Peanut and Almond Butter

Import · February 17, 2001, 9:59pm

It seems like a LOT of trainers, especially in the “popular” press (whatever that means), are recommending the use of peanut and/or almond butter to their clients. I thought this stuff was just “junk food for kids”. Then I thought “Let me run this by all the gang at T-mag”:

1)Since they are both easy to measure out, they may not be bad (along with carbs) to use to minipulate our calories, depending on our diet phase.

2)Is one any “better” than the other in terms of nutrition and taste? (Never had any almond butter!)

What do you guys think? Or should I just “Skip” the whole thing? (Bad pun, but hey, I DO read "T-mag!)

Import · February 18, 2001, 1:20pm

Personally, I think almond butter is superior. Mainly I think this because peanuts are technically legumes and I tend to avoid legumes like the plague (they don’t sit well with me… although peanuts are easier on me than beans).

Import · February 18, 2001, 2:12pm

Just use natural peanut butter. Read that short topic article in issue 141 of t-mag for reasons why.

Import · February 18, 2001, 2:41pm

Actually Almond butter is better nutritionally than Peanut butter. Almond butter has half the saturated fat and 30% higher in monounsaturated fat. Hazelnut butter is a little lower in sat fat than Almond butter and 50% higher in monounsaturated fat than peanut butter.

All that matters is that you get the natural ones. Ingredients should read nuts and salt. No other ingredients.

I think you should vary your nut butters to satisfy your taste as well as shaking things up a bit. Variety if good. Just remember that you also need either flax or fish oil to balance out your Omega-6’s with your Omega-3’s.

Import · February 18, 2001, 2:44pm

What they are recommending is natural peanut or almond butter, without the added sugar and hydrogenated oils. These provide essential fatty acids, which are important. I like almond butter, but peanut butter is cheaper.

Import · February 18, 2001, 3:30pm

Bodz: Do you find that the “butters” (along with carbs) are both an easy and efficient way to manipulte calories, depending on our diet phase? Do you use them in this way? (By the way; I’m sort of new on the board; gotta LOVE your a.m. cardio, man! The best I can do is a treadmill…oh well…!)

Import · February 18, 2001, 7:44pm

I find that adding in a tablespoon of nut butter after a low fat meal is ideal in getting in your daily fats. As far as manipulating carbs to meet your goals, just make sure you are getting in at least 60-80 grams of fats per day (with an emphasis on healthy fat), 1-1.5 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight, then manipulate your carbs up or down. Use the mirror and your energy levels as your guage. Hope this helps.