Sunflower seeds, butter, sunbutter? Oh my!

We have all become more than familiar with peanut butter. It’s that popular spread that’s been around for decades, if not centuries. In recent times, almond butter has risen in popularity, especially within health-conscious communities. Almond butter is not only staggeringly delicious, it’s also highly nutritious, packed full of plant-based protein, vitamin E and heart-healthy fats!

Nut Butters

You can probably find a nice organic option of any of the nut butters at a usual grocery store or specialised health food shop. However, if you happen to own a food processor, why not just make your own? It’s not terribly time-consuming and adds volumes to your weekly meal plans. For an easy-to-follow DIY, check out this wonderful tutorial video by Dani Spies on her popular ‘Clean & Delicious’ YouTube channel:

The same method of making almond butter can be applied to any spreadable nut. We recommend trying cashews, or macadamia. Mmmmm. What about a tasty blend of two favourites? Milly White gives a great demonstration on her YouTube cooking channel ‘Milly White Cooks.’ Here, by blending roasted almonds and cashews together, you’re not just getting a unique and luxurious flavour, but also reaping the health benefits of two separate nuts.

Milly’s motto remains to be “Healthy, wholesome foods which aren’t boring, and recipes that don’t follow diet-fads.” We’re definitely down with that!

Sunbutter

Now that we’ve covered my second favourite spread, let’s move on to the top favourite, and it’s all about sunflower seeds. Believe it or not, they taste amazing, and are even healthier than nut butters (technically being a seed butter). They provide even more fibre than most nuts and offer a higher amount of magnesium and vitamin E. As Stacie points out in the video below, sunbutter is the perfect substitution for popular peanut butter recipes, and provides nut allergy sufferers with a 100% safe alternative.

If you’re interested in that DIY recipe on how to make a scrumptious sunbutter right at home, Stacie Billis will walk you through it:

Why it’s still the absolute best spread, despite it’s forgivable quirks:

Sunflower seeds have been considered one of the worlds healthiest foods for some time now. Ergo, a sunbutter spread is the healthiest spread imaginable. The benefits include:

• Lowered bad cholesterol and elevated good cholesterol
• Anti-inflammatory and cardiovascular protection
• An internal skin treatment
• A digestive aid
• Free radical protection from antioxidants
• Bone health and strength
• A healthy nervous system

That’s quite a big health boost for one little seed, and it’s all possible due to the large volumes of vitamins, minerals and micronutrients present in just a small serving. This is what 35 grams (0.25cups) of dried sunflower seeds provides, based on the Daily Recommended Intake:

1. vitamin E 82%
2. copper 70%
3. vitamin B1 43%
4. manganese 34%
5. selenium 34%
6. phosphorus 33%
7. magnesium 28%
8. vitamin B6 28%
9. folate 20%
10. vitamin B3 18%

With that impressive nutritional profile, you’ll never want to be long without them! If you find yourself uninspired by your sunbutter, there are other ways of adding sunflower seeds into your regular diet. Try sprinkling them onto salads, into omelettes, on top of toast whether sweet or savoury and into any vegetable dishes either lightly toasted or in their glorious raw form. You can also put them into muesli mixes, either as they are or lightly ground, and if that entices you, you’ll definitely want to check out some of our other superfood recipes:

Try our ‘Breakfast of Champions’ 

‘Flour-free Bread Recipe’

And the one and only ‘Godmother’s Granola’