We love peanut butter around here. But when I’m losing weight, grabbing a thick gooey peanut butter sandwich just isn’t an option. One 2 T serving of peanut butter has 190 calories; 17 grams of fat, and 8 grams of protein and that doesn’ t count the bread or the jelly. With these peanut butter spread recipes, I can still get a hint of peanut butter but with nearly half the calories and fat. There are lots of options for blending peanut butter. Choose the one that most appeals to your tastes.
Peanut Butter/Cream cheese Spread
1/4 cup Fat free cream cheese
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter (all natural is fine)
1 packet stevia sweetener like Purevia® or Truvia®.
Blend all in a food processor or electric mixer with a whip. Chill.
2 Tablespoons has 111 calories; 8 grams of fat; 4 grams of carbs; and 6 grams of protein
Peanut Butter/Tofu Spread
Use the recipe above except substitute 1/4 cup or 2 oz of soft silken tofu for the cream cheese.
2 Tablespoons has 105 calories, 8.8 grams of fat; 3 grams of carbohydate, and 5 grams of protein
Peanut Butter Cottage Cheese Spread
Use the recipe above, but replace the cream cheese with 1/4 cup skim milk cottage cheese, pureed smooth. This one really needs a food processor.
2 Tablespoons equals 106 calories; 8.3 grams of fat; 4 grams of carbohydrate; and 6 grams of protein.
I have also seen where you can mix peanut butter with white beans (pureed) to make it healthier. Great ideas for our house!
Angela –
Quick qst about the peanut butter/cream cheese spread. Do you know how long this will stay fresh in the refrigerator? Sounds like a great alternative to help make the peanut butter go further and also slim down on the calories.
Thxs,
Kara
Kara, It will keep for about a month, but may eaten well before then :).
Great ideas! I have actually done the “PB&Tofu” before – no difference in taste at all but great way to still get your PB fix! I’ll have to try the others…thanks so much!
A great way to enjoy the foods you love without depriving yourself is to implement intermittent fasting. I have found that fasting 1-2 times a week helps me stay in a caloric deficit while I can still enjoy great foods. The fitness industry has given fasting a bad rap, but despite what they say…it doesn’t slow your metabolism, nor does it cause you to lose muscle. This was evident in the famous “Twinkie Diet” where the guy ate nothing but twinkies and still lost weight. The reasoning was that he was still consuming less than what the body burns. Even though I would never recommend it, but you get the idea.