Peanut butter has been a staple in many kitchens for years. However, if peanut allergies are a concern, other nut butters can take the place of peanut butter.
If the flavor of nuts is what makes your taste buds dance, check out almond butter! In this article we will examine if almond butter is healthier than peanut butter and what it tastes like.
Is Almond Butter Healthier Than Peanut Butter?
Ounce for ounce, almond butter is more nutritious than peanut butter. In fact, almonds are one of the most nutritious nuts available.
If weight loss is your goal, almond butter is loaded with manganese which may reduce the risk of osteoporosis and provides plenty of vitamin E.
Is Almond Butter Better Than Peanut Butter?
Taste preferences are just that; a matter of taste. Peanut butter, for most of us, has set the standard for what a nut butter is supposed to taste like, even though it’s not a nut — it’s a legume.
Peanut butter offers more conveniences than almond butter as it has a longer shelf life, doesn’t need to be refrigerated, and is available at generic prices by more manufacturers.
Almond butter can be frozen for up to six months, and refrigerated for up to three months.
Per food safety expert Shelby Burns almond butter should not be stored at room temperature unless you plan to use it up within seven days as it’s likely to become rancid.
What Does Almond Butter Taste Like?
Almond butter offers those who can’t eat peanut butter a logical alternative for a low-cost, protein-packed sandwich spread.
It’s also a more nutrient rich product, and the fats available in almond butter offer anyone hoping to lose weight a quicker path to fat burning.
Should you want to replace peanut butter with almond butter, Sheela Prakash of TheKitchn.com put together a taste test of several creamy almond butters for comparison in a blind study. Each of the brands was readily available nationwide.
Testers were allowed to taste the almond butter on bread and via spoon, to easily compare texture and flavor against previous nut butter experiences.
Their notes led to the following suggestions as products worth a try:
For those voluntarily leaving peanut butter behind, Barney Butter Smooth Almond Butter was the closest product to peanut butter. It was described as silky, mild and sweet.
Fans of almonds will enjoy Trader Joe’s Salted Creamy Almond Butter. This did not taste like peanut butter, but had a deliciously sweet almond flavor.
The group favorite was Maranatha All-Natural No-Stir Creamy Almond Butter. This product felt like peanut butter in that it was nice and thick, but tasted like roasted almonds.
If peanut butter is your favorite but you’re really trying to branch out, check out Jif Creamy Almond Butter. While thick, creamy and spreadable as peanut butter, this brand was found to have less almond flavor.
Allergies With Both Nuts
It should be pointed out that many people, including an increasing number of children, can’t tolerate peanuts in any form.
Per food safety experts at Food Allergy Research and Education while 20% of children found to have peanut allergies will outgrow them, peanut allergies can be deadly even after slight exposure.
Many who suffer from peanut allergies can also struggle with allergies to tree nuts, so anyone who’s reacted to peanuts should incorporate tree nuts into their diets with extreme care.
Almond allergies are not uncommon. Almond allergies are not commonly outgrown. Symptoms can include everything from a mild wheezing to a complete closure of the throat.
Intestinal reactions include vomiting and diarrhea. Depending on the number of almonds or the ounces of almond butter consumed, the reaction can be mild or severe.
Over time, the reactions can strengthen. Anyone who has had one reaction to almonds should take great care in eating them again.
In the battle of almond butter vs peanut butter, if allergies are not an issue then taste must decide.
The peanut butter palate has been set for a very long time. Perhaps to enjoy almond butter, we need to try it on its own instead of comparing it to peanut butter?
