Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Review: Bell Plantation PB2 Powdered Peanut Butter


If you've followed me over from WouldIBuyItAgain.com and remember this or if you are a new visitor and have never read this before, I am a peanut butter freak.  Personally, I love it.  I had to put it on my personal "do not buy" list at home because whenever I had it around, I would set up camp over the jar with a spoon and just destroy it non-stop.  Technically, peanut butter is a healthy fat in moderation, but there was nothing healthy about the way that I was eating it, so I try to no longer keep it in my house.  That said, I was cruising around on the internet a few weeks back and came upon an article or advertisement (can't remember which) preaching the virtues of Bell Plantation's PB2 Powdered Peanut Butter product and knew I had to try it out.

Instead of me describing what makes it "PB2", I'll let Bell Plantation's website do all the work:

"We call it peanut butter’s second generation because it’s unlike any peanut butter you’ve ever experienced. Through a unique process that doesn’t involve the use of any chemicals and doesn’t alter nature’s intended balance found within the peanut, we remove over 85% of the fat from premium quality peanuts. Essentially, the oil is squeezed out of roasted peanuts and what remains is our famous powdered peanut butter – all natural with no artificial sweeteners or preservatives. When you mix water or a favorite drink with PB2 you get the same consistency as full-fat peanut butter, with all the roasted peanut flavor, but 85% less fat calories."

When I saw that it was 85% less fat and calories (45 calories per two tablespoon serving versus ~200 for regular peanut butter) and it still tasted like peanut butter, I had to know more.  So, I got onto my friend Google (Google is the reason I am employed, although I am not employed by Google) and did a little search for some external reviews and found that everything out there was mostly positive.  Armed with this information and seeing there was a sale on their website store at the time, I knew I had to make the leap.

There's two versions of PB2 (regular and chocolate), but for the purposes of this review, we'll stick with the regular version.



Ordinarily, I would say here what a product is texturally like, but since PB2 is basically just a powder that allows you to choose your own adventure on how you use it, there isn't really much to say here about texture and the focus should be primarily on taste.  That said, I did concoct some for the visual purposes of this blog and as you can see in my picture above, I added a bit too much water, so it was slightly runny.  You can alter that based on the amount of fluid you add.

In my experience with PB2, I've used it as a mix-in for oatmeal, a mix-in with pudding, have added water to make it a peanut butter "spread", have added it to milk to make a milk shake and have also done the old stand-by of eating it directly out of the jar as a powder (yes, I know that is weird, but I am crazy after all).  After using it all these different ways, I can honestly stay that this stuff really does taste like peanut butter.  It's not as strong or thick as your regular crunchy or creamy peanut butter that you buy out of the jar, but it is very close. The texture and strength of the flavor can vary depending on your fluid-to-powder ratio, but you can definitely tell it is there and it is a nice touch.

Buy It or Fly By It?  Well, this one depends on how much you are willing to spend.  It's mostly only available online (Netrition.com, for example) or in sporadic health food stores, so it can be difficult to find and that makes it a bit more costly (four jars are $15.96 plus shipping at the Bell Plantation website).  If you are willing to fork out the additional cash to get it, definitely BUY IT.  The fact that you can eat something that tastes basically like peanut butter for 85% less fat and calories is worth the slightly additional cost in my mind.  It may hurt your wallet, but it will make your tummy feel so good, especially for those of us that are peanut butter freaks!


FYI, if you are going to be a goof like me and eat the powder straight out of the jar, make sure you have a
drink nearby.  Your mouth can get a little sticky once the powder interacts with your saliva.  LOL.


BUY IT!!

14 comments:

  1. Jessica in NoblesvilleOctober 5, 2011 at 9:46 PM

    Interesting, thanks for posting. I've heard of this product but wasn't brave enough to try it. Could be a great mix-in for shakes, cookies, maybe even chili sauce to get a thai thing going.

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  2. I like this stuff as well, great for thickening protein shakes, or mixed in with cottage cheese.

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  3. Cottage cheese...hmm...that's a new one. If I didn't have such a strong dislike of cottage cheese, that might be something I would actually try.

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  4. love this and live on it!

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  5. This brand of peanut flour is much better and richer tasting.

    Protein Plus Peanut Flour.

    Trader Joes used to carry this, but it was discontinued due to low sales. The company below is the one who supplied Trader Joe's.
    http://proteinplusflour.com/

    I've found it online for $4.79 for a 16 ounce bag.

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  6. I enjoy PB2 but not the price. I'm at the bottom of my last jar from my previous order and I'm not sure I can stomach to order it again. As anonymous said the TJ's peanut flour was a perfect option (I actually liked it more because it didn't have added salt or sugar) but they stopped carrying it. My favorite use for either pb2 or peanut flour is a spicy peanut sauce w/ soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, and sriracha. Very flavorful without the pant-tightening qualities of normal peanut sauce.

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  7. https://montebellokitchens.alice.com/products?tag_id=820n is another peanut flour choice. just found it at Whole Foods in Charlottesville

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  8. Just tried this stuff!!! Very pleased! I actually found this in our Kroger in the little natural food section!

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  9. I found mine at Walmart.

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    Replies
    1. They've definitely increased their distribution. I've seen this at Kroger now too.

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  10. Found both reg & choc at Fred Meyers Natural food section in WA state. Taste is OK. Hoping it's not what is killin my GI system right now.

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  11. They also sell it at Walmart too!

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  12. I just bought some at Costco in Tucson, Az

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  13. I Started using A Powder peanut Butter its Called PB Trimmed , Bought it on Amazon , Its the Best I have Ever tasted!!

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