DALLAS, Aug. 22 (UPI) -- As more schools ban peanut butter from lunch boxes because of allergy concerns, consider another nut butter or seed butter, a Dallas dietitian advises.
Joyce Barnett, a registered clinical dietitian at at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, said spreads made from other nuts or seeds provide a nutritious alternative to peanut butter.
Barnett recommends that parents try the following spreads:
-- Almond butter, a nut butter high in protein and is a great source of potassium. Research has shown that almonds, which are tree nuts, can help reduce the risk of heart disease as well as total cholesterol levels.
-- Soy nut butter, made from soybeans, generally has as much fiber as its peanut counterpart, and it is free of peanuts and tree nuts, but children with soy allergies should avoid this nut butter.
-- Sunflower seed butter is another spread created for kids with peanut allergies. A 2-tablespoon serving has more than one-third of a child's daily magnesium and vitamin E requirements.
