A couple of weeks ago I was wandering through the grocery store, trying to put together a responsible adult meal, when I came across the aisle of peanut butter. I remembered a friend telling me about powdered peanut butter and how it is supposed to be better for you than regular, already prepared, peanut butter.
So, I began scouring through all of the shelves and the different options and I finally found it. I didn’t grab it right away though; I was super hesitant as to what it was and how it worked, but curiosity took over and I decided to expand my peanut butter horizons.
The brand that I tried is called PB2. It contains only 3 ingredients: roasted peanuts, natural sugar, and salt. On top of that, according to Bell Plantation, “the peanuts are pressed to remove 85% of the fat and calories.”
Observations
Photo by Kevin Kozlik
It was a little odd measuring out the powder. The consistency reminded me of flour or powdered sugar. It was super light and easily packable. The directions are to mix 2 tablespoons of PB2 with 1 tablespoon of water and then stir until it’s smooth. What I noticed was that after mixing it with water, it was still a little crumbly, not necessarily smooth, like you might expect regular peanut butter to be.
Taste Test
Photo by Isabelle Chu
It did taste like peanut butter, although the texture was a little chalky and it had a strange aftertaste. I found that it was a lot better when paired with something else like an apple, banana, or toast.
Would I Recommend?
Photo by Kevin Kozlik
Regardless of the whole process and the idea being somewhat off-putting and strange, it wasn’t bad. There are some nutritional differences, however not enough to convince me to make the full switch. I’ll probably stick to the usual stuff and I’ll continue to enjoy that satisfying first scoop out of a fresh, newly opened container.
That being said, I can see why this would be appetizing to some. Having it as a powder allows you to really be creative in how you can use it. Some people make protein shakes, others bake with it. It can definitely serve more than one purpose.
Nutritional Differences Between Regular (Peanut Butter & Co. Old Fashioned Smooth) and Powdered (PB2) Peanut Butter:
Photo by Isabelle Chu
The biggest thing is the calories and fat. Only 45 calories and 1.5 grams of fat in a serving of PB2 compared to 190 calories and 16 grams of fat in your more traditional peanut butter.
Those are some major discrepancies that can make a big difference if peanut butter is a big part or your diet and you’re up for a healthy alternative.
At the end of the day, it comes down to what your personal preferences are and what you’re comfortable with, but there is certainly at least some credibility behind the newfound PB2 craze.