Peanut butter has been a staple of the American diet for decades. Crunchy vs. smooth, plain vs. honey-infused, mixed vs. unmixed. The options are endless. But lately, other nut butters, like cashew butter and almond butter, have gained popularity.
One of the most popular nut butter options today is Almond butter. This raises multiple questions: “Is almond butter good for you?”, “Is peanut butter better than almond butter?”, “Is there a benefit of almond butter over peanut butter?”
Not to fear. In this article, we’ll look at the similarities and differences between peanut butter and almond butter.
Calories
One of the first questions people usually have is how many calories are in almond butter vs. how many calories are in peanut butter?
Luckily, this is easy to answer as most nut butter variations have the same number of calories per ounce. For example, two tablespoons of either almond butter or peanut butter have around 200 calories. So, if your primary concern is calories, there isn’t much of a difference.
Healthy fat content
Almost all nuts, and therefore nut butter, contains a large amount of fat. However, that doesn’t mean that they are bad for you. One important factor to consider is the type of fat. This is one of the benefits of almond butter that pulls ahead of peanut butter.
Almond butter and peanut butter contain high amounts of monounsaturated fat, which can help reduce your cholesterol and decrease your risk of heart disease. However, almond butter contains about 25 percent more monounsaturated fat per serving than peanut butter.
Vitamin and mineral content
Another area where almond butter pulls ahead is its vitamin and mineral content.
It contains almost three times as much vitamin E, seven times more calcium, and about twice as much calcium as peanut butter.
With that said, peanut butter isn’t necessarily lacking in nutrients. It also contains vitamin E, iron, and calcium, just in smaller amounts. In addition, both almond butter and peanut butter contain potassium, biotin, zinc, and magnesium.
Fiber content
Fiber is a helpful nutrient for anyone trying to lose or maintain a healthy weight. It adds volume to your diet and helps you feel full.
Luckily, pretty much every nut contains fiber. But, between peanut butter and almond butter, almond butter takes the cake. Two tablespoons of peanut butter contain about 1.6 grams of fiber, where almond butter contains about 3.3 grams of fiber in the same serving size.
Protein content
Both almond butter and peanut butter contain a medium amount of protein. However, peanut butter technically takes the lead on this one with 7.1 grams of protein per serving versus almond butter’s 6.7 grams. The difference is pretty insignificant in the overall scheme of things, though.
Something to watch out for is that both peanut and almond butter is pretty high-calorie. So, if you’re looking for ways to increase your protein, you should probably look elsewhere.
Sugar content
This one is a bit tricky. Natural almond butter and peanut butter are very low in sugar. However, there is a large variety of flavors that can have varying amounts of sugar. So, if you’re looking for a low sugar option, but sure to check the nutrition label before you buy.
Summary
When it comes to nutritional differences between almond butter and peanut butter, there isn’t much. Both are similar in most aspects, except cost. Almond butter can cost you significantly more than peanut butter, so peanut butter might be a better buy if you don’t have a preference and are looking for a budget option.
In the end, both are excellent choices, and it comes down to your personal preference.
Also, be sure to check the nutrition label. There shouldn’t be a long list of ingredients for basic peanut butter or almond butter unless you are specifically looking for a flavored option.
If you are trying to get more almond butter in your diet, MCT Collagen Bars by NuSkool Snacks are made with almond butter! They are also low in sugar, have added collagen protein and 7 grams of fiber per bar!