Skippy introduces portable peanut butter

Even a PB&J sandwich isn't considered convenient anymore.

Now Skippy has introduced Skippy Squeeze Stix, squeezable peanut butter in snack-sized 0.9-ounce tubes (à la Yoplait's Go-Gurt), and Skippy Squeez' It, a hand-lotion-sized 9-ounce container that squishes out flat ribbons of peanut butter. The Squeeze Stix come with creamy peanut butter alone or with chocolate.

Skippy, the second-most popular peanut butter brand, says the new tubes let kids make their own portable snacks. The individual tubes come six to a package. Both styles carry the suggested retail price of $2.39 and offer about the same nutritional value as Skippy in a jar.

While the company's test study found three-quarters of kids said Squeez' It was "way cooler" than regular peanut butter, younger children may have difficulty squeezing the thick paste out of the container. They might have fun making designs, but if they want to spread it evenly, they'll still have to get out a knife — as they will if they want to add jam.

Similarly, enthusiasts might enjoy the taste and texture of thick, rich peanut butter straight from the individual tubes, but many kids like peanut butter only as a spread tempered by a sweetener.

— Stephanie Dunnewind, Seattle Times staff reporter