One of the 21 Day Fix questions I am hearing a lot of lately is "how much PB2 can I use?" For those of you who don't know, PB2 is a powdered peanut butter, made by squeezing natural oils out of the peanut and then dehydrating what's left, yielding a powder in which 90% of the fat is removed from the peanut.

PB2 is much lower in fat and calories—about 45 calories per 2 tablespoons, compared with 180 calories for 2 tablespoons of peanut butter. Peanut butter, however, will give you more protein (8g vs. 5g) and fiber (3g vs 2g) per serving. Peanut butter is also a decent source of protein, iron, vitamin E, and folate, whereas those nutrients are sacrificed during the manufacturing process of PB2.

That being said...I am not a fan. Why?

I make a conscious effort every day to fuel my body with the most nutrient dense foods I can find. PB2 is a processed food. It's another example of how food manufacturers trick consumers into thinking less calories is better for you. A much healthier choice is all natural peanut butter which contains a dose of healthy fats that keep you satisfied and reduce cravings. True, you may have to use less, but here's a case of less is more in terms of flavor and nutrition.

Have you tried it? If you're a fan of eating a spoonful right out of the jar or like to dip fruits and veggies in it, then stick to good old fashioned natural peanut butter. Mixing PB2 with water as directed results in a gritty, chalky-like glob with a slight peanut flavor. Mixing it in a smoothie, shake yogurt or oatmeal is a more palatable option.

In addition, PB2 contains added sugar and is not organic. Peanut crops are routinely sprayed with toxic pesticides that are suspected to have caused the increase in peanut allergies and are linked to and increased risk of birth defects, nerve damage and cancer.



Want to know more? Here's Autumn Calabrese's opinion?

Peanut Butter vs Almond Butter

When it comes to nut butters, peanut butter wins in the people's choice category. The smooth, gooey decadent food has been a staple in American kitchens for centuries. Mom's love Jif and kids do too! But if you're ready to break up with your love affair with peanut butter, give almond butter a chance. It's rich in healthy fats, it's a better source of fiber and it tastes amazing. This infographic from Foodbabe.com says it all:

From: Foodbabe.com

These clean eating tips and tricks are great but if you're ready to take healthy living the next level, join one of my online fitness and clean eating accountability groups. Want to look and feel great for a big event in your future? Need to shed a few pounds to fit into your jeans this fall? Ready to improve your overall health and wellness and start living your best life? The online groups are a great support system where you receive daily motivation, tips and advice to help you complete a fitness program and achieve success. Ready to give it a try? Fill out this application to be enrolled in a future challenge.

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General Mills Joins the Push for Natural Ingredients

from the Beachbody blog
Your breakfast cereal is about to get real. Like, no more artificially-colored blue moons real.

General Mills announced earlier this week that it’s phasing out artificial colors and flavors in its breakfast cereals. The company has spent the past couple years reformulating the recipes for its popular cereals, and by 2017, only natural colors and flavors will be used.

“People don’t want colors with numbers in their food anymore,” said Jim Murphy, the president of General Mills’ cereal division, in a video posted on the company’s website. “They want their food to be as real as possible, and they want their ingredient list…to represent what they would pull out of their pantry.”

General Mills certainly isn’t the first company to overhaul their recipes. Chipotle has been on a quest to remove GMO products from their menus; Kraft has pledged to replace its day-glo cheese with the real deal; and Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, and Subway have all recently announced plans to ditch the fake stuff. It’s no secret that market share plays a role in this growing trend — consumers, worried about the potential side effects of artificial food dyes and unpronounceable ingredients, have been favoring companies with cleaner ingredients. Companies, in turn, have been making big changes to avoid losing their increasingly health-conscious customers.

“A study that we conducted with Nielsen told us that 49 percent of households are consciously avoiding artificial flavors and colors,” Lauren Pradhan, General Mills’ Senior Marketing Manager of Wellness Strategy in their Cereal division, told Beachbody. “We wanted to tell families that 60 percent of our cereals are already there, and now the rest of our cereals will be joining them. The response has been incredibly positive throughout this entire process.”

We’re stoked to see natural ingredients trending — and pleasantly surprised to see General Mills joining the clean-eating crusade. After all, this is the company that brings us Lucky Charms, Trix, Reese’s Puffs, and Count Chocula. If they’re on board, it can only be a matter of time before natural ingredients become the norm rather than making headlines.

Cheerios, Kix, and Wheaties are among the General Mills cereals already free of artificial ingredients. But we had to wonder…how they could possibly replicate the rainbow hues of Trix and Lucky Charms using natural alternatives? The answer is pretty simple: They won’t.

While researchers and taste testers have been working tirelessly to make sure the taste stays the same, the natural colors will definitely be more muted. Much like Nicki Minaj, Trix will be abandoning its neon palette for a subtle makeunder.

Four of the six Trix colors will remain. According to the General Mills blog, they’ll use fruits and veggies (like strawberries, radishes, and blueberries) to make red and purple colors. Annatto will provide the orange color, and turmeric will be used for yellow. Sorry, silly rabbit, but there’s no natural substitute for bright blue yet.

The company expects 75 percent of its cereals to be free of artificial colors and flavors by January and they plan to hit 90 percent by the end of 2016, with the last 10 percent on board by the end of 2017. Not surprisingly, the marshmallow-y cereals will be the last to follow suit. Changing the dye in a marshmallow can mess with its texture, so it’s going to take a whole lot of science to come up with a natural version of Boo Berry.

One important note for cereal lovers: As with all foods, “natural” doesn’t mean you can eat as much as you want. Cereal is still high in added sugar, so don’t double your portions just because your favorite brand cleaned up its act. The same rules still apply. Look for high-fiber, whole-grain options, and save sugary foods for the occasional sweet treat.

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