Almond Butter vs. Peanut Butter
Photo taken by author
It’s the ultimate battle: peanut butter versus almond butter. Today, we’re going to explore the health benefits of each, the taste, how easily accessible it is and price, the environmental impact, and a snack idea that could work for both. Scores will be tallied up and the ultimate champion will be crowned.
Health Benefits
Almond Butter
Contains vitamin E which is an antioxidant that protects against cell damage.
Provides magnesium which regulates muscle and nerve function, blood sugar levels, and blood pressure. It also aids in the development of protein, bone, and DNA.
Supplies copper, allowing the body to form collagen and absorb iron, produce energy, develop red blood cells, and maintain the immune system and nerve cells.
Has vitamin B2 which breaks down macronutrients.
It provides components that lower cholesterol and promote heart health: phosphorus, mono-saturated fat
Contains protein and fiber
Peanut Butter
Provides protein (7g/tbsp as opposed to 3.4g/tbsp in almond butter)
Magnesium (57mg/tbsp as opposed to 45mg/tbsp in almond butter)
Phosphorus (107mg/tbsp as opposed to 84mb/tbsp in almond butter)
Contains 0.85mg of Zinc (compared to 0.5mg in almond butter), a component that helps the body fight off bacteria.
Contains 14% of your daily recommended amount of vitamin B6 (which helps regulate mood) and 22% of your daily recommended amount of niacin (also known as vitamin B3 has a host of benefits for the body), whereas almond butter contains 2% and 5%, respectively.
Price
In terms of price and accessibility, peanut butter is usually the way to go as the nut butter is guaranteed to appear in almost every supermarket and deli. Almond butter is usually harder to come by and is often almost four times as expensive. For comparison, you can purchase a 16-ounce container of Smucker’s Chunky Peanut Butter for $2.94 at Walmart while a jar of almond butter the same size goes for $12.99 at the same store.
Environmental Impacts
While nut butter may taste great, it’s important to consider the environmental impacts of what we’re putting in our bodies as well as the above health considerations. When we buy products that harm the environment, whether we’re conscious of it or not, we’re voting with our money to keep producing that product. A common ingredient in all nut butter is palm oil, a product that has been destroying the rainforest ecosystem as well as producing 558 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions in production by this year. Reduce your carbon footprint by selecting nut butters that contain no palm oil by scouring the ingredient lists. It takes a little bit of extra time but is worth it for the environment and supports the companies that make a conscious effort to exclude this product from their process. It will also benefit your health to steer clear of the oil and opt for olive oil or canola oil as the oil could put your cardiovascular health at risk. Another factor worth considering before you take sides is that almonds require much more water to produce than almonds, worsening their environmental impact. National Peanut Board writes, “the water footprint of shelled peanuts at 4.7 gallons per ounce...U.S. grown shelled almonds have an approximate average...footprint of 80.4 gallons per ounce.” No one nut butter is clearly better than the other when you take a look at health and environmental effect.
Recipe
Now for the recipe (which I adapted from Show Me The Yummy). These are decadent and creamy nut butter energy bites:
Ingredients (makes twelve):
½ cup of raisins/chocolate chips
Cup old-fashioned oats
Handful of chia seeds and flax seeds
⅔ cup of Almond/peanut butter
5 tbsp of honey
Combine in a bowl with your hands and roll into balls once the mixture begins to stick together. Layout evenly on a plate and place it in the fridge overnight. Enjoy in the morning!
Who Won?!
Now. Time to crown the winner…
Peanut butter appears to have the slightest advantage in terms of health benefits, but almond butter looks to have a much more negative impact on the environment. To be very anti-climactic, I have determined that no nut butter is better both for you and the environment than the other.
Further reading and sources referenced:
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323781#health-benefits
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/niacin-benefits
https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2013/12/58561/peanut-almond-butter-nutrition
https://www.businessinsider.com/which-nut-butter-is-healthiest
https://beyondtheequator.com/blogs/blog/almond-butter-water-usage
https://wellseek.co/2017/08/18/nut-butters-arent-created-equal-may-harm-environment/
