This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at U Mass Amherst chapter.
Peanut butter is one of those things that I will never get sick of. It tastes good with anything, I am constantly craving it, and it is delicious beyond words. I guess I’m pretty obsessed with peanut butter. That being said, I basically incorporate it into every meal and snack possible to get my fix. Packed with mono- and polyunsaturated fats (the healthy kind!) and protein (around 8g/serving), peanut butter is a wonderful go-to topping for fruits, veggies, grains, and anything you can imagine!
I have compiled a list of foods that taste great with peanut butter and some simple recipes with a few basic ingredients to try. Enjoy!
FRUITS
- Apples: Try dicing them up and drizzling with some nuked PB, honey, and cinnamon for a sweet treat.
- Strawberries: It’s reminiscent of a PB & Strawberry J!
- Bananas: PB, banana, and honey on wheat toast is perfection.
- Dates: Pitted dates stuffed with a little peanut butter (or almond butter) make for a quick and healthy snack loaded with fiber.
Give one of my favorite smoothie recipes a try after your next workout (It’s my take on the popular Freshens’ Peanut Butter Protein shake)!
- 1 banana
- Generous spoonful of PB
- 1 ½ c. chocolate almond milk (or soy, or cow)
- 1 scoop chocolate whey protein powder (optional)
Combine all ingredients in a blender, blend and enjoy the creamy goodness!
Or, try my peanut butter and apple overnight oats to get that PB fill in for breakfast.
- ½ cup oats
- ½-1 cup vanilla almond milk (more for looser oats, less for thicker oats)
- ½ diced apple
- Generous spoonful of PB
- Dash of cinnamon
- 2 tbsp chia seeds (optional)
Mix all ingredients well in sealable container and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, heat it up if desired (I always do), and top with anything else you want – chopped walnuts, dried cranberries, more PB, anything but the kitchen sink!
VEGGIES
- Carrots: Out of hummus? Dip your carrots in some peanut butter for some added protein.
- Celery: Good ol’ “ants on a log” has never done me wrong.
- Sweet Potato: I know it sounds weird, but don’t knock it ’till you try it. Put peanut butter on your baked sweet potato instead of regular butter and sprinkle with cinnamon. It’s much healthier and very tasty!
I recently made this delicious Thai Peanut Sauce to stir-fry my veggies with. Give it a try!
- 3 tbsp peanut butter
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- Juice of 1 lime
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp ginger
- Add a little water if needed to bring it to desired consistency
Combine all ingredients and mix in with your veggies, chicken, or tofu and serve over brown rice for a peanutty meal.
A SPOON
Most peanut butters (and other nut butters like almond butter!) are so delicious you can just eat them right out of the jar – or at least I do. Try new products to see which you like best. There are kinds flavored with dark chocolate, honey, white chocolate, cinnamon, literally every yummy combo you can think of. My personal favorite at the moment is White Chocolate Wonderful made by Peanut Butter & Co. Definitely give it a try!
CHOCOLATE: The most perfect of the combinations – think Reese’s, Butterfinger, everything delicious that you daydream about when you’re hungry.
Try these chocolate PB protein pancakes for your next lazy Sunday morning!
- 1 egg
- 1 mashed banana
- ½ cup oats
- ½ cup chocolate almond milk
- ½ cup flour
- Generous spoonful of PB
- Dash of cinnamon
- 1 scoop chocolate whey protein powder (optional)
- Handful of chocolate chips (optional, but suggested!)
Combine all ingredients. Pour batter (it will be thick) into non-stick frying pan and cook for a few minutes on each side. When all your pancakes are done, stack ’em up with a little peanut butter and strawberries in between each layer, and drizzle the whole thing with honey. YUM.
Happy eating, Collegiettes!