Short answer: Yes, in moderation. Peanut butter is a medium-carb food, so portions matter. Two tablespoons (32 g) of no-sugar peanut butter have about 3.2 g net carbs, fitting well within a daily budget of 25–50 g.

A 2 tbsp (32 g) serve has about 5.1 g total carbs, 1.9 g fibre and 3.2 g net carbs. (On South African labels, check the “Glycaemic Carbohydrate” line — that is already net carbs. Check separately for sugar alcohols.)

Source: USDA FoodData Central SR Legacy entry “Peanuts, all types” and “Peanut butter” figures.

What to watch for

The jar matters more than the peanut. Sweetened versions sold in SA supermarkets run higher in total carbs per 100 g, and the difference is nearly all sugar. Sweetened jars often list sugar, icing sugar or maltodextrin after the peanuts. Put two jars side by side and compare the carbohydrate line per 100 g; the sweetened one can have several times the net carbs of a natural jar.

Read the ingredients, not the front label. You want peanuts and salt, nothing else. “No added sugar” is a good sign; “reduced fat” usually isn’t, because manufacturers often replace the fat with starch and sugar. Whatever you buy, check the label again before you buy it a second time — recipes change without warning.

Because peanuts are medium-carb, portions are the second trap. A level 2 tbsp serve is fine. Eating it from the jar with a spoon while you cook is how 3 g becomes 10 g. If you know you’re a jar-snacker, portion it into a small bowl first. One slice of banting seed bread with a thin spread stays under 5 g net carbs. Two thick sandwiches plus a banana does not, and that’s where people stall.

What to eat instead

If peanuts don’t agree with you or you want lower carbs, macadamia butter is the lowest-carb of these spreads at roughly 5 g net carbs per 100 g. Almond butter sits between the two at about 9 g net per 100 g. For a cheap crunch, I’d just eat a small handful of dry-roasted macadamias or walnuts instead of spreading anything at all.

Tahini is another option for savoury cooking at around 12 g net per 100 g (USDA “Seeds, sesame butter, tahini, from roasted and toasted kernels”: 21 g total carbs, 9.3 g fibre). Skip “peanut-flavoured” spreads and chocolate nut spreads — most are 40–55 g net carbs per 100 g, basically dessert.

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General information only, not medical advice. If you take medication for diabetes or blood pressure, talk to your doctor before changing how you eat. Last updated: 2026-09-19. Sources listed on each page.