9 Alternatives to Peanut Butter

FROM ABC: Since a mid-January recall of peanut butter products, many people have been squeamish about purchasing peanut butter snacks and jars of the lunchtime favorite itself, although major brands were not part of the recall.

As of February, 15,642 people in 44 states were reported to have contracted salmonella from the peanut products, according to the Web site of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. But while major brands of jarred peanut butter are not being recalled, this may be an opportune time to add more variety to your PB&J.

A variety of butters made from tree nuts -- lower in fat than their peanut counterpart -- may be able to bring more balance to your diet.

"Look at it as an opportunity to try a few other things," said nutritionist Keith Ayoob, an associate professor at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City.

Ayoob did not advocate banishing peanut butter from your diet, noting that it has good nutritional value, providing protein and some fiber, while its fat is primarily the monounsaturated kind. The spread is also appealing because it's convenient and easy to use and is a relatively inexpensive plant form of protein.

Other nutritionists echoed those sentiments.

Kathleen D'Ovidio, an exercise and nutritional sciences professor at San Diego State University, said the omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids found in tree nut butters would enhance some diets, although they wouldn't replace peanut butter completely.

"There's reasons why you want to eat peanut butter, and there's reasons why you want to eat tree nut butters," she said.

D'Ovidio said her concerns are more with peanut products like cookies and other snacks than with the jarred brands. But having looked at jarred peanut butter after a similar outbreak in 2007, she said nut butters might be a little safer in this regard, as they are manufactured in smaller amounts.

While jarred peanut butter may not be anything to fear right now, the following pages have some alternatives you might like to try out.

Still, it's wise to bear in mind that many of the options below tend to cost more than peanut butter and all are somewhat comparable in calories.

1. Almond Butter

2.Cashew Nut Butter

3.Soy Nut Butter

4.Sunflower Seed Butter

5.macadamia nut butter

6.Walnut butter

7. Hazelnut butter

8.hemp seed butter

9. golden peabutter

Almond butter is the only I have ever had and it is good! I never think about buying it. I wonder if they even have it at the grocery store I got to these days.

Has anyone tried any of these? Do your kids like them?

-NewsAnchorMom Jen