Peanut butter is one of the basics necessary in every kitchen pantry. You can eat it as is direct from the jar using a spoon (or your fingers if you’re willing to get messy). You can put a dollop on your oatmeal or any breakfast you’re having to add taste and texture. It also works great on a sandwich. You can even put it on a savory dish like kare-kare but that’s pushing it.
Kids and adult alike are in love with peanut butter. Not only is it very flexible as a spread and as an ingredient but it is also considered healthy. As someone who frequents the gym and is surrounded by buff people prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, I’ve observed that peanut butter is the go-to spread by health-conscious people because it is loaded with protein.
However, the peanut butter options we have in the market are not as healthy as we’d think they’d be. Most are packed with refined sugar and additives. Good thing, TheBasics gives us a peanut better option. 🙂
Behind the Brand
Marlon Tong, the man behind the TheBasics, told When In Manila:
The idea for the brand is that food nowadays has really strayed away from how it was when nature made it. This is why we came up with the brand TheBasics to come up with products that’s just that, basic. We make no frills products that you can actually make yourself in the comforts of your own homes. There is no secret to the products, our peanut butter is made with only 3 ingredients, peanut, sugar and salt. No additional oils, just what comes out naturally from the peanuts. The best part about our brand is that you can test out each of our claims at home. Simply grind the peanuts with a food processor and see for yourself. All we really do is prepare it for you as we understand how busy life can be.
As the maker of this brand, this started with the curiosity in learning more about food and how much commercial brands have claims that are pretty much untrue. This is why each of our products uses only ingredients that are as close as how they were when nature made them. With sugars, we currently only use muscovado and coconut sugar which is basically the dried up form of the sap. It’s not white nor are they crystalized as those are additional processing made to make food more convenient (easier to dissolve) or beautiful.
Somehow, food is the way they are now due to the want for convenience and aesthetics. It’s why we have emulsifiers, coloring, even preservatives. Real food goes bad, they discolor, and for peanut butter, they separate. I guess part of what we want to educate for our brand is that these are not bad for food because what you’re getting is real. Just like when true beauty has flaws, real food has imperfections and that’s what makes it great.
The Peanut Butter
The peanut butter from TheBasics is as simple as they can be— just the way I usually like my stuff. I’m not a big fan of bells and whistles (like how I just like plain ol’ black coffee) as those usually mask a lot of the bad stuff so this is a great match for me.
Since I went from being careless about my health to more aware that good health is truly important, I’ve become more cautious of what I put in my mouth. This is the belief that I share with TheBasics.
Tong explained:
Food has really been a passion ever since. Not just in eating, but learning how things were made. With this, comes learning why food is a certain way, or how one has evolved over the years. We started with peanut butter because it was very simple being primarily composed of 3 products (peanut, sugar, salt) or 4 (peanut, sugar, salt, oil) for most commercial options.
When we started this brand, it was really with the hopes of educating people to be more OC about what they’re putting in their mouths that eventually gets to their bodies. We really wanted people to realize how far most foods have strayed away from its natural form. Take something as simple as sugar, a lot of people know it comes from sugarcane, but never wonder why it became white, or crystalized (even with what’s sold as Raw Sugar),
TheBasics peanut butter is not as sweet as what most of us are used to. However, they are nuttier, which makes you realize that the ingredients used are as real as they can be.
You can choose from three options— Muscovado, Coconut Sugar, and Crunchy Cacao.
These peanut butter choices may not be for everyone because they are not super sweet as we’re used to, but for those who want to pick a healthier path, this is a great start.
TheBasics PH
Facebook: TheBasics PH
Instagram: @thebasicsph
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