The question
I replaced cream cheese on my toast with peanut butter to get protein for breakfast. Is there a healthier nut butter I should use instead? I know peanut butter makes you fat. What is the right portion size if I'm trying to lose weight?
The answer
Switching from cream cheese to peanut butter is a nutritionally sensible choice. Peanut butter may contain more calories than cream cheese (95 calories per tablespoon versus 50), but it provides what cream cheese doesn't: heart-healthy fats, fiber, B vitamins, vitamin E, magnesium, potassium and phytochemicals.
Peanut butter is also a much better source of protein than cream cheese. Two tablespoons contain seven grams of protein, while the same amount of cream cheese contains only one gram. (To feel satisfied and energized all morning, consume at least 10 grams of protein with breakfast.)
But if you spread peanut butter sparingly on your toast – as many calorie-conscious people do – you're not getting as much protein as you think. For example, a teaspoon of peanut butter contains only one gram of protein.
Nut and seed butters are made by grinding raw or roasted kernels into a spreadable paste. Salt and sugar can be added to ground nuts. Some manufacturers add oil and emulsifiers to create a creamier product and to prevent the oil from separating.
I prefer natural brands that contain only peanuts (and sometimes salt). To prevent the oil from separating, I store my jar of natural peanut butter upside down.
Thanks to a growing awareness of the health benefits of nuts (and because of peanut allergies), nut butters come in a variety of varieties, from cashews to sunflower seeds to walnuts.
Consider the following popular nut butters and their defining nutritional qualities.
Almond butter
More than half of the fat (58 percent) in this nut butter is monounsaturated, the type that helps lower LDL (bad) cholesterol in the bloodstream. Almond butter is an excellent source of vitamin E, an antioxidant that prevents damage to the body's cells, and a good source of calcium, magnesium and potassium.
- Per 2 tablespoons: 196 calories, 18 g fat, 7 g protein, 3.2 g fiber, 7.7 mg vitamin E, 112 mg calcium, 90 mg magnesium.
Cashew boter
Like almond butter, cashew butter is high in monounsaturated fat (59 percent of the fat content). It is also a good source of magnesium and provides B vitamins, iron and potassium.
- 2 tablespoons: 180 calories, 15 g fat, 5 g protein, 1 g fiber, 83 mg magnesium.
peanut butter
Peanut butter is rich in protein and monounsaturated fats and contains a lot of vitamin E, copper and manganese. It is also an excellent source of niacin, a B vitamin used to produce stress hormones in the adrenal glands; one serving provides 25 percent of the recommended daily intake.
- 2 tablespoons: 190 calories, 16 g fat, 7 g protein, 1.6 g fiber, 3 mg vitamin E, 4.2 mg niacin, 0.5 mg manganese.
Pumpkin seed butter
This protein-rich seed butter is a good source of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats and is naturally high in magnesium, zinc and copper. It's also packed with manganese, a mineral that keeps our brains and nerves going.
- 2 tablespoons: 160 calories, 13 g fat, 10 g protein, 2 g fiber, 156 mg magnesium, 2.2 mg zinc, 1.3 mg manganese.
Sesame seed (tahini) butter
Tahini, made from ground, toasted sesame seeds, is an excellent source of selenium, a mineral important for immunity, thyroid function and the protection of cells from free radical damage. Tahini also provides calcium, iron, copper and cholesterol-lowering phytochemicals.
- 2 tablespoons: 180 calories, 16 g fat, 5 g protein, 3 g fiber, 138 mg calcium, 3 mg iron, 10.3 mcg selenium (adults need 55 mcg per day).
Soy nut butter
This protein-rich nut butter is made from roasted soybeans, soy oil, sugar and salt and gets most of its fat (56 percent) from polyunsaturated fatty acids. The nutrient content varies slightly depending on the brand.
- 2 tablespoons: 170-200 calories, 11-16 g fat, 7-8 g protein, 2-3 g fiber, 100 mg sodium.
Sunflower seed butter
Naturally high in polyunsaturated fat (66 percent of total fat), sunflower seed butter is a nutrient powerhouse. One serving provides almost half a day's worth of vitamin E and selenium and more than a day's worth of zinc, a mineral needed to fight foreign bacteria and viruses. Sunflower seed butter is also a good source of folic acid, copper and potassium.
- Per 2 tablespoons: 170 calories, 14 g fat, 6 g protein, 3.6 g fiber, 7.4 mg vitamin E, 1.5 mg zinc, 22.5 mcg selenium
Walnut butter
Unlike other nut and seed butters, walnut butter is an excellent source of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), an omega-3 fatty acid with anti-inflammatory properties. Walnut butter also contains polyphenols, phytochemicals associated with brain health and improved blood flow.
- Per 2 tablespoons: 220 calories, 21 g fat, 5 g protein, 2 g fiber, 2.6 g ALA (men and women need 1.6 and 1.1 g per day, respectively).
While all nut and seed butters are nutritious, I have a few favorites that I keep in my pantry. My favorite choice for toast is almond butter and peanut butter packed with protein and vitamin E (these are delicious too). I add walnut butter to smoothies for a hit of omega-3 and use tahini in hummus and salad dressings.
A serving of nut or seed butter from the Food Guide is two tablespoons, about the size of a ping pong ball. However, keep in mind that two tablespoons contain up to 200 calories, and in some varieties even more. So don't overdo it.
If you're trying to lose weight – or don't want to gain it – adjust calories elsewhere in your diet. Replace nut and seed butters with refined starchy foods, sweets, chips, pretzels and sugary drinks.
Leslie Beck, a registered dietitian, works at the Medisys clinic in Toronto.
