For children under 4, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises against whole peanuts. If you want to give your child peanuts, choose a suitable ground or spreadable form. Its advice for toddlers recommends 100% peanut butter with no added salt or sugar, but regular peanut butter is not low in fat. So don’t let the desire for less fat outweigh the form, ingredients and any allergens.
For parents who want to offer peanuts and are looking for a ground or spreadable form instead of whole peanuts. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises against giving whole peanuts or nuts to children under 4.
For parents looking for a light or lower-fat option who want to check what the claim is compared with and which ingredients the product contains. Jumbo linked the Light claim it examined to Jumbo Natural Peanut Butter.
For parents who need to take allergens and the rules of the specific location into account. The school policy at OBS De Venen applies to that school and is not a general rule for other locations.
When choosing for a toddler, start with the form: the Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises against giving whole peanuts to children under 4. Then compare the ingredients, nutritional values and allergens for the exact product variant.
| What to consider | What should you check? | Who is this most relevant to? |
|---|---|---|
| Suitable form of peanuts | Check whether the product contains whole peanuts, pieces, or a ground or spreadable form. | I want to know first whether the form is suitable for my toddler, because whole peanuts are not recommended for children under 4. Around 36% of consumers give choosing a suitable form top priority. |
| Comparing fat content | Compare the amount of fat per 100 g and, for a relative claim, check which product variant is used as the reference. | If I’m looking for less fat, I want to know what the claim is compared with and what else is in the jar. Around 29% of consumers put reducing fat first. |
| Ingredients | Read the ingredients list and check whether salt or sugar has been added. | For everyday use, I want to know the full ingredients, not just what the words 100% or light on the front suggest. Around 21% of consumers give ingredients top priority. |
| Allergens and location rules | Check the ingredients, allergen information and the rules at the school or nursery. | If the peanut butter is going to another location, I want to know in advance which allergens and rules are relevant there. Around 14% of consumers consider this first. |
A nutrition claim doesn’t change the fact that the product contains whole peanuts. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises against giving whole peanuts to children under 4.
For a toddler, choose a suitable ground or spreadable form instead of whole peanuts.
These terms don’t automatically describe the same ingredients. The Jumbo Light formula examined contained fibre, oil and salt as well as peanuts.
Compare the full ingredients list and nutritional values of the exact product variants.
Jumbo compared the Light variant it examined with Jumbo Natural Peanut Butter. That doesn’t show how the variant compares with every other peanut butter.
Check which product is used as the reference for the claim, and compare nutritional values on the same basis, for example per 100 g.
Ingredients and allergen information can vary between products and variants.
Read the information on the packaging each time, especially if you’re buying a different variant.
According to Duyvis’s own range description, its range includes peanuts prepared in different ways, such as fried, roasted, marinated and coated.
AH Terra 100% Natural Peanut Butter is a spreadable option. The product information for the 1 kg jar examined lists peanuts as an ingredient.
Jumbo has published information on both 100% Natural Peanut Butter and a separate Light formula.
Lidl lists a 100% Natural Peanut Butter range. The range information alone doesn’t provide a basis for establishing lower fat content or suitability for toddlers.
ALDI’s product information describes 100% peanut butter, with a natural variant and a variant with pieces.
The PLUS 100% Peanut Butter examined comes in a 350 g jar. The product information states that it contains 100% peanuts and 53 g of fat per 100 g.
These products are spreadable peanut options. They are not low-fat alternatives, so don’t choose them if a proven reduction in fat is your main purchasing priority.
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The product description calls this a spreadable peanut butter made with 100% peanuts.
According to the product description, no salt or sugar has been added.
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The product description calls this finely ground peanut butter made with 100% peanuts, suitable for spreading.
The stated nutritional value is 43 g of fat per 100 g.
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The product description calls this a spreadable peanut butter made with 100% peanuts.
The stated nutritional value is 44 g of fat per 100 g.
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According to the product description, this spreadable variant contains 100% peanuts and peanut pieces.
The product description says no salt or sugar has been added; the pieces give it a different texture from a smooth variant.
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This is a spreadable peanut butter with peanut pieces; the product description states that it contains 79% peanuts.
The listed ingredients also include sugar, cocoa, oil and salt. The stated nutritional value is 47 g of fat per 100 g.
The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises against giving whole peanuts to children under 4. If you offer your child peanuts, choose a suitable ground or spreadable form and check the texture of the exact variant.
No, the serving size shown on a pack is not automatically a toddler-sized portion. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre’s advice for toddlers recommends 15–20 g of nut butter a day for children aged 1–3. This is a daily amount, not an extra portion on top of other eating occasions.
No, a relative claim about less fat is not the same as a low-fat claim. The European Commission sets a maximum of 3 g of fat per 100 g for the ‘low fat’ claim on solid foods. If a product claims to contain less fat, also compare it with the stated reference product.
Read both the ingredients list and the allergen information for the exact variant. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) reported that new rules for allergen information come into force on 1 January 2026, including information about the unintentional presence of allergens through cross-contamination.
Follow the rules of the specific location. For example, OBS De Venen has its own policy banning peanuts and nuts at school; this local rule does not automatically apply to other schools or childcare settings.
