Nut and Seed Butters Are a Trend Worth Spreading

By

Here’s a toast-worthy trend that just might stick: Nutrition experts are increasingly looking beyond trusty old peanut butter and going nuts for other sorts of protein-rich nut and seed spreads – sunflower butter, sesame butter and more. (SB&J? Why not?)

“When it comes to nut and seed butters, variety is the spice of life!” says San Diego-based nutrition coach, registered dietitian and culinary nutritionist EA Stewart, MBA, RD at The Spicy RD. Healthy Eats asked Stewart to share her thoughts about the incredible spreadable trend:

 

How do seed and other nut butters compare nutritionally to trusty old peanut butter?

While all nuts and seeds contain heart-healthy fats and fiber, each nut and seed is unique in its nutrition profile, so it’s a good idea to include a variety of them in our diets. For instance, macadamia nuts are very high in monounsaturated fats, while flaxseeds, chia seeds and walnuts are the highest in omega-3 fats. Almonds and hazelnuts are an excellent source of vitamin E, while pumpkin and other seeds are rich in magnesium, a nutrient many of us fall short on. Bottom line: Enjoy a wide variety of nut, seed and legume (peanuts) butters in your diet to get the greatest nutrient bang for your buck. The only potential downside is to keep portion control in mind, as nut and seed butters are a concentrated source of calories, and it’s easy to go overboard.

 

Why do you think seed butters and non-peanut nut butters are currently in vogue? And do you think the trend will last?

Now that we have the go-ahead to include more healthy fats in our diet, nut and seed butters are a delicious way to incorporate these mono and polyunsaturated fats. Nut and seed butters are also low in carbohydrates. Plus they’re a staple for many of today’s popular diets, including Mediterranean, vegan, and paleo diets. As more manufacturers jump on the “alternative nut and seed butter wagon,” I think it’s a trend that’s definitely here to stay!

 

What are some of the seed and nut butters you think people should try?

While peanut butter and almond butter will never be out of vogue, I’m a huge fan of cashew nut butter, as well as pecan and walnut butters. In addition, sesame, sunflower and pumpkin seeds butters are delicious options for people with peanut or tree nut allergies.

 

What is the best way for people to eat seed and nut butters?

Um, let’s start with straight off the spoon! Dietitian mom confession time: Sometimes when I’m pressed for time in the afternoon, right before I pick my kids up from school and start the afternoon shuttle service to sports and other activities, and I know it’s several hours until dinner, I will dip my spoon into a jar of nut butter and know that I’ll be full and energized until dinner. Aside from that, nut and seed butters pair perfectly with fruit (apple and banana slices) and whole grains (bread, crackers and tortillas), and are great blended into a smoothie. When my sweet tooth hits, I like to sprinkle a few chocolate chips on a spoonful of nut or seed butter for a healthy treat.

 

How can people get their hands on seed and non-peanut nut butters?

While more and more grocery stores are carrying a variety of nut and seed butters these days, it’s so easy to make your own, and quite a bit less expensive too. A couple of ideas to try:

  1. Cinnamon Raisin Walnut Butter: Combine walnuts, sea salt, maple syrup and cinnamon in a food processor until smooth. Stir in raisins.
  1. Vanilla Maple Pecan Butter: Combine pecans, sea salt, maple syrup and vanilla in a food processor until smooth.

 

Amy Reiter is a writer and editor based in New York. Her work has appeared in publications including The Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Daily Beast, Glamour and Marie Claire, as well as Salon, where she was a longtime editor and senior writer. In addition to contributing to Healthy Eats, she blogs for Food Network’s FN Dish.

*This article was written and/or reviewed by an independent registered dietitian nutritionist.



from Healthy Eats – Food Network Healthy... http://ift.tt/2q6FHSB

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Post-Workout Coffee Protein Shake

By
Image
Once again, I’ve partnered with Brother  to show the versatility of the  Brother P-touch Label Maker , especially when it comes to fitness and gym equipment.  As always, thank you for supporting CNC! I receive quite a few questions from readers about what I eat before, during, and after workouts, so I decide to share those with you today. It changes a little bit from workout-to-workout, but I keep a general framework in mind. BEFORE (approximately 30 minutes): I typically eat a small snack made up of mostly simple carbs since they provide quick energy. Some favorites: Half of a banana or another piece of whole fruit, a protein bar, handful of raisins, or a rice cake with jam and sometimes nut butter (it just depends how hungry I am and the timing of my workout). DURING : I typically don’t consume anything during my workouts, unless they’re longer than 90 minutes, like if I’m training for a long distance race (i.e. half marathon). In that case, I’ll take an energy gel and water ev
Read more

Evernote Review: Your Digital Organization Hub

By
Image
If you’re looking for a one-stop shop to organize your digital life, check out Evernote! Here’s my Evernote review and all the great features you can use to make your thoughts, notes, and files easy to find, sort, and save.  This post is sponsored by Evernote .  Raise your hand if your digital life feels cluttered. If we were in a room, almost everyone’s hand would go up, including mine!  With so much of our lives digitized these days, it’s hard not to get overwhelmed with all the information we need to save and reference. And because computers, the internet, and living in email and calendars are relatively new to humans, we as a society are still learning good systems. If I asked you to organize a paper filing cabinet, you’d probably have a few good ideas on how to do that. But if I asked you to organize a computer hard drive, many of us get stumped on the sheer volume of files and the endless ways to sort.  The good news is there are apps that make this process more intuitiv
Read more

Lyme Disease, Protein for Women, Acid Reflux while Fasting | THRR049

By
Image
What is Healthy Weight, Acid Reflux During Fasting, Long Term Antibiotic Use – Lyme Disease, Women Over 40, Controversy Over Meat Make your health an act of rebellion. Join The Healthy Rebellion Please Subscribe and Review: Apple Podcasts | RSS   Submit your questions for the podcast here   Show Notes: News topic du jour: Leading dietary determinants identified using machine learning techniques and a healthy diet score for changes in cardiometabolic risk factors in children: a longitudinal analysis Conclusion: Diets high in seafood, rice, and red meat other than pork and low in refined grains, fried foods, sugar-sweetened beverages, and wheat are leading healthy dietary factors for metabolic health in children. HDS is strongly predictive of CMR factors. 1. What is healthy weight? [10:27] Justin says: Greetings, On THRR045 Chris asked a question about fueling his gymnastics workouts and he mentioned his height and weight, 6’3” and 170 lbs. Robb commented that he (Chr
Read more