You already know peanut butter is delicious (if you don’t, trust us: peanut butter plus spoon equals happiness). Is peanut butter good for you? Our answer: it depends on what’s in the jar. In a plain nut butter, you should be looking for just two ingredients: nuts (or seeds) and sea salt.
Nuts & Seeds Nutrition
Nuts and seeds are a dense source of nutrition. A handful of peanuts, almonds, cashews or other nuts is a great source of protein, healthy fat, and fiber.
The combination of plant-based protein and healthy fat helps you stay satiated, and just one serving contains essential nutrients (nut-rients?) including folic acid, niacin, potassium, and antioxidant minerals like selenium.
All-natural peanut butter is a good source of zinc, an important nutrient that supports metabolic health and a strong immune system. Some vegans and vegetarians have a hard time getting enough zinc, but one serving of peanut butter can provide up to one-third of your daily zinc needs.
Almond butter is a good source of magnesium. In fact, one delicious serving of almond butter provides 90 mg of magnesium. Most Americans, especially older adults, don’t get enough of this mineral which is key to improving heart health.
Nuts are also good for your heart. A study reported by the American Heart Association found that eating two tablespoons of nut butter two or more times per week can reduce the risk of coronary heart disease by 23 to 38 percent. If only more of the world’s health problems could be solved by almond butter smoothies or overnight oats!
Peanut Butter Alternatives
If you’re allergic to peanuts, nut butters made from almonds, cashews or sunflower seeds can be a delicious alternative. For those avoiding peanuts, Wild Friends makes three varieties of almond butter including: classic creamy, chocolate, and almond cashew super butter.
Our Organic Honey Sunflower Butter is made in a peanut and tree-nut free facility for those who need to avoid both allergens entirely. Sunflower seed butter is a great source of vitamin E, magnesium and other heart-healthy nutrients as well. It’s also a great spread or ingredient to cook with, as it has a slightly more savory flavor like tahini.
Sea Salt
We love sea salt here at Wild Friends! Sea salt helps us stay hydrated, promotes good vascular health, balances electrolytes and prevents muscle cramping, and supports a healthy nervous system.
However, it’s important to differentiate between a natural sea salt and table salt. Table salt is mostly sodium chloride and heavily processed. Natural salts come in their complete, whole form. We use sea salt here at Wild Friends to ensure the best nutrition and flavor in our products.
Palm Oil or Hydrogenated Oils
Ever wondered why you need to stir some brands of peanut butter and not others? It’s because some nut butter companies mix in stabilizers to keep their product from separating.
We are proud to be the first Certified Palm Oil Free nut butter company, and we take extra steps to make sure our spreads are worth the stir.
