted beans they are blended with soybean oil and other ingredients. Soynut butter has a slightly nutty taste, much less fat than peanut butter and provides many other nutritional benefits as well. Two tablespoons will set you back 170 calories, but provide 8 grams of protein (16% DV)

4. Sunflower seed butter. Extremely rich in vitamin E and manganese, sunflower seed butter contains cholesterol lowering phytosterols.

5. Hazelnut butter. (Nutella is the most famous brand, and so heavily sweetened, that you won’t need to add jelly to your sandwich)

6. Hummus. Another middle eastern stalwart, hummus is a garbanzo bean (chickpea) spread. Chickpeas have no saturated fat, and no cholesterol. They aid in improving blood sugar levels and help fight cholesterol. They are also high in protein, making them a perfect addition to a vegetarian’s diet or one who would like to cut back on red meat.

7.  Bean dips. Beans are very low in saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium. They are  also a good source of  fiber, protein, folate, iron, and magnesium.

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