The FoodBlog Guide: Nut Butter 🥜
The world has gone crazy for nuts! The latest movement towards healthy eating has really shown us the importance of nuts in our diet. Nut milk from all different kinds of nuts (including some I haven’t even heard of before), nuts for snacking, and finally, today’s topic of interest - nut butter! Sure, peanut butter has been a cupboard staple for a good while now.
Which butter is better?
But we’re talking almond butter, cashew butter, walnut butter… these elite nut butters are bumping peanut butter down the list of favourites. 😋
With their palm oil free formulas and variety of health benefits, nut butter can have a strong place in a healthy diet. Let’s take a look at the best of the butters.
Peanut butter
The old classic favourite, “clean” peanut butter (read - no palm oil, no added sugar or additives - just peanuts) is pretty high in protein. It also contains a whole host of other nutrients such as potassium, iron and folate, magnesium and zinc!
Peanut butter gets a bad rap for being less rich in healthy fats than some other nut butters, but on the plus side it is really reasonably priced - not to mention delicious. If shopping for a cleaner formula with nothing else added, a little PB in your diet won’t go amiss. 🥜
Almond butter
Almond butter is a little richer in healthy fats than its cousin peanut butter. It provides a great mix of protein, fat and fibre, and packs a punch with nutrients such as vitamin E - an antioxidant. Controversy around almond butter (and almond milk) is due to the vast amount of water it takes to grow almonds, having an environmental impact. It is also a lot more expensive than peanut butter. 🤷
Walnut butter
A bit of a less orthodox choice, walnut butter is a wonderful healthy addition to any diet. Walnuts are a great source of protein and fatty acids essential for a healthy heart and brain! Walnut butter is also full of antioxidants which have anti-inflammatory effects. 💪
Seed butters
Ok - technically - not a nut butter, but these seed butters definitely deserve a place on this list! A large number of people have tree nut allergies, so the need for non-nut spreads is certainly there. Sunflower seed butter is a great alternative source of vitamins A and E, and a healthy source of magnesium (more than any others on this list). Tahini is also a seed butter - coming from sesame seeds - and it too boasts excellent antioxidant properties. 🌻
As you can see from this list, as with most things, nut and seed butters can definitely have a place in a balanced healthy diet. Which to choose is a matter of personal preference, taste and budget.
Which nut butter is your favourite? Let us know in the comments, and don’t forget to tag us @foodblog.mt next time you’re spreading it on thick!
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