Why Almond Butter is a Great Choice for Plant-Based Eating (2024)

FAQs

Why Almond Butter is a Great Choice for Plant-Based Eating? ›

An Excellent Source of Essential Vitamins and Minerals

With 200 calories, nearly 19 grams of fat, and almost 5 grams of protein, almond butter can help you bridge the gap between meals when you're hungry. It contains heart-healthy monounsaturated fats as well as vitamins and minerals, including vitamin E, magnesium, and calcium.

Rich in protein, healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals, almond butter is popular among those following health-conscious diets. This butter is great as a spread on bread or crackers, a dip for fruits, an addition to smoothies or oatmeal, and can be used in various recipes, including desserts and sauces.

Most nut butters are free from animal products and therefore, they're suitable for vegans. In its purest form, nut butter is made by blitzing or grinding nuts into a paste.

However, some tree nuts are still more sustainable than others. Almonds are often considered less environmentally friendly because they require a lot of water to reach maturity. It takes a gallon (4.6 litres) of water to produce each and every almond.

You can eat this substance regularly if you want to – but it's important to make sure that you're only consuming it in moderation. There are a lot of calories in almond butter, and you could end up facing issues with your weight if you eat too much at once.

While almond butter alone won't melt away belly fat, it can be part of a balanced diet that helps manage weight. Its high protein and fibre content can help you feel full and satisfied, reducing overeating. However, remember to consume it in moderation, as it's high in calories.

The Pros: Almond is a tree nut, so people allergic to peanuts can eat it. It's higher in calcium, potassium, manganese and monounsaturated fat than peanut butter, with half the saturated fat. The Cons: Almond skin can't be removed before processing, so almond butter often has a grainy or gritty texture.

Almond butter is rich in Vitamin E which is known for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. It is most commonly known for its benefits for skin health and appearance. Vitamin E also helps support collagen production, this helps to keep our skin smooth and youthful.

Almond butter is slightly healthier than peanut butter because it has more vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Both nut butters are roughly equal in calories and sugar, but peanut butter has a little more protein than almond butter.

How healthy is almond butter? ›

Almond butter is high in monounsaturated fats. Monounsaturated fats help to lower LDL (“bad”) cholesterol and raise HDL (“good”) cholesterol. Many other nutrients in almond butter also help improve your heart health and lower your risk for heart disease. Omega-3 fatty acids help prevent irregular heart rhythms.

Almond butter for muscle building

It's a great source of natural, plant protein, which supports lean muscle mass. And it's packed with fibre, to help maintain healthy digestion and aid the absorption of other nutrients.

The winner among these three popular nut butters, almond butter contains 26% more vitamin E, 3% more iron, and 7% more calcium than peanut butter. It also contains 50% more monosaturated fat and 25% less saturated fat than peanut butter.

1. Almonds. To produce 1 pound of almonds, 7302 litres of water is used, making them the nut with the biggest water footprint.

Almond butter tastes similar to peanut butter, with a nuttier and richer flavor. And like peanut butter, it's creamy and smooth — though some varieties can be chunky, if you like a little extra crunch. Some love the stronger almond taste in almond butter, while others love the smoother peanut flavor in peanut butter.

Even though almonds are great for your health, eating too many of them can cause problems for your body. It may even take you away from your health goal instead of towards it. Even for almond butter, recommended serving is about 2 tbsp which is more than enough to be used as a dessert topping, on toast, or even shakes.

Peanut butter has higher saturated fats, which should be taken in moderation. Almond butter, on the contrary, has more monounsaturated fats that are thought to be heart-healthy and can contribute to lowering harmful cholesterol levels. These fats are high in energy and help in the digestion of fat-soluble vitamins.