A finger is dipped into the jar, scooping out a delicious amount of peanut butter, then rinsed and repeated. Or maybe the slice of an apple is dipped into the jar preparing for a sweet and salty snack. We all dip our finger or slice of an apple or whatever into the peanut butter jar. The fact that we do it grosses some people out, but they do not know the pleasures and advantages it can have.


Naturally, peanut butter has many different types of oils in it. These oils can be very soothing for the skin on which the peanut butter resides. There is an oil that is created when the oil is heated and hydrogen bubbles pass through it. This is called hydrogenated oils. Although it isn’t good for one’s nutrition, it is still very good for skin. If that thought is scary, remember it’s possible to buy peanut butter without it.


Many different snacks can be created using the dipping action. Slices of apples, chunks of chocolate, and bananas are examples of what can be used. It’s a perfect healthy snack for anytime! “The unsaturated fat content in peanut butter helps reduce the risk of heart disease by 25% (if you eat 1oz per day), its rich foliate and niacin (vitamin B3) content helps increase the HDL (good cholesterol) level by as much as 30%, all while being a very good source of proteins (up to 25% of peanuts consists of proteins) and dietary fiber”. Making a snack out of peanut butter is not only pleasing for the palette, but also for the mind.

When a finger is used to scoop out the peanut butter, the most desirable amount is obtained. For the less practical, there is an alternative: walk into the kitchen, grab a spoon, and continuously immerse the spoon in the creamy or crunchy mixture. In reality, it’s the exact concept, but more work is created. The spoon is being double dipped like the finger is. It doesn’t end there-- the spoon must be washed in order to be used for a different purpose. A dishwasher uses about 8 to 10 gallons of water per load and hand washing dishes uses more than 10 gallons. That’s water being wasted and when that water is added up, tons of gallons of water are being consumed. Whether you wash your dishes by hand or take them in and out of the dishwasher, nothing positive for you or for the environment comes from using a spoon.

Some say that this whole double dipping process is gross. Germs are transferred from the finger into the peanut butter jar, and then back to you. But there’s no difference between that and kissing a person or licking a jawbreaker that’s 3 inches in diameter. If our mind is content kissing someone, but not dipping our finger into the peanut butter jar, then are the ones who think it’s gross hypocrites?

You and I should be allowed to dip our finger in the peanut butter jar freely. It saves time, instead of getting a spoon which has the same effect as using a finger while it’s being used as a dipper. The oils are also very good for our skin. And with peanut butter, everyone is capable of making an ideal healthy snack. Next time you’re with someone who think it’s gross, explain how great it really is.