PB and J becomes AB and Bs

If your child has ever asked for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for breakfast, this is sure to please. PB and J: Meet AB and B (almond butter and banana/berries). You could make a peanut butter and jelly with bananas sandwich for breakfast, but I think this is a great alternative. Less carbs, more probiotics, whole fruit, less sugar, and omega 3s make this an easy powerhouse breakfast.

It almost follows the smoothie guidelines missing only the serving of vegetables (review my post Breakfast Smoothie #461 for smoothie rules). I have experimented with adding spinach, celery or cacao greens powder for veggies and it is still pretty good, but truly I make an exception most days and leave the veggie out of this one.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup strawberry or other fruit flavored kefir of choice. My daughter has decided pomegranate is the best. (probiotics/protein)
• 1 tablespoon Trader Joe's almond butter with roasted flax seed (protein/omega 3s)
• 1/2 banana (fruit)
• 1 cup frozen berries (fruit)

These are just my ratios. The easy part of smoothies is adding more or less of each ingredient until you get the flavor and consistency you like.

*Side Post: Why almond butter with flaxseed over plain peanut butter?*

Almond are less allergenic as they are a true tree nut as opposed to peanuts which grow underground and are prone to mold and fungus issues.

Almond butter gives you a slight edge on fiber and slightly less sugar. Almond butter has less sodium but more fat. Trader Joe's almond butter with flaxseed edges out the peanut butter for me with the addition of omega 3 fatty acids, but ultimately they are pretty similar. The choice is yours.

I will use Trader Joe's peanut butter as a comparison but check the stats against your brand of choice.

Almond Butter with Flaxseed v. Peanut Butter

Serving Size: 2 TBSP

Calories: 200/ 200

Total Fat: 17g/ 15g

Sat Fat: 1.5g/ 3g

Sodium: 80mg/ 150mg

Carbohydrates: 6g/ 6g

Dietary Fiber: 4g/ 3g

Sugar: 1g/ 2g

Protein: 7g/ 9g

Okay so now you are ready to start experimenting with smoothies but what if you have to add a little more this and then add a little more that and then Oh No! Too much smoothie! Don't worry, I have a plan that too....