If you’ve been reading my blog for any longer than 5 minutes, you’ll learn very quickly how much I LOVE peanut butter. I’m talking peanut butter on toast, peanut butter in porridge, peanut butter in stir frys… basically peanut butter 24/7.

But as much as I love (LOVE!) peanut butter, there is just one problem I have with it. And that’s the incredibly high calories per serving. Of course, this is because it’s a wholefood comprised of mostly good fats and protein, but all the same, humans have never been designed to consumed 600 calories in sometimes just minutes, from just one food source.

So I’ll be the first to say it – being addicted to peanut butter can have its consequences (i.e. you’ll get a little more belly fat and, especially if you have IBS, will struggle to digest much post-peanut butter frenzy).

That’s why even peanut butter (my beautiful peanut butter) needs to be consumed in moderation. BUT if that’s too difficult, try these 5 peanut butter hacks that will see you not cutting back on your peanut butter addiction without ramping up the calories!

Five Peanut Butter Hacks You Need To Know

1. Mix in your nut butter with crumbled rice cakes

This is a peanut butter hack I live by. Rice cakes are very low calorie but have a lovely roasted taste that bodes delightfully with peanut butter. But that’s not the best bit…

The best bit is how much your small peanut butter serving bulks up from the rice cakes, so you can chow down big mouthfuls (if that’s your thing) with around half of the nut butter calories consumed!

2. Eat it with a fork

If you love eating it straight from the tub but go through about one-third every serving, you’ll know you need to cut back somehow. Do this by eating with a fork, rather than a spoon. I know this sounds ridiculous, but spoons allow ‘heaping’ which is one of the most difficult things to abstain from when eating peanut butter.

Instead, use a fork and you’ll still get the nut butter you crave and the actual action of dipping in is satisfied, but you’re eating somewhere around 30 calories per mouthful vs 120 calories with a spoon!

3. Buy individual serving pots

I get a whole load of plastic pots from Costco and dump my 1kg tub of peanut butter into them as soon as I get it (yes I get 1kg, yes it’s amazing, yes I have eaten mounds of it in bed with a serving spoon). Each pot is about 1 1/2 tablespoons worth which is around 130 calories, which I think is fairly moderate especially given the good fats and protein you’re getting too.

Once you’ve finished off your pot, you’ll know that’s your lot. If you go to get another, you’ll be able to better quantify how many calories you’re actually consuming… and how much it really isn’t worth reaching for that 2nd pot.

4. Add fibre wherever possible

Peanut butter is naturally filling but a lot of the time this is masked over by the creamy deliciousness of it, making it incredibly difficult to stop completely. One hack I’ve found that allows my brain to connect to my tummy is to add a good helping of fibre to my peanut butter dish.

So, if I’m eating peanut butter on toast, rather than heaping on the nut butter, I’ll sprinkle lots of pumpkin seeds on top and chopped banana. I’ll also make sure it’s on wholemeal bread and, if what I’m really looking for is that creamy texture, will spread some nice natural yogurt on top too.

5. Keep added sugars to a minimum

I’m totally judging you if you buy peanut butter with added sugar in. It’s SO not needed and degrades the quality of the delicious nuts and creamy non-gritty goodness of natural peanut butter made with 100% nuts.

This being said, you really don’t need sugar in nut butter and you should definitely avoid adding any to it. I’m talking honey mixed in with your peanut butter oats, raisins added to your nut butter serving, chocolate spread to your nut butter on toast… any added sugar will just heap on the cravings and keep you eating it for longer.

This is FACT – trust me, it does nothing but mask the yummy nut butter and will make you mindlessly eat something that should be savoured.

Now, let us pray to the Peanut Butter Gods and give thanks. AMEN!