Peanut Lovers Rejoice and Lose Weight!
For many of us, peanuts are indispensable. Peanuts and peanut butter can bring us back to childhood. They are dependable and delicious. With fiber, protein, healthy fats, and vitamin E, they are even nutritious, but oh, so high in calories! An ounce of peanuts has 170 calories, and a 2-tablespoon serving of peanut butter has 190 calories.
If you are trying to lose weight, peanuts can fit into your diet, but you might want to exercise a little caution. Here are some ways you can get that peanut taste while sticking to your calorie limits and hitting your protein goals.
Peanut Bars – Anything but Boring
Stash bars anywhere you might need a meal or snack. They keep well, travel well, and taste great. Our supply of protein bars with peanuts is just what you need to get your peanut fix as you satisfy hunger wherever you are. They all have 12 to 15 grams of protein, with a minimal amount of sugar. Just a few options are:
- Crispy or Creamy Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars with or without chocolate coating
- Crispy or Crunchy Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Bars
- Crispy Peanut Pretzel Bars
- Caramel Crunch Bars with a peanut filling
- Fluffernutter Protein Bars with fluffy marshmallows and salty peanuts
As you can see, they include sweet, sweet and salty, crispy, chewy, creamy, chocolatey, and caramel-y choices. There’s no reason you can’t find the bar of your dreams!
Peanutty Shakes: an Easy Treat
Shakes are quick to make and easy to take. They make great snacks, meal replacements, and post-workout fueling snacks. You can use Protein Butter Protein Powder for a quick shake with 23 grams of protein and only 100 calories and 3 grams net carbs. Or, you can experiment a little. For example, what about a 3-ingredient Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Shake with Chocolate Protein Shake mix, ice, and peanut butter? You’ll get 184 calories and 19 grams of protein.
No Solid Foods? Go Powdered!
You cannot have regular peanuts on a pureed foods diet. Even smooth peanut butter can be off limits at this time because of its stickiness. If that is the case, what about powdered peanut butter?
If you are limited to pureed foods, you might want to consider PB2 Powdered Peanut Butter. It has 45 calories and 5 grams of protein per serving. Make a shake with banana, soy or skim milk, and peeled frozen peaches, or flavor your Protein Oatmeal with a spoonful before pureeing it. You can even add it to Greek yogurt along with pureed fruit for a sort of “PB and J” breakfast.
If you’re not on a liquid or pureed foods diet, what else can you do with PB2? More to the point, what can’t you do? You can add it to smoothies with banana and yogurt, plus superfoods such as kale, chia seeds, and blueberries. You can mix it with low-sugar fruit or vanilla yogurt, dip grapes or banana slices in it, and freeze them. You can even make peanut-crusted fish or chicken by coating your protein with a mixture of olive oil and PB2!
Get Creative
You’re in charge, so act like it! You can get peanut butter into almost anything if you set your mind to it! Make peanut butter protein balls with peanut butter, Vanilla Protein Powder, and crushed Protein Cereal, or add peanut butter protein powder to low-carb baking mix for some peanut-y biscuits. And when you’re ready to go back to the basics, there’s never anything wrong with dipping celery sticks or apple slices into peanut butter.
If you are a peanut lover, the thought of going without while you’re losing weight can be dreadful. Luckily, you do not have to go without! Creamy, crunchy, or blended, there are plenty of ways you can get the taste of peanuts that you love, while you keep losing weight.
