A wide variety of nuts are used in preparation of butter, right from almonds and peanuts (which are not true nuts) to sunflower seeds and soybean. Even though neither of these are true nuts botanically, they do qualify all the requirements of the same when it comes to culinary sense and hence one has to take them into consideration when talking about different types of butters. Sunflower butter and peanut butter are perhaps the most popular among various types of butters, and we are going to pitch them against each other to see which is healthier of the two.
Which is Better - Peanut Butter or Sunflower Butter?
While peanut butter is made by grinding roasted peanuts, sunflower seed butter is prepared by grinding roasted sunflower seeds. This invariably means that there is not much of difference in the two in terms of method of preparation. Similarly the difference that former is made from sunflower seeds and latter from peanuts is pretty obvious to be given much importance. However, there do exist quite a few other important differences between these two types of butters - with reference to their ingredients, taste, nutrition value, etc.
Nutritional Value
As far as their calorific value is concerned, a tablespoon of peanut butter contains 94 calories while the amount of calories in sunflower seed butter is 80 for the same amount of serving. Other than being rich in vitamins, fibers, antioxidants, folates, essential fatty acids, etc., sunflower seed butter is also known to have one-third less saturated fat as compared to peanut butter - as a result of which it is considered ideal for the health of your heart. As with sunflower seed butter, even peanut butter tends to make sure that your heart is healthy owing to its mono-saturated fat content. At the same time, peanut butter nutrition facts also reveal that it is high in resveratrol - a stilbenoid which reduces the chances of stroke by ensuring smooth flow of blood to the brain. A look at the nutrition chart for each of these butter types will give you a better idea of the same.
| Nutrients | Sunflower Butter (100g) | Peanut Butter (100g) |
| Calories | 579 | 588 |
| Fat | 48g | 50g |
| Carbs | 27g | 20g |
| Protein | 20g | 25g |
| Cholesterol | 0mg | 0mg |
Taste and Uses
In terms of taste, peanut butter is sweeter as compared to sunflower butter. However, the latter is known for the heavy flavor which happens to be its characteristic trait. While both are used as a spreads, peanut butter is also used for the preparation of jellies and chocolates. Sunflower seed butter, on the other hand, is used for preparation of several dishes right from cakes and stuffing to salads and vegetable dishes. Sunflower butter is also considered to be an apt replacement for peanut butter, especially for those who are allergic to peanuts. In terms of taste, it is very difficult to say which is better considering that the choice of taste differs from person to person. While many people prefer to go with sweet taste of peanut butter, there do exist some who prefer the typical heavy flavor that comes with sunflower butter.
Going through these differences between peanut and sunflower butter, you must have realized that peanut butter has a slight advantage over its counterpart. However, everything comes at a price, and if you get a good amount of protein from peanut butter diet, it also adds a significant amount of calories to your daily diet. This is where the golden rule which states that 'overdoing something can result in disastrous effects' comes into play. Irrespective of whether it is peanut butter or sunflower butter, overeating the same can cause serious health problems in a long run and hence it's always better to keep a track of how much you eat.
No comments:
Post a Comment