I have always had a love/hate relationship with peanut butter. As a kid, I enjoyed it mixed in a bowl with jelly or coated in sugar. I would frequent both of those options as snacks, on the largest spoon in the kitchen.
As I grew to be a teenager, peanut butter became quickly unfavorable in my mind because I had been taught how to make a PB&J sandwich early on in life, so anytime I went and whined to my parents about being hungry, their first and most immediate response was, “go make a PB sandwich.” That is NOT what I wanted, and therefore peanut butter and I quickly became enemies.
Fast forward to college, when I had to become friends with peanut butter again because I had to eat, and making a PB&J sandwich was right in line with my food budget as a poor college student. I definitely didn’t love it, but I could manage eating it and even attempted to enjoy it more times than not. It was about this time that I also started realizing how good peanut butter really was for me.
Did you know that an average serving of PB (which is about 2 tablespoons) has 188 calories, 8 grams of protein, 208 milligrams of potassium, fiber, monounsaturated fat, vitamin B, and magnesium? That is just a small portion of the goodness held within one small serving.
Now as a fitness instructor and wanna-be health nut, PB is always on the top of my list for a quick pre or post workout snack. I serve it to my children as often as I can. However, I try not to overdo the dismal PB&J sandwich, even though it is SO CONVENIENT!
So today I wanted to share with you a few of my favorite peanut butter recipes, not only for your own personal enjoyment, but also as a great addition to your households’ consumption as well. (Almond butter can be substituted in any of these recipes for the same delicious results.)
Peanut Butter and Banana Pizza
2Tbls Pic’s Peanut Butter
1 Banana
1 Piece of Whole Wheat & Oat Flatbread (cut in half)
1. Spread PB on each side of sliced flatbread
2. Dice up banana
3. Place banana on top of PB
4. Eat up!
Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie
4Tbls Pic’s Peanut Butter
1 Banana
8oz Milk
1tsp Cocoa Powder
Add all ingredients into a blender. Enjoy!
Peanut Butter & Honey Sandwich
2Tbls Pic’s Peanut Butter
1Tbls Organic Honey
2 pieces of Whole Wheat bread
1. Put whole wheat bread in toaster, just until lightly browned
2. Spread PB on top of toast
3. Pour honey on top of PB
4. Enjoy
Picture from : http://www.trialandeater.com/
Peanut Butter Apple Nachos
Original Recipe Post
1 apple, sliced thin
1/4 cup smooth peanut butter, melted
1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted
handful of chocolate chips, for sprinkling
1. Arrange apple slices on a plate.
2. Drizzle melted PB over apple slices with a spoon, and do the same with the melted chocolate.
3. Sprinkle handful of chocolate chips over the plate as topping.
4. Serve immediately.
There you have it. Four quick and easy recipes that liven up the use of peanut butter and still guarantee fun and healthy alternatives.
Do you have a favorite recipe that uses peanut butter? If so, leave a comment sharing it and perhaps you will be featured on our next post that highlights more “yummy in our tummy” recipes.
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