Almond butter is a great alternative to the run-of-the-mill peanut butter that you're used to slathering on your toast. Although peanut butter is a good source of protein, it is also filled with hydrogenated oils and sugar. Peanuts are a common allergen, and are one of the most toxic laden crops on the market. Almond butter is a much better choice because it contains no added ingredients or preservatives. Almond butter is simply made of almonds, crushed up and smoothed into a delicious spread. Almond butter is a good source of protein; it's packed with monounsaturated fats, which are good for the heart, and helps to control blood sugar. Comparing the nutritional information of some off-the-shelf peanut butter in our pantry against the crunchy “no-stir” almond butter, they stack up quite similarly, with both having 190-calories in 2-tablespoons. Neither contains trans fats. From the standpoint of nutrient content, peanut butter provides about 20% of your daily niacin needs, while almond butter give 40% of vitamin E and 20% of magnesium.
Here are my favorites of each:
1. Justin's Almond Butter: Smooth, creamy, sweet....Justin’s nut butters are fantastic. I love that they have flavor varieties - you can get anything from classic almond to maple, chocolate, or hazelnut. The best part? They also sell 100 calorie - 200 calorie individual packets that are so convenient for healthy eating on the go. I keep a couple of packets in my desk drawer at work - a perfect afternoon snack when paired with an apple. These are my new guilty pleasure.
2. Peanut Butter & Co.: A gourmet peanut butter that tastes like a spoonful of Reese's. And it's vegan, kosher, gluten free, and actually much lower than sugar than conventional peanut butter. I also like how simple the list of ingredients are: just peanuts, evaporated cane juice, cocoa, cocoa butter, palm fruit oil, vanilla, sunflower lecithin, and salt. Divine!
