Motivation Monday #1: Peanut Butter vs PB2

Occasionally you come across a product that is just too good to be true and immediately you being to question what the catch is.  Reading through countless amounts of Fitness blogs and spending hours scrolling on Instagram looking at hashtags of #fitness #nutrition and the like, there has been one ingredient that I had been dying to try that other trainers swear by.  I don’t quite have an explanation for why it took me so long to try this product, especially since it is available in certain markets and on Amazon.  Being fed up with the high calories in one of my favorite foods, I decided I had nothing to lose by at least TRYING something so many others praise.  What is this secret product??

PB2!!!!

PB2, also known as powdered peanut butter, is as the name implies, powdered peanut butter, made by squeezing the oils out of regular peanut butter, and dehydrated, yielding peanut butter crack (my words, not theirs) 90% lower in fat.

I swear, it is the Holy Grail of ingredients, as well as the easiest and cheapest way for a peanut butter addict such as myself to curb cravings and *gasp* lose weight while still chomping down on peanut butter.

I have gone through phases where I have gone through an entire jar of peanut butter in a week.  Yes, ONE WEEK.  I don’t know how it is physically possible to consume so much nut butter, but if there is a peanut butter eating competition out there I can almost guarantee that I will dominate it.  Sweet? Salty? F***ing delicious? Yes, this devil in disguise has all three.

Be Careful When Choosing Peanut Butter
NATURAL peanut butters. (those you need to stir in the oil on the top, where there are only one or two ingredients-peanuts and maybe salt) are the only way to go. Fake peanut butter imposters (I’m looking at you, Jif and Skippy!) chock full of palm oil (the only oil full of saturated fat that is liquid at room temperature-EVIL!) and sugars (those do not belong in my peanut butter) are wolves in sheep’s clothing.  These companies have learned that marketing their products as having a “good source of protein” will lead the consumer to believe that their product is healthy.  We have to be skeptical of this health claim.  Every few years a new health “buzzword” will surface.  In the past we have seen the surge of “Whole Grains”, “All Natural Ingredients”, “Made with Real Fruit”, “Gluten Free” and “Low Fat” plastered on packaged foods.  This era’s preferred term is “High Protein.”  Many unhealthy foods happen to be high in protein proving that  this singular claim should not be a blanket statement for a product’s nutritional value in its entirety.  Going back to peanut butter, it’s important to realize that the larger, less-healthful brands, try to lure customers in with these popular health claims, when the healthier brands without added ingredients have the same protein content (if not even higher!)  The only benefit of the sugar and added oil is that these additional ingredients allow the peanut butters to stay solid.  However, how hard is it really to get a knife out and stir your damn peanut butter, for the sake of better health?

Nutritional Powerhouse: The Good
Peanut butter is full of monounsaturated fats, nutrient dense, vegan, gluten free, and when paired with whole grains or fruit, an easy, delicious way to get kids (and picky adults everywhere) to eat healthy.  Peanut butter is also high in protein (7g per 2 Tbsp), high in fiber (3g per 2 Tbsp), and low in sugar (natural, no-sugar added: 1g per 2 Tbsp).

Calorie Dense Son of A B*****: The Bad and The Ugly
While peanut butter is no doubt a nutritionally-dense superhero, it is also a trigger food for many individuals, myself included, and is very caloric (190-210 calories per 2 Tbsp).  I am not shy to admit I am quite literally addicted to peanut butter.  However, I have found a way out of my high calorie treats and I feel like in just a week and a half I have seen the light.  PB2 (powdered peanut butter) is my new best friend.  It only has 45 calories per 2 Tbsp serving compared to roughly 200 per same serving of traditional peanut butter. It has slightly less protein than normal peanut butter but still carries a punch of 5 grams of muscle-building protein and 2 grams of fiber.  The math is simple enough.  Swap PB2 for one serving of peanut butter a day and save 150 calories a day which could add up to 21.9 lbs per year! The texture of PB2 is not the same as regular peanut butter, but I have found it to still be delicious on fruit, oatmeal, and a personal favorite, blended into protein shakes. (<–CLICK HERE FOR RECIPE)

The best way to purchase PB2 is through Amazon.  A 1lb supply will run you $14.  Pennies to pay for such a huge calorie saver. There are also smaller varieties in case you cannot commit to so much PB2 as well as options to purchase smaller jars in certain supermarkets, but I can almost promise that once you try it you will be hooked.

I am by no means trying to say that PB2 is HEALTHIER than regular peanut butter, whole ingredients are always the healthiest way to consume fuel for your body, but what I am saying is that it is a way to consume peanut butter in a way that is not as caloric.  If peanut butter is not a trigger food for you then I recommend to stick with the original, tried and true nut butter.  However, if you are like me and cannot control yourself, do yourself a favor and switch over to this futuristic product.

Has anyone tried PB2?  What are your favorite ways to incorporate PB2 into your healthy lifestyle?

xoxo M