As comedian Bill Cosby once said, “Man cannot live by bread alone. He must have peanut butter”. Peanut butter is one of America’s favorite foods. Nearly 75% of American homes consider peanut butter a kitchen staple just like bread and milk.
Peanut butter served rich and creamy or extra crunchy is not only nutritious, it is extremely delicious. Peanut butter is nutrient-packed with plenty of protein, folate, fiber and hard-to-find nutrients vitamin E, and magnesium. While peanut butter is known to be high in fat, it is a monounsaturated fat – the same type of fat found in heart-healthy olive oil. All together, the nutrients in peanut butter play various roles in preventing heart disease, breast cancer, birth defects and controlling diabetes.
While many think of peanut butter as a “kid’s food,” adults actually eat more of this nutty favorite than children. And while the PB&J sandwich has helped spread the love of peanut butter, there are many more ways to enjoy the velvety smooth creamy variety preferred by people living on the East Coast or the crunchy-style peanut butter favorite of those on the West Coast. Peanut butter can be used in everything from appetizers to desserts.
So open up the jar of your favorite brand of peanut butter and start experimenting. Try a few of our favorites first.
- Hot cocoa – drop a dollop of peanut butter into a steamy hot cup of cocoa. Sip slowly, put your feet up and relax.
- Peanut butter pancakes.– fold in a big spoonful of crunchy peanut butter into pancake batter. Hint: Melt the peanut butter in the microwave first to blend easier.
- Dunking dip – micro-melt peanut butter; stir. Dip slices of apples and then roll in a crispy rice cereal. Yum!
- Salad dressing – add a spoonful of peanut butter to homemade vinaigrette, blend until smooth. Drizzle over a freshly made leafy green salad.
- Breakfast shake – add two heaping spoonfuls of peanut butter, 1 cup of chocolate milk and 1 ripe banana. Blend until creamy. Grab and go on the way to work or school.
Now that your imagination has run wild, serve this awesome spicy dip while watching a good game of football. It offers a savory, rich flavor on top of crackers or a dip for tortilla chips and vegetables.
Spicy Peanut Butter Pepper Spread
All You Need
2 tbsp lime juice
1 cup salsa
1 cup peanut butter
¼ cup chopped red pepper
¼ cup chopped yellow pepper
All You Do
In a blender, whirl lime juice, salsa and peanut butter until mixture is smooth. Spoon mixture into a small bowl and fold in chopped peppers. Cover and refrigerate. Makes 2 cups.
Nutrition Facts per serving: 100 calories, 8 g fat,1g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 20 mg sodium, 4 g carbohydrates, 1 g fiber, 5 g protein.
Source: National Peanut Board
