Jif Vs Skippy: Which Creamy Peanut Butter Is Actually Healthier?

While Skippy Creamy Peanut Butter has been around since the early 1930s, Jif Creamy Peanut Butter began a handful of decades later, at the tail end of the 1950s. Whatever way you slice that proverbial PB&J, both Skippy and Jif are classic brands responsible for generations of school lunches and afternoon snacks. Although both bring about that sweet nostalgic taste, you may be wondering which brand is healthier, and the answer would be the youngster, Jif.

When it comes down to vitamin/nutrient content, Jif just has Skippy beat. When examining one serving size from a 16-ounce container, both Jif and Skippy contain 190 calories, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 2 grams of fiber, 3 grams of sugar, and 7 grams of protein. Jif is healthier when it comes to sodium, containing 140 milligrams in comparison to Skippy's 150 milligrams. Jif also has the jump on calcium, with 2% in comparison to Skippy's 0% of the daily value, along with 184 milligrams of potassium compared to Skippy's 90 milligrams, and 30% niacin in comparison to Skippy's 20%. 

It's worth noting that both brands can technically be part of a healthy diet, but people who have certain dietary needs will want to keep these aspects in mind and make the determination of which brand is healthier based on their own needs.

Even though Jif is slightly healthier and provides more vitamins/nutrients, it does contain more carbs than Skippy, sitting at 8 grams compared to Skippy's 6 grams. Jif, which once went by a much different name, is sometimes frowned upon for using 2 grams of added sugar. Jif is known for using molasses to sweeten its product, while Skippy uses 2 grams of a more traditional sugar. There are several peanut butter brands with no added sugar or oils, but Jif and Skippy remain among some of the most popular brands with these added ingredients.

Jif Creamy Peanut Butter also contains mono- and diglycerides, which Skippy does not. One of the facts about peanut butter you should know is that these ingredients are emulsifiers that are generally considered to be safe for consumption, and are responsible for keeping that jar of peanut butter nice and smooth, along with preventing the oils from separating from the solids. While breaking down those long-named ingredients, it's clear that both brands use hydrogenated vegetable oils such as rapeseed and soybean, but only Skippy adds a third oil known as cottonseed.

Despite these minor differences, Jif and Skippy offer very similar products, but Jif's Creamy Peanut Butter may be considered the healthier choice simply because of its added nutrients.