Wednesday, February 8, 2012

FAT- good or bad?

This post started as a recipe, which I'll include at the end. I want to share with you a way to double the volume of your almond butter, cutting the calories in half, and making it last longer, therefore saving you money. But I thought I should first discuss FATS and why they are GOOD for you.

People hear the word or see it on a container of food and think they should steer clear of it, but in reality, some fats are GOOD for us. We actually NEED the fats in food, if we want to LOSE fat on our bodies. The key is to make sure it's the right kind of fat.

Almonds are a healthy kind of fat, and that's why I don't mind eating almond butter. Healthy fat-ie almonds, avocados, salmon- HELPS YOU LOSE FAT. Bad fat-ie red meat, whole milk, dairy products, ice cream, butter-makes you fatter. HERE is a good article on healthy fat.

Some tips I've learned, that I'd like to incorporate into my diet are to:
  • eat fish (salmon, tuna) twice a week
  • go meatless once a week
  • i think chicken is always the go-to meat because it's not too difficult to prepare and not as expensive as fish, so i'll probably make chicken 3x a week
  • take an omega-3 supplement. i take one pill every day of 'Nature's Bounty Fish Oil-1200mg'
  • snack on almonds. i've learned, since posting my yummy cinnamon and chocolate roast almonds, that it's best to eat RAW almonds, so i've switched to that. i'm sure the roasted ones are good too, but raw are better.
  • eat avocados every once in awhile. we like it on sandwiches, salads, or we make guacamole
  • use olive oil for cooking (but only one or two tablespoons and don't overcook). i also use coconut oil (maybe one little teaspoon for french toast or eggs)
I've also learned that when you try so hard to eliminate fat from your diet, you compromise by eating too many carbs, therefore getting fatter. By eating HEALTHY fats in moderation, you'll feel fuller longer, and you're metabolism will increase.

Now. . . .on to the original post

How to double the volume of your almond butter, and cut the calories in half



I love to use almond butter in place of peanut butter. Sarah asked me what's so much better about almond butter and the answer is NOTHING. They're pretty much the same as far as nutritional value is concerned. Really, I just like almonds better than peanuts. The problem is that almond butter can be expensive.

When buying nut butters I always try to get a "natural" version, because it's really just made from the nuts, nothing else added. So I start with natural, unsalted (if that's an option. sometimes my store only has salted) almond butter. Then I follow the instructions found at Oh She Glows. Mmm! It's tasty. So I make a batch, stick it in a Ziploc plastic container, and into the fridge. It lasts a lot longer, saving me money, and it also saves me calories.

We like to eat it as a snack, with sliced bananas (or any fruit really), add it to our green smoothies, use it on peanut butter/banana sandwiches, etc.

KEEP IN MIND, this is a FAT so, as tasty as it is, don't eat TOO much. : )

3 comments:

  1. Looks YUM-O. Thanks for sharing the tip! Love you!

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  2. We are big nut butter (besides peanut butter:) fans too! thanks for the recipe. We also really like sun butter (sunflower seeds ) I wonder if that would be hard to make since they are so small?

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  3. hmm, i've never heard of sun butter! i'll have to try it.

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