What do peanut butter and sugar substitutes have in common? They are both showing up in sports nutrition products with greater frequency. The sugar substitutes we get, but peanut butter is another matter entirely. To see nutrition-minded sports enthusiasts embracing it with so much vim and vigour is somewhat of a surprise. But there it is.
In a Guardian article published on 28th February, contributor Andy Welch detailed how the UK has gone head over heels for peanut butter in the couple of several decades. What used to be thought of as an unhealthy food made with lots of sugar and oil has become a product people now want for its nutritional benefits. The difference in 2018 is the ingredients that go into peanut butter.
The Push for Natural Is On
There is no argument that peanut butter awash with sugar, palm oil, and loads of preservatives is not the healthiest food on the market. A more natural product is an entirely different thing. In other words, you can make a very good natural peanut butter by roasting the legumes, grinding them into a paste, and adding just a little bit of palm oil for consistency. Nothing else need be added. In this natural state, peanut butter is actually good for you.
The push for natural peanut butter is on because it contains, among other things, a high volume of monosaturated fats. These are fats known to lower cholesterol, lower blood pressure, and reduce the risk of heart disease. Eating moderate amounts of natural peanut butter can actually help stave off many of the chronic health conditions we now recognise as being caused by poor nutrition and inactivity.
Peanut Butter in the Vending Machine
As a company fully vested in sports nutrition products sold in vending machines, all this information is important to us inasmuch as it explains why peanut butter products are increasingly in demand among vending machine customers. People want snacks with peanut butter. That is all there is to it.
According to the Guardian, the demand for peanut butter and peanut butter-based products is as high as it's ever been. Demand for peanut butter spread alone equals a market in excess of £512 million annually. Interestingly though, growth in sports nutrition has outpaced peanut butter. Our industry was worth some £800 million in 2017.
The point we are driving at is that sports nutrition and peanut butter make for a perfect marriage. Products made with natural peanut butter provide the protein athletes need before and after workouts. Peanut butter-based products fill athletes up, satisfying their hunger so they don't keep eating. And don't forget the health benefits of peanut butter we already discussed.
If you're looking to add sports nutrition products and vending machines to your gym or leisure centre, keep us in mind. We are keeping an eye on the peanut butter trend ourselves and will be including more peanut butter-based products in our machines as demand dictates.
Sources:
Guardian – https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2018/feb/28/the-legume-boom-how-we-went-nuts-for-posh-peanut-butter
