These days there are plenty of supplement companies (including NZProtein) who offer a powdered peanut butter product. You might be thinking “what is wrong with regular peanut butter?” or “why do I need a powdered version?”. Although anything that tastes like peanuts is guaranteed to be delicious, there are many advantages to powdered PB. Keep reading if you want to know what this product is, how it’s made and why you need it in your pantry.
Nutrition Benefits
Peanut butter is often regarded as a “superfood” because it is very energy dense. Peanuts are legumes which contain fibre, omega-6, nutrients and some protein. They are a great source of nutrition, especially for athletes, vegans and those on a low carb diet. On top of this, peanut butter is absolutely delicious.
The only downside to peanut butter is that a recommended serving size is much less than we would like it to be. This is why powdered PB can be an awesome tool to have in your nutrition arsenal. It is much lower in calories than standard peanut butter, which means you can fit more of it into your diet. Regular peanut butter contains 25 grams of protein and 588 calories per 100 grams. Powdered peanut butter packs a whopping 48.8 grams of protein and 488 calories per 100 grams. For those looking for macro friendly foods, powdered PB is an excellent choice.
How It Is Made
Some brands like to add ingredients to their powdered PB but NZProtein’s version is made from 100% peanuts. We take regular peanuts and slow roast them. Once cooked, they get ground up and pressed. This process removes most of the fats and oils. What remains is a lower calorie powder that still has a full roasted peanut butter flavour. All you need to do is stir this powder with water and boom, you have nut butter. The recommended ratio is two tablespoons of powder to one tablespoon of water. However you might adjust this depending on how runny you want the texture to be.
Lower Calories
The slow roasting and oil extraction process is what enables our powdered peanut butter to be so low calorie. There is nothing wrong with consuming full fat peanut butter however you’d only need a few grams in order to reach your recommended daily fat intake for the day. For those who want to drizzle peanut butter on all of their meals, powdered PB would be a better option. A little bit of powdered peanut butter goes much further than a tablespoon of regular PB. It is quite easy to hit your fat requirements for the day, but getting enough protein in without going over your calories can be difficult. Powdered peanut butter is a great way to add flavour and protein to your meals without adding more fats and calories. Those who are concerned with calorie intake or have fat loss goals should definitely give this product a go.
Higher Protein
As stated above, powdered peanut butter is much higher in protein than its regular counterpart. But why does this matter? Protein is essential for a range of bodily functions. These include growing muscle, hair, repairing tissue, helping you feel full and countless other tasks. Without sufficient protein, you can kiss your body composition goals goodbye.
Hitting our daily carbohydrate and fat targets is easy to do in modern society. Foods like bread and butter are relatively cheap, accessible and tasty. Ingesting sufficient protein is much harder to do. Many people, especially older populations, under consume protein and would benefit a lot from a higher intake. This is why powdered peanut butter is an amazing addition to your regular diet. It can help you get your protein intake to an optimal level without causing you to go over your daily calories.
Texture
The coolest thing about powdered peanut butter is that you can adjust the texture to your liking. If you love a peanutty drizzle all over your pancakes, then add more water when mixing. This will create a runny, smooth texture that is great for pouring on top of porridge, baking or even as a savoury sauce. For those who like it thick, less is more. Only add small amounts of water in order to form a chunky paste. Arguably this makes powdered PB superior to regular peanut butter because the texture is malleable. Obviously it is not the same creamy consistency as regular peanut butter. However you can adjust the consistency of powdered peanut butter more easily and turn it into whichever texture suits your mood.
Are There Weird Ingredients?
Although some powdered PBs come with added sugars and preservatives, NZProtein’s version only contains one ingredient. Ours is made from 100% roasted peanuts and nothing else. If buying other brands, make sure to check the label first and look out for any added sugars and salts. However if buying NZProtein powdered PB, worry not. We prefer to keep our ingredient list as short as possible. If it is not necessary, we don’t add it.
Recipes
One of the best things about powdered peanut butter is that you can use it in a plethora of recipes. It is a quick and easy way to add a peanut flavour to meals and baking. Due to the low fat content, powdered PB mixes better with liquids than regular nut butter. You can use it in both sweet and savoury recipes. Alternatively it makes for a wonderful topping on oat, toast or shaken onto popcorn. For those who love savoury foods, you can use powdered peanut butter to create a banging satay sauce. Sweet tooths out there can make a yummy peanut frosting or use it to create chocolate brownie squares. This product is so versatile. We look forward to seeing our customer’s creations.
Conclusion
Although powdered peanut butter provides less calories and fats than regular PB, this is not always a bad thing. Some people want a macro friendly product that helps them stick to their calorie and protein goals. There are many peanut butter alternatives on the market, but NZProtein powdered PB is one of the cleanest options money can buy. Not only is it tasty, it is also reasonably priced. You shouldn’t have to waste your entire paycheck on fancy nut butters. Pick the high protein option that is friendly on your macros, wallet and waistline.