Happy National Peanut Butter Day! With Shelley's excellent guest post yesterday on fighting the "restriction" mode, I think we can spring an excellent discussion today on a wonderful food (enjoyed in moderation) that might have gotten a bad rap in the past... peanut butter!
I love peanut butter to bits, but have not always had such a healthy relationship with it...for us reformed "fat" phobes (and I mean that in terms of fat dense foods) peanut butter can be scary. I either used to avoid it or eat half a jar in one sitting in a peanut butter stupor. Ugh.
Now I'm pretty good about sticking to one serving, or a few spoonfuls, and can really appreciate the flavor, it's versatility, and the way it fills me up for hours! Plus, let's be real, peanut butter has a way of making you feel 8 years old again :-) So, in honor of this great holiday, I want to share with you my top ten favorite uses for this food.....
1. Let's start with good ole pb toast. You've got carbs, protein and fat all in one...add a piece of fruit for a perfect breakfast....lunch...or dinner! Plus, it's my go to pre race brekkie. This is individual preference of course, but it sits well in my tummy and keeps me going.
2. It's the perfect bedtime snack. A good ole spoonful of pb when my stomach insists it's still hungry (or, ok, my mind does). Sits well for sleep, and no middle of the night kitchen raids (I know everyone doesn't have that problem, but I will admit I am a recovering addict here).
3. It's a pump up smores secret ingredient! 2 graham crackers, melted marshmallow, square of chocolate and tsp. of pb. Yum yum.
4. Reverting to my inner child...ants on a log. In lieu of raisins, I now use cranberries. Perfect snack.
5. It keeps me sated during long bike rides. I either cut up a sandwich into 4ths or make some pb granola bars to stick in my jersey pocket. Natural, cheap, and much purer than an energy bar. Perfect for 4 hour rides.
6. Make banana soft serve. Freeze two bananas (cut up in chunks). Stick in a food processor for 5 minutes and add in 1 tbsp. peanut butter. Heaven in a bowl.
7. It's the perfect office stash snack....if you forgot your lunch (spread on crackers), your PM snack needs jazzin' up (apples or carrots need a dipper), or, ok, you just need something healthier than a Butterfinger!
8. It's the perfect temporary shut up remedy. Don't stick your foot in your mouth...stick some PB in! It takes awhile to swallow and your mouth gets all sticky, so....foot in mouth crisis...deliciously averted :-)
9. It adds excellent flavor to Thai dishes. Whole wheat noodles, broccoli, tofu, soy sauce and peanut butter = dinner.
10. It pumps up oatmeal's flavor, staying power and yumminess. 1/2 cup oats, strawberries and spoonful of pb = full for hours and tastes wayyy more decadent than it should.
All hail peanut butter! What's your favorite use? Do you love this stuff as much as I do? :-D
I love peanut butter to bits, but have not always had such a healthy relationship with it...for us reformed "fat" phobes (and I mean that in terms of fat dense foods) peanut butter can be scary. I either used to avoid it or eat half a jar in one sitting in a peanut butter stupor. Ugh.
Now I'm pretty good about sticking to one serving, or a few spoonfuls, and can really appreciate the flavor, it's versatility, and the way it fills me up for hours! Plus, let's be real, peanut butter has a way of making you feel 8 years old again :-) So, in honor of this great holiday, I want to share with you my top ten favorite uses for this food.....
1. Let's start with good ole pb toast. You've got carbs, protein and fat all in one...add a piece of fruit for a perfect breakfast....lunch...or dinner! Plus, it's my go to pre race brekkie. This is individual preference of course, but it sits well in my tummy and keeps me going.
2. It's the perfect bedtime snack. A good ole spoonful of pb when my stomach insists it's still hungry (or, ok, my mind does). Sits well for sleep, and no middle of the night kitchen raids (I know everyone doesn't have that problem, but I will admit I am a recovering addict here).
3. It's a pump up smores secret ingredient! 2 graham crackers, melted marshmallow, square of chocolate and tsp. of pb. Yum yum.
4. Reverting to my inner child...ants on a log. In lieu of raisins, I now use cranberries. Perfect snack.
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| Choosing Raw's Soft Serve |
6. Make banana soft serve. Freeze two bananas (cut up in chunks). Stick in a food processor for 5 minutes and add in 1 tbsp. peanut butter. Heaven in a bowl.
7. It's the perfect office stash snack....if you forgot your lunch (spread on crackers), your PM snack needs jazzin' up (apples or carrots need a dipper), or, ok, you just need something healthier than a Butterfinger!
8. It's the perfect temporary shut up remedy. Don't stick your foot in your mouth...stick some PB in! It takes awhile to swallow and your mouth gets all sticky, so....foot in mouth crisis...deliciously averted :-)
9. It adds excellent flavor to Thai dishes. Whole wheat noodles, broccoli, tofu, soy sauce and peanut butter = dinner.
10. It pumps up oatmeal's flavor, staying power and yumminess. 1/2 cup oats, strawberries and spoonful of pb = full for hours and tastes wayyy more decadent than it should.
All hail peanut butter! What's your favorite use? Do you love this stuff as much as I do? :-D
Nice homage to PB!
ReplyDeleteI wish that I actually liked peanut butter. It's not that I can't stand it, but as a flavor, it doesn't do anything for me which is a total bummer because I understand all of its benefits. I just bought some almond butter and am going to see if that "clicks" for me.