9 Alternatives to Peanut Butter

Feb. 20, 2009— -- Since a mid-January recall of peanut butter products, many people have been squeamish about purchasing peanut butter snacks and jars of the lunchtime favorite itself, although major brands were not part of the recall.

As of February, 15,642 people in 44 states were reported to have contracted salmonella from the peanut products, according to the Web site of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. But while major brands of jarred peanut butter are not being recalled, this may be an opportune time to add more variety to your PB&J.

A variety of butters made from tree nuts -- lower in fat than their peanut counterpart -- may be able to bring more balance to your diet.

"Look at it as an opportunity to try a few other things," said nutritionist Keith Ayoob, an associate professor at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City.

Ayoob did not advocate banishing peanut butter from your diet, noting that it has good nutritional value, providing protein and some fiber, while its fat is primarily the monounsaturated kind. The spread is also appealing because it's convenient and easy to use and is a relatively inexpensive plant form of protein.

Other nutritionists echoed those sentiments.

Kathleen D'Ovidio, an exercise and nutritional sciences professor at San Diego State University, said the omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids found in tree nut butters would enhance some diets, although they wouldn't replace peanut butter completely.

"There's reasons why you want to eat peanut butter, and there's reasons why you want to eat tree nut butters," she said.

D'Ovidio said her concerns are more with peanut products like cookies and other snacks than with the jarred brands. But having looked at jarred peanut butter after a similar outbreak in 2007, she said nut butters might be a little safer in this regard, as they are manufactured in smaller amounts.

While jarred peanut butter may not be anything to fear right now, the following pages have some alternatives you might like to try out.
Almond butter has a bit of a fiber boost.

"I like almond butter," she said. "It tastes really good. It's a little runnier than peanut butter, but so what?"

Still, it's wise to bear in mind that many of the options below tend to cost more than peanut butter and all are somewhat comparable in calories.

As an almond lover, Leslie Bonci, the director of sports nutrition at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, is also a big fan of this spreadable butter.

She described its taste as a little sweeter than peanut butter with a crunchier consistency. "Some people say it has a cherry overtone, in terms of its flavor," Bonci said.

Lighter in color than the tan tones of peanut butter, almond butter is also higher in calcium and has a little bit more fiber.

In addition, it has similar amounts of good-for-you monounsaturated fats and slightly less protein than peanuts.

"Almond butter lends itself to the same uses as peanut butter," she noted. So you can slather it on bread for a sandwich along with some jelly or honey, or you can put it on celery.

Cashew butter is far lighter than peanut butter.

One of the biggest differences is that peanuts are a legume -- as are beans and peas -- while almonds are a tree nut. And from a salmonella or potential contamination perspective, the legumes, which are grown in closer contact with the soil, might be riskier than tree nuts, which have a stronger outer shell.

Lower in protein and fiber than either peanut or almond butter, cashew nut butter is also a little bit higher in saturated fat. And its color is even a lighter shade of brown than almond butter.

It also is more expensive than peanut and even almond butter. The butter has an intense cashew flavor as well as a creamy and oily feel in your mouth, Bonci said. Because of its fatty, almost indulgent taste, you might want to use less of it than other nut or seed butters.
Soy nuts

Tan in color and not as creamy as peanut butter, soy nut butter comes from a legume -- the soybean -- rather than a nut or seed. As a result, it has a different taste profile than the other spreads.

"You'd have to like the taste of soybean," Bonci said.

Made from roasted soybeans, soy nut butter will have the most protein and the lowest amount of fat than other nut and seed butters, and its fiber content is similar to almond butter. It's a good option for people who have peanut or tree nut allergies.

"Soy nut butter is sweeter than peanut butter and, in terms of nutrition, it's terrific," Ayoob said.
Sunflower seeds

With a slightly grey tinge to it, sunflower seed butter is somewhat bland in taste. But if you like sunflower seeds, you might like this spread as well.

It's high in polyunsaturated fats, so it might spoil more easily than nut butters. People who are allergic to peanuts or tree nuts can eat sunflower seed butter.

Three other nut butters that you might see on some store shelves:

• The rich-tasting macadamia nut butter, which is higher in saturated fat and should be used sparingly because it's higher in calories.
• Walnut butter, which has a darker brown color and is higher in omega-3 fats.
• Hazelnut butter, which is more popular in Europe and is familiar to some Americans in the form of Nutella, a chocolate and hazelnut blend.