It's Just Nuts...

Nut butters...one word, yum. I love 'em all...peanut butter, almond butter, cashew butter, and my new favorite, macadamia nut butter.
Many people think of Skippy or Jif when peanut butter is mentioned. Not me. I think of that beautiful nut butter maker in my grocery store's health food section. It grinds those nuts into a smooth, delicious and very nutritious paste. It's just amazingly yummy.
It took my family a little while to get used to it, but after a few days, they couldn't tell the difference. But I know what the difference is...it's just nuts...no sugar, no extra oils, no mega amounts of salt, nothing, nada.
I consider nuts to be a great source of what I call, "good" fats.
"Good" fats, when eaten in moderation along with a balanced and nutritious diet have huge benefits...
Dietary fat is an important source of energy in the manufacture and balance of hormones, in the formation of our cell membranes, in the formation of our brain and nervous systems, and in the transport of the fat soluable vitamins, A, D, E, and K. Also, fat intake provides two essential fatty acids, linoleic acid and linolenic acid; the body cannot make these on its own. There are numerous other benefits in having dietary fat in one's diet.
Consuming nut butters can be ultra yummy. My kids and I enjoy peanut or almond butter on apple slices for an afternoon snack. My hunk of a husband enjoys almond butter in his morning oatmeal. And I enjoy a couple of teaspoons of cashew butter on top of my whole wheat, high fiber tortilla wrap. I sprinkle cinnamon over the whole thing and ahhhh...pure bliss.
I recently purchased my own nut butter maker. It's quite small and obnoxiously noisy, but makes really yummy nut butters. I have tried all kind of nuts in it, and each works really well....except for walnuts. I didn't care for the consistency of walnut butter; it didn't have enough natural oil to create the smoothness I so love. But my very favorite is macadamia nut butter. Oh my, it's just crazy awesome and a little goes a long ways.
If you don't have your own handy-dandy nut butter maker and your local grocery doesn't have one, there are quite a few jar brands that are just as good, usually found in the natural section of your grocery store. Remember to analyze the ingredient list. The better-for-you kinds will consist of just nuts and maybe a little salt. There are new kinds and variations coming out all the time. One I found yesterday at Trader Joe's that is super yummy is "Trader Joe's Valencia Peanut Butter with Roasted Flaxseeds." Now this kind does contain an added ingredient, roasted golden flaxseeds, but this is a good-for-you additional ingredient. It also contain sea salt, but only 55 mgs... It has a bit of crunch here and there and is excellent straight out of the jar. Just remember nut butters are higher in calories, so consume in moderation and don't down half the jar at a time.
Give natural nut butters a try, you just may go nuts.
Your nutty buddy,
Stef