Some tips on the best spread ever… almond butter!

I LOVE almond butter. It is one of my favourite things to eat and I put it on or in literally anything! It tastes delicious and it is a healthy serving of unsaturated fat (healthy fat) and protein, while supplying you with many micronutrients such as calcium (to strengthen bones, regulate muscle contraction, nervous system regulation..etc.), and magnesium (important cofactor for many enzyme systems in the body such as protein synthesis, nervous system regulation, blood pressure regulation and blood glucose control).

You can add it to sauces as I did in the spirulized cucumber salad recipe I posted earlier, or eat it straight up, or combine it with other foods to make a filling meal. Two things I really tend to enjoy doing is:

1. I ALWAYS mix in anywhere from a few tablespoons to approximately 1/2 cup of PB2 directly into my almond butter jar to increase the protein-fat ratio, and therefore making it more viscous and thick, versus leaving it more fatty and runny.  PB2 as shown below can be purchased at most grocery stores and is basically a powdered peanut butter. You can use this as a stand alone product by mixing 1 tablespoon of PB2 to 3 tablespoons of water to create a low calorie (23cal) spread, versus almond butter having 93cal/tbsp, but it doesn’t have the same consistency as normal peanut butter because of the reduced fat content and increased protein content. Therefore, I really enjoy the combination of almond butter and peanut butter mixed together. And although I wouldn’t normally support processed products like this (processed because of the manipulation of peanuts to reduce fat/increase protein/decrease calories into a powder), it is a relatively healthy treat and I love the taste!

2.  I love using the combination of PB2 and almond butter to eat with bananas in the morning!  The combination has a good ratio of fat, carbs and proteins for a breakfast treat! A few ideas to try are:

• eating the combo with bananas on whole grain, good quality toast

• freezing bananas without peels on and making banana ice cream by blending together frozen bananas with almond butter, cocoa powder, fruit, nuts…etc. whatever you would like! (If this doesn’t resemble ice cream enough for your personal taste, there are many recipes out there that are more detailed to making proper healthy ice cream and I encourage you to check them out!)

• cutting up bananas and spreading a bit of almond butter between two cut up slices and popping them in the freezer to make little treats for later! 

• 5 Ingredient Almond butter Banana Pudding
  vegan, makes 5-8 servings

  1 lb silken tofu, drained (about one fridge-section package)
  2 large ripe bananas
  3-4 Tbsp almond butter combo
  2/3 cup maple syrup
  1/4 tsp cinnamon
  (Salt to taste if needed – will depend on how salty your taste is)

  To make:
  1. Add all ingredients to blender
  2. Blend. Taste test. If needed, add salt.
  3. Pour into serving dishes or a large bowl. Chill until thick.
  4. Serve! (Smaller servings sizes will chill faster)

• Almond butter banana green smoothie!

• ⅔ cup milk
• ½ cup coconut yogurt
• 1 banana, sliced and frozen
• 1 tablespoon almond butter combo
• 2 cups fresh spinach
• *can add fresh fruit as well*

• 5 Ingredient Cocoa Shake2 frozen bananas, pre-sliced before freezing

  1 1/2 Tbsp pure cocoa powder (unsweetened, dairy-free)

  1 cup vanilla non-dairy milk (soy, almond, rice, hemp..)

  1 Tbsp agave or maple syrup or stevia(or to taste)

  1 heaping Tbsp almond butter combo

  Blend in a high power blender for best results. Serve!

  Optional accents:

  Cinnamon, nutmeg, cayenne.

  Replace some of the non-dairy milk with soy creamer or add in one scoop of vegan ice cream for a richer flavor.

  Coconut shreds.

  ice cubes for a more frosty, icy texture.

  Your favorite protein powder of vitamin infused smoothie mix.

• Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Smoothie

Adding oats to peanut butter, banana, coconut yogurt and milk and whirling it smooth