Before You Toss Your Jar Of Peanut Butter, Make Your Breakfast In It

There is much to be said about avoiding food waste. Whether you save scrap vegetable peels for frying, or repurpose a picked-apart rotisserie chicken as a base for savory enchiladas, it's an excellent idea to find new ways to make the most of your food. Supposedly the most important meal of the day, breakfast is often foregone for the sake of saving time in the morning. If you've got a nearly-empty jar of peanut butter hanging around, there are a couple of thoughtful ways to reuse the jar that will repurpose your leftover peanut butter while also giving you a hearty breakfast to enjoy. Whether you mix up a batch of perfect overnight oats or blend up your favorite fruits into a healthy smoothie, you can do it all in the same peanut butter jar you'd been planning to throw away.

The viscosity of peanut butter basically ensures that you'll never scrape up every last drop from your favorite grocery store brand jar. This is definitely to your advantage, though, when it comes to a make-ahead breakfast. Whereas a smoothie can be made directly in your peanut butter jar with the careful use of an immersion blender, you can also pour a serving of your favorite oats and oatmeal accouterments inside a leftover jar of peanut butter, mix everything together, and let it sit in the fridge overnight for the perfect grab-and-go snack for the morning. Either way, you're stretching your peanut butter even further and guaranteeing breakfast.

It's no secret that nut butter works so well in smoothies because of the added protein, flavor, and thickness. For a properly nutritious smoothie that doesn't skimp on taste, start with that leftover peanut butter jar and build your delicious drink. While peanut butter is an excellent addition to upgrade a banana-based smoothie, your beverage does not need to rely solely on bananas.

If you like a little more of a tropical fruit twist, toss in chunks of frozen kiwi, mango, and coconut water before carefully taking an immersion blender to your peanut butter jar. For something a little more earthy and warming, an addition of your preferred milk with some canned pumpkin, ice, and a dash of cinnamon would make a fantastic breakfast smoothie. Finally, if you want a more decadent drink, toss in some cocoa powder along with strawberries before blending. All that's needed is a little creativity and careful use of an immersion blender.

For those who like to plan ahead, overnight oats are an ideal meal for breakfast and beyond. Reusing your leftover peanut butter jar makes this all the more convenient with the added bonus of avoiding food waste. Using the basics for making overnight oats in a jar, simply load everything into your almost empty jar of peanut butter, stir everything together, and leave it in the fridge — you guessed it — overnight. There are a lot of fun ways to use your favorite oatmeal additions and flavors for different recipes that would pair well with peanut butter.

If you want a breakfast inspired by your favorite dessert, try an easy banana bread overnight oats recipe made in a peanut butter jar. The extra flavor and boost of nutrients will make dessert even more hearty. For another fruity twist, make a strawberry overnight oats recipe while reusing the leftover peanut butter in your jar for a great pair-up of complementary flavors. Even a carrot cake overnight oats recipe will benefit from the presence of the leftover peanut butter in your jar. Any way you want it, your peanut butter jar is the perfect resource for breakfast renewed!