Almond Butter Versus Cashew Butter: Which One Is Better For Weight Loss?
Nuts are one of those foods that taste great and are great for you, a win-win foodie situation. But despite being a high-fat food, they can actually help you lose weight. Health experts suggest one reason is due to the fact that a small portion of nuts can go a long way in making us feel full. In fact, a 2021 study published in the journal Nutrients showed that simply snacking on nuts instead of processed snack foods, like pretzels, resulted in weight loss.
Nut butters are a trendy food item and one of the top ways to include nuts in your diet. You can spread them on toast, use them in cooking recipes, or bake them right into deserts. But which one will help you lose weight more effectively — almond or cashew butter? It's a tough choice because they both have healthy unsaturated fats and can help promote satiety, yet each has its own unique nutrient profile. Let's look at both almonds and cashews separately to better understand which may be better for weight loss.
Cashew butter
Cashews come from a tree native to Brazil but are now cultivated around the globe. They have a rich, creamy, and almost buttery flavor profile. Aside from their delicious taste and texture, they're also an exceptionally nutrient-rich food, high in protein, potassium, folate, and zinc. They also have high amounts of vitamins B and C (via Medical News Today).
Cashews also happen to be a bit lower in fat than many other nuts like walnuts, pecans, and almonds. They contain 13.1 grams of fat per one-ounce serving, while almonds contain 14.9 (via the Mayo Clinic). This lower fat level means that cashew butter may be a better alternative to almond butter for those who want to feel satiated without the higher fat content. While it can promote that desirable full-feeling, it's important to note that nuts and nut butters are still considered a high-fat food, so portion control and healthy serving sizes can help.
Almond butter
Almonds are primarily harvested out of California. In fact, the golden state is responsible for 83% of global production, according to Livescience. Almonds are also a highly nutritious food, an excellent source of calcium, B vitamins like riboflavin, and particularly vitamin E. These nuts are known to promote higher levels of energy and as such, may get you burning calories from all the extra movement.
But perhaps what makes almonds stand out from the rest of the nut pack when it comes to weight loss is their high fiber content. In fact, almonds have the highest fiber content of any tree nut (via Livescience). "Almonds have been studied extensively for their benefits on heart health, diabetes, and weight management," said Jenny Heap, a registered dietitian with the Almond Board of California.
According to Harvard Health Publishing, adding fiber to your diet is one of the best ways to lose weight and keep it off because it improves the body's insulin response. Studies have shown that by adding more dietary fiber from whole foods, you can maintain weight-loss for up to 12 months. Because almonds contain both fiber and fat, they may be a better option for those looking to lose weight or maintain it.