Weekly Tip: Smart shopping when buying peanut butter

“Peanut butter is the paté of childhood.” ~ Florence Fabricant, Food writer

When buying peanut butter be an informed consumer

For most parents, peanut butter is a go to staple for school lunches. My daughter’s favorite was a wrap, spread with peanut butter, a banana enclosed inside with a happy face made from mini chocolate chips.  She would have eaten that sandwich every day.
I found a statistic that said that “the average American will have eaten 2,500 peanut butter sandwiches before they graduate from high school.”
Peanut butter manufacturers have come up with the dreaded dimple on the bottom of the jar.  This means that every jar has up to two fewer ounces inside.  The price, however, has remained the same; and in some instances it has even risen.
So what is an informed consumer to do?

Compare the following when shopping:

• The above photo points out that the net weight of the containers must be compared.  The jars are identical in size; each one is stamped 17 ounces on the bottom.  However, one jar states that it contains 16 ounces of peanut butter while the other one states that it contains 18 ounces.  There is no way that a 17 oz. jar contains 18 ounces.
• Compare the size of the dimples on the bottom of the jar.
• Check the unit prices of the items you are purchasing to determine the real cost.  On a recent visit to the supermarket, a 28 oz. jar of Jif natural peanut butter was priced at 3.99 or a unit price of 2.28 per pound.
  A 25.5 oz. jar of Skippy natural was priced at 4.49 or a unit price of 2.88 per pound.

Here’s to being a smart shopper.