Just a year ago I didn’t have a clue what is almond butter and I have never even heard of nut butters. Now I love it and I’m using it regularly!
You could say that there is a trend recently where more and more people are eating healthier, people are slowly becoming more aware of importance of good, fresh, quality food, real food and not the one that comes in a package and is put in the microwave and there is a growing awareness of negative effects of eating too much refined sugar. There are articles and recipes in the magazines and web portals about chia seeds, dairy free ice creams, coconut oil, nut butters and other healthy food and so called ˝super food˝ that is becoming more and more popular even with people who do not need to keep special diets for health reasons.
I like this ˝trend˝ and have included many new ingredients and new food combinations in my daily diet that is making me feel better, that is much better for my stomach and digestion and that is generally giving me more life energy!
What makes me very happy is the fact that my family is also learning new things about food and nutrition and they are going trough this diet/lifestyle change with me, sure on a smaller scale but it’s so nice seeing my little niece and nephew eating and enjoying my homemade nutella made just with toasted hazelnuts, raw cacao powder and maple syrup or my friends enjoying my homemade cherry or blueberry dairy free ice cream made with just frozen bananas, fruit and almond milk or my parents eating delicious cookies I made with coconut oil, oats, agave syrup, dark chocolate and few other simple ingredients…
I also believe in balance and don’t think that anything too restrictive and extreme can be good for you so I think it’s so important that we all find that balance between eating better, healthier but at the same time not becoming obsessed and too focused on ˝eating clean˝ because that can lead us to dangerous grounds of developing damaging and unhealthy ways of thinking about food and potential development of various eating disorders.
There are many people who become so obsessed with eating healthy that they lost their ways and in the process became unwell and distressed. It’s up to us to decide where is that line and find balance between eating food that is good for our bodies but also for our minds and souls.
For me personally that means that if I occasionally eat a slice of delicious classic apple pie (made with flour, sugar, butter…) or a piece of Italian cherry crostata or a slice of warm and crispy white bread, that nothing bad is going to happen and it will not just eliminate all the positive effects that healthier food is making on my body. 🙂
Now let’s talk about almond butter! It’s extremely easy to make as all you need are almonds and a food processor strong enough so it can blend them into the creamy paste.
Almonds are rich source of vitamin E, calcium, phosphorous, iron and magnesium. They also contain zinc, selenium, copper and niacin. Compared to all other nuts, almonds are the most packed with nutrients and beneficial components. Almonds are a source of many nutrients which help in the development and health of the human brain.
Regular consumption of almonds helps to regulate cholesterol, the mono-unsaturated fats, protein and potassium contained in almonds are all instrumental in heart health and they have two very important fatty acids, both linoleic and linolenic acid that help to reduce inflammation all around the body, which is a general condition that many people suffer from. Eating almond butter is a great way to give all those nutrients to your body and it doesn’t hurt that it tastes great too! 🙂
In the photos you can see the stages of blending the almonds in food processor and how they change the texture and I have also included few photos to show two ways how I include the almond butter in my breakfast…
- 1 cup (200 g) almonds
- Pinch of salt
- Roast almonds on 200 C (390 F) for about 10 minutes until they get slightly brown and start to smell really nice.
- Remove from the oven and leave to cool for few minutes.
- Place them in a food processor, add a pinch of salt and blend for 15-20 minutes until smooth and creamy. You will have to scrape down the sides of the processor few times as you blend the almonds. Store in a jar on room temperature.
- Note: You will need a strong food processor to make this as otherwise it just won’t turn into creamy butter. You can also make this using other nuts like cashews, Brazilian nuts or peanuts…
Leave a Reply