Peanut Butter: USDA Nutrition, Calories and What the Label Means

Peanut butter is ground roasted peanuts, and a standard 2-tablespoon serving of smooth, unsalted peanut butter has about 190 calories, 7 grams of protein, 16 grams of fat and 1.6 grams of fiber in USDA data, along with about a quarter of the Daily Value for niacin and manganese. Under federal rules, anything sold simply as peanut butter must be mostly peanuts, with added seasonings and stabilizers limited to 10% of the weight. Below are the USDA peanut butter nutrition facts, how the common styles compare, what “natural” means on the jar, and the allergy and safety points worth knowing.

Peptide Labs does not sell peanut butter or peanut products. This article is general nutrition information, not medical advice.

Peanut butter nutrition per 2 tablespoons

The table uses the USDA FoodData Central SR Legacy entry for smooth peanut butter without salt (FDC 172470), converted to USDA’s 2-tablespoon portion of 32 grams. The percent Daily Value (%DV) uses the FDA Daily Values printed on Nutrition Facts labels.

A few things stand out. Peanut butter is one of the richer everyday sources of niacin, and it adds manganese, vitamin E, copper and magnesium. Most of its fat is unsaturated: about half is monounsaturated, and most of the polyunsaturated part is the omega-6 fat discussed in our seed oils explainer. The protein is real but modest next to the calories, which is why peanut butter appears on lists of protein snacks and protein foods with a note about portions. For other magnesium sources, see foods high in magnesium.

Peanut butter calories by style

Peanut butter calories land between about 165 and 195 per 32-gram serving across the USDA entries, so the style you choose changes the details more than the total. The table compares the same 32-gram serving for five USDA entries.

Two patterns are worth noticing. Salt is the main difference between otherwise identical jars: the salted smooth entry in USDA data carries 136 milligrams of sodium per serving, about 6% of the Daily Value, versus almost none unsalted. Our guide to low sodium foods explains how that adds up across a day. Reduced-fat peanut butter saves about 25 calories, but USDA data show it with more carbohydrate and more sodium, because something has to replace the removed fat. Chunky peanut butter shows a little more fiber (2.6 grams) than smooth.

Label calories may also overstate what the body absorbs from nuts and peanuts. A 2023 systematic review of 21 studies (Nikodijevic and colleagues, Advances in Nutrition, partly funded by nut industry groups) found measured energy consistently below standard label math, but also found more energy released from nut butters than from whole roasted nuts, because grinding breaks the cell walls that otherwise hold some fat in. So peanut butter is closer to its label number than whole peanuts are. If you are tracking intake, our explainer on calorie deficits covers why measured spoonfuls beat guesses.

Natural peanut butter and the FDA 90% rule

Peanut butter is one of the few foods with a federal standard of identity, in 21 CFR 164.150. Under that FDA rule, peanut butter is made by grinding shelled, roasted peanuts, and any seasoning and stabilizing ingredients together may not exceed 10% of the finished weight, so the jar is at least 90% peanut. Other key points from the standard:

• The fat content of the finished product may not exceed 55%, and peanut oil may be added or removed during processing to adjust it.
• Artificial flavorings, artificial sweeteners, chemical preservatives and color additives are not allowed in anything labeled peanut butter.
• If oil is used as a stabilizer, it must be a hydrogenated vegetable oil, which is what keeps many conventional jars from separating.
• Peanut butter made from unblanched peanuts must say so, with wording such as “prepared from unblanched peanuts (skins left on).”
• Every ingredient must be declared on the label.

Natural peanut butter usually means a jar of peanuts, sometimes with salt, and no added stabilizer, which is why the oil rises to the top and needs stirring. The standard itself does not define “natural,” so the ingredient list is the reliable guide. Products that add more sugar, oils or other ingredients than the standard allows cannot be sold simply as peanut butter, which is why you see names such as peanut spread on some jars.

Is peanut butter healthy?

For most people who are not allergic, peanut butter is a nutrient-dense whole-food spread: plant protein, mostly unsaturated fat, niacin, vitamin E and several minerals in a small serving. Whether it fits your diet depends on three things you can read off the label: the ingredient list (peanuts and perhaps salt, or added sugar and oils), the sodium line, and the serving size, since two level tablespoons are smaller than most people expect. People eating less on GLP-1 medicines sometimes use it to add calories and protein to small meals; our GLP-1 diet guide covers that pattern without specific amounts. Compare it with its tree nut cousin in our almond butter guide.

Peanut allergy, babies and other safety notes

Peanut is one of the major food allergens in FDA labeling rules, listed separately from tree nuts. Botanically it is a legume, and USDA files peanuts and peanut butter under legumes rather than nuts. Reactions can be severe, so anyone with a peanut allergy should follow their allergist’s plan and check labels and facility statements every time.

Advice on babies changed after the LEAP trial, published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2015. It randomly assigned 640 infants with severe eczema, egg allergy or both, aged 4 to 11 months, to eat or avoid peanut foods until age 5. Among the 530 infants who tested negative on a skin-prick test at the start, peanut allergy at age 5 was 13.7% in the avoidance group and 1.9% in the consumption group. In 2017 a NIAID-sponsored expert panel published addendum guidelines with three separate recommendations for infants at different risk levels, including when testing is appropriate and whether introduction should happen at home or in a clinician’s office. Because the right approach depends on your baby’s risk, talk to your pediatrician before introducing peanut foods.

Aflatoxin

FDA lists peanuts among the foods most susceptible to molds that produce aflatoxins, toxins the agency describes as known human carcinogens. FDA’s general aflatoxin guidance uses total aflatoxins above 20 parts per billion as the level at which a food may be considered adulterated. Peanuts and peanut products have their own compliance guide, and USDA samples raw peanuts under an agreement with FDA. Commercial peanut butter is made within that monitoring system; discard any peanuts that look moldy, shriveled or discolored.

Xylitol and dogs

FDA warns that some peanut and nut butters contain xylitol, a sugar alcohol that can cause a rapid, dangerous drop in blood sugar in dogs. Check the label before sharing a spoonful with a pet, and call a veterinarian or animal poison control right away if a dog eats a xylitol product. More on that sweetener is in our sugar alcohols guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

Questions about a label? Contact us or read our Buyer’s Guide. Food comes first; follow the label and ask a healthcare provider before starting a supplement, especially if you take medicines, are pregnant or have a food allergy. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Last reviewed October 2026.

Related guides: Almond Butter: USDA Nutrition, Calories and Almond Butter vs Peanut Butter, High Protein Foods: USDA Values for Meat, Dairy and Plant Sources, High Protein Snacks: USDA Protein per Serving and What Studies Found, Peanuts: Nutrition, Are They Legumes, and Are Peanuts Healthy?, Nut Butters: 8 Spreads Compared per 2 Tablespoons in USDA Data.