Forums: September 2010 Kickstart Forum Archive: Almond butter
Created on: 09/09/10 06:17 PM Views: 2454 Replies: 11
Mark Joined: 09/09/10 Posts: 4	Almond butter Posted Thursday, September 9, 2010 at 6:17 PM Hi - I just now listened to an interview with Dr Neal Barnard so I've logged on here to get more information and I hope someone can answer my question about almond butter. I've been vegan for about three months and I eat a lot of almond butter. I go through about one and a half 16 oz jars of raw almond butter a week. I've eaten a lot of it for years (I've always eaten fairly low amounts of dairy and meat). Almond butter has a lot of fat, obviously. I'm hoping someone can tell me this is still okay for me to eat! Or is it going to be bad news for my favorite food and me?
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Susan Levin Joined: 12/26/09 Posts: 1191	RE: Almond butter Posted Thursday, September 9, 2010 at 6:46 PM We recommend about 10 percent of calories from fat. I'd be surprised if you could keep fat that low at the intake rate you mentioned. This is because high fat diets are associated with weight gain, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and some forms of cancer. If you are interested in reversing any of those or preventing those as best you can, research shows that will happen with very low fat diets (10 percent). Ultimately, it's up to you. What are your health goals? Susan Levin, MS, RD PCRM Director of Nutrition Education
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mollyhorn Joined: 03/03/10 Location: Fort Worth, TX Posts: 582	RE: Almond butter Posted Thursday, September 9, 2010 at 7:01 PM Hi Mark, There are many factors to take into consideration when looking at your diet. Medical history: Do you have high cholesterol? Heart disease? Diabetes or pre-diabetes? History of cancer? Weight: Are you trying to lose weight? Do you exercise regularly? Is your daily caloric intake in alignment with what your body actually needs, or are you carrying around a spare tire made of almond butter? Diet: Do you eat mainly whole foods – fresh or frozen vegetables and fruits, whole grains, legumes? Do you consume more calories than you need, or just the right amount? Finally, and what may be most important, what types of fats are you eating? Do you consume fried foods? Things cooked in oil? Added oils in general? <--- These are the real dangers. Nuts, especially almonds, are a good source of heart-healthy unsaturated fat, but it is possible to have too much of a good thing. If you're having 1 1/2 jars per week, that's 24 oz. divided by 7 days, equaling 3.4 oz. per day. That works out to 3 servings of almond butter, which is roughly 600 calories and 48 grams of fat. That is a high amount of fat for one day, and that's only from one source, not counting any other sources of fat in your diet. I don't think you have to give up almond butter, but perhaps using the serving size suggested on the label would be a good idea. To me, it would seem like you're eating a lot of one food to the exclusion of many other foods. What foods (and therefore nutrients) are you excluding from your diet because you are eating so much of this one food? I encourage you to put some variety in your diet. Expand your food horizons and explore the world of all the fresh fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains that are available to you. These foods offer high nutritional value, delicious flavor, and variety to your life. PCRM's Power Plate tool can be especially useful: http://www.pcrm.org/health/powerplate/index.html NutritionMD is also a great resource: http://www.nutritionmd.org/makeover/basics/go_veg_start.html I'm sorry to write such a long answer to your question, but you broached a topic that has come up repeatedly on the boards – what to do about added fat. I think my summary here hits the important points, and I hope it helps you. Molly Horn
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Mark Joined: 09/09/10 Posts: 4	RE: Almond butter Posted Thursday, September 9, 2010 at 7:22 PM Hi Susan and Molly and thank you for your replies. I eat little to no fried food, and I eat a lot of fresh vegetables, both cooked and raw. I avoid gluten because of intolerance so that cuts out a lot of bread and pasta. I am mid-40's and fairly healthy - my work is physical and I do a lot of athletic activity, and I have that strange metabolism is so far as I don't put on or lose weight no matter what I do or eat, and I've gone through periods where pizza, beer and ice cream ruled my world. At work I snack on a trail mix I make myself and it is mostly raw pumpkin and sunflower seeds (which I guess are both high fat?) with some dried fruit for flavor. I have normal cholesterol, no heart disease or pre-diabetic problems I know of, and no history of cancer. My health goals are to be active and involved into ripe old age, and to live in increasing harmony with our planet. You have both confirmed what I suspected - I'm being lazy and need to cook some more beany meals than I do right now. Even better, I'll encourage my wife to cook them for me... I'll check out the link you posted. Thanks again for your guidance.
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mollyhorn Joined: 03/03/10 Location: Fort Worth, TX Posts: 582	RE: Almond butter Posted Friday, September 10, 2010 at 12:07 AM Sounds like you're a pretty healthy guy, and doing better than the majority of the population! Enjoy your almond butter (in moderation), enjoy your trail mix, enjoy beans and other delicious meals with your wife, and do the dishes for her after she cooks. Take care! Molly Horn
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Susan Levin Joined: 12/26/09 Posts: 1191	RE: Almond butter Posted Friday, September 10, 2010 at 6:29 AM As usual, I agree with the well-versed Mollyhorn, especially about the dishes. Susan Levin, MS, RD PCRM Director of Nutrition Education
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Mark Joined: 09/09/10 Posts: 4	RE: Almond butter Posted Friday, September 10, 2010 at 9:48 AM Thanks again guys. It's good to find a resource like this. And the news just gets better - I do indeed share kitchen duties with my wife. Happy eating!
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soon2BVeg Joined: 08/24/10 Posts: 225	RE: Almond butter Posted Saturday, September 11, 2010 at 12:01 PM I was so interested in your thread, particularly because I just had some almond butter on a whole grain bagel for my breakfast this morning! I do eat almond and peanut butter, but I spread it very thin. I still get the same great taste, but keep my fat calories to a minimum by carefully watching my portions ... and only have it once or twice a week. Don't make a New Year's Resolution...make a Decision!
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cresvaldi Joined: 09/06/10 Location: Caracas, Venezuela Posts: 13	RE: Almond butter Posted Saturday, September 11, 2010 at 8:52 PM Hi! It´s me again.... 10% of fat could be a tea spoon of olive oil or grape seeds oil, canola...etc. Thanks Maru
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Mark Joined: 09/09/10 Posts: 4	RE: Almond butter Posted Saturday, September 11, 2010 at 11:37 PM Hi Cresvaldi. I'm not yet familiar with the percentage ratios of fat, protein etc that are the 'good' guidelines for diet, so I don't know how to read the information in your post. Could you clarify your information for me? I appreciate it! Thanks, Mark
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Susan Levin Joined: 12/26/09 Posts: 1191	RE: Almond butter Posted Sunday, September 12, 2010 at 10:35 AM We recommend 20 to 30 grams of fat per day total. That would equal about 10 percent of your day's calories from fat. A teaspoon of oil has 4.5 grams of fat in it. That's a lot for such a small portion of food. However, it is doable on our plan. It just requires a little more attention to the rest of the day's intake. Susan Levin, MS, RD PCRM Director of Nutrition Education
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DrJanice Joined: 09/14/10 Posts: 1	RE: Almond butter Posted Tuesday, September 14, 2010 at 8:21 AM Almond butter is great for you in moderation, especially compared to peanut butter. It is loaded in protein, vitamin E, magnesium and fiber. It also has a good amount of fat, so moderation is best. Try Barney Butter my patients have found it to be the best one.
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