With all the salmonella fears about peanut butter currently in the news, perhaps this is the perfect time to branch out and try some other nut and seed butters. If someone really loves peanut butter, I generally recommend that they try to switch to a natural version with no added sugars since regular commercial brands tend to be high in sugar. But some other butters have even more nutritional value: almond butter, cashew butter, and sun butter (made from sunflower seeds) are all incredibly tasty.

Almonds, with about 20 percent protein, are rich in the antioxidant vitamin E, as well as calcium. Cashews are high in heart-friendly oleic acid and other monounsaturated fats and are a good source of copper, magnesium, and calcium. Sunflower seeds supply significant amounts of vitamin E, magnesium and selenium, and when made into a butter, have a natural sweetness that is perhaps most reminiscent of commercial peanut butter.

• While looking for nut butters, I suggest looking for natural brands with few preservatives.

• Try to find the “raw” versions of these butters because once the nuts have been heated, the enzymes and a few other health benefits are lessened.

• Natural nut butters will separate in the jar. When you get it home, stir to mix the oil into the nut butter and then, once mixed, store in the refrigerator.

• Enjoy nut butters on sliced pears or apples, on celery sticks, on whole grain crackers, or in a sandwich on whole grain bread with sliced strawberries.

• Serving size is 2T per day, or 1T per day if you are trying to manage weight.

• Unless you are accustomed to natural nut and seed butters, you may find the low-sodium versions rather bland. For most people, the regular version is fine, unless you are on a low-sodium diet.

Christina Rutheiser, CNHP, Holistic Nutrition Consultant for Integrative Health Centers