As the importance of including healthy fats is gaining more prominence in weight loss circles (How Eating Fats Can Make you Thin) for its ability to burn fat, most of us have started to look for sources of healthy fats to butter our brown breads in order to lose weight 😛 Straightaway, we can think of nut butters of being a rich source of healthy fats. From smoothies to toasts, to granola to plain oatmeal recipes, butters can add a lot of flavour and taste to the blandest of foods. That’s why weight loss diets on Rati Beauty app recommends use of nut butters as healthy snacks. Hazelnut, cashew, pecan, macadamia, walnut have high fiber, minerals, phytochemicals, protein, phytonutrients, healthy fat content – that are absolutely necessary to boost weight loss. These butters act as a rich protein and fiber source, making for a healthy snacking option for people on a diet because they keep one full for longer, curbing unnecessary hunger pangs. However, most of these butters, especially hazelnut and pecan are not easily available, and a little too expensive for consumption on a daily basis. That leaves us with two healthiest yet affordable and easily available options – peanut and almond butters. But which one is healthier, let’s find out:
Benefits of Almond Butter:
1. Great source of healthy monosaturated fat that lowers cholesterol levels.
2. Rich in vitamin E with high antioxidant levels.
3. Rich in fiber (helps with weight loss).
4. Good amount of trace minerals like magnesium, copper, iron, calcium, manganese etc.
5. Boost metabolism.
6. Rich in Omega-3 fatty acids.
7. Great for skin and hair health.
8. Good source of calcium, magnesium, manganese, iron.
9. Gluten-free food option.
10. Rich protein source.
How many calories in 2 tablespoons: 190 calories approximately.
Saturated Fat: 16 gm.
Protein: 8
Benefits of Peanut Butter:
1. High protein content.
2. Has B vitamins.
3. Has healthy fats.
4. Boosts metabolism.
5. Keeps you satiated for longer.
6. Regulates blood sugar.
How Many Calories in 2 tablespoons: 190 calories approximately.
Saturated Fat: 16 gm.
Protein: 7
Almond Butter or Peanut Butter – Which one is a Better Option for Weight Loss?
1. Almond butter has more protein content than peanut butter.
2. Almond butter has better omega-3 to 6 ratio than peanut butter.
3. A lot of people are allergic to peanuts whereas it’s very rare for people to develop allergies to almonds.
4. Peanut and almond butters have protein, fiber, and healthy fats but almond butter has a little more vitamins, iron, and calcium percentages than peanut butter.
5. Almond butter has twice the fiber content and 86% more iron than peanut butter.
Tips While Buying Almond and Peanut Butter:
1. Buy the “no added” sugar variants, not the sugar-free variety.
2. Make sure there is no transfat content.
3. Reiterating the first point, sugar should not be a part of the ingredients list.
4. Keep back packaged butter with vegetable oil and hydrogenated oils.
5. Ideally, peanut or almond should be the only ingredient.
6. Don’t opt for “fat-free or low fat” versions.
Whether it’s peanut butter or almond butter, moderation is the key when including them in a weight loss diet because they do carry a high amount of calories per serving. Since both butters are extremely delicious, it’s easy to overeat them and that’s why, it’s important to practice portion control and eat these butters in moderation. Also, they do have some saturated fat content and limiting consumption to just one or two tablespoons in one sitting is highly recommended.
So, we have a clear winner in almond butter here with a higher percentage of protein, vitamins and minerals such as calcium, magnesium, and iron. Also, almond has 50% ore monosaturated fat than peanut butter. We would also like to shed light on the omega 3 to 6 ratio, peanut butter has more of omega-6 factor which when taken in excess can lead to inflammation. All these factors make almond butter a favorite in weight loss circle and in general over peanut butter.
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