Peanut Butter vs Almond Butter

Did you know that only 2 tablespoons of peanut butter is a whopping 188 calories? In addition, 135 of those are fat calories, making it 72% fat! With the rising trend of almond butter being sometimes triple the cost, you wonder: Is almond butter really better for you? And who would be the winner of the peanut butter vs almond butter battle?We’ve put together a little chart to compare the two nut butters to see which is better for you, and ultimately, which best when trying to lose weight.As you can see, the winner is highlighted in green. Both peanut butter and almond butter are great in their own ways. Peanut butter has less total calories and carbohydrates per serving; it contains more fiber, protein, and omega-6. Almond butter has less fat calories, saturated fat, sodium, and sugar; it contains more monounsaturated fat, calcium, magnesium, potassium, vitamin E, and omega-3.

Important for Weight Loss

When comparing healthy fat choices, with the goal of losing weight, you should focus on keeping overall fat calories low and saturated fat low. So in this battle almond butter has a slight edge over peanut butter. Moreover, almond butter has more monounsaturated fat, polyunsaturated fat, and omega-3 fatty acids, which are all “good-for-you” fats.

Almond Butter leads in Vitamins & Minerals

You may already know that calcium is needed to build and maintain strong bones, but calcium is also needed by your heart, muscles and nerves to function properly. Almond butter has more than 7 times more calcium than peanut butter. Find out what the Mayo Clinic suggests to achieve the necessary amount of calcium.Additionally, almond butter has almost double the amount of magnesium, which enables the function of your nervous system, facilitates muscle contraction, helps build healthy bone tissue, and helps support your metabolism. Learn about how magnesium supports bone and heart health, and can ward off diabetes and PMS symptoms.The amount of potassium is pretty similar in both nut butters, but almond butter ultimately won. Potassium’s primary role in the body includes regulating fluid balance and controlling the electrical activity of the heart and other muscles. Potassium is an electrolyte that counteracts the effects of sodium, helping to maintain a healthy blood pressure. For more information, read up on how potassium aids in the health of your body.Vitamin E protects your cells from oxidative damage. It can neutralize free radicals, preventing these harmful chemicals from oxidizing your DNA, which damages your cells. There are lots of incredible benefits Vitamin E can do for your body. To learn more, check out this article titled, “Top 5 Benefits of Vitamin E.”

Bottom line

No matter which nut butter you choose, you should keep your portions small, more than 100 calories of healthy fat will slow anyone’s weight loss, if consumed daily. It seems to always come down to moderation and portion control.