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Nutty for Maranatha

As most blog readers and writers are aware, the mere mention of “nut butter” is enough to throw us into a tizzy.  I remember enjoying the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches I brought for lunch in kindergarten (despite being made soggy by my frozen juice box), but now it’s a whole new story.  Oats in a Jar!  Peanut powder! Almond butter cookies! Dried fruit smeared with chocolate hazelnut spread!  The list goes on, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

When Allie contacted me to to see if I’d like to review MaraNatha nut butters for the blog, I didn’t even blink before replying with an (overly) enthusiastic message back.  My first taste of almond butter was Maranatha brand, in college, and since then I’ve never looked back.

About Maranatha:

Maranatha® Nut Butters was founded in 1982, in Ashland, Oregon, by the husband and wife team of Robert and Chris Plotnik. As one of the first natural food distributors in America, the Plotniks started by delivering dried fruit from the California Central Valley to small natural food stores in Oregon and Washington. As their distribution company grew, the entrepreneurial Plotniks began experimenting with manufacturing their own products themselves – leading to specialty peanut and nut butters.

After a series of successful nut grinding trials, the Plotniks decided to take their micro-batch butters on the road, distributing them along with their other goods. They were an instant hit.

As the Maranatha line grew in popularity, they decided to get out of the distribution business altogether and concentrate all their energy on crafting nut and seed butters. One of their first innovations was the development of a special process that brings out more flavor while making the butter extra creamy.

Today, Maranatha is one of the nation’s leading makers of organic and natural nut butters, growing about 20% to 30% annually over the last three years.

Allie sent me two jars of their new, No Stir products: No Stir Creamy Peanut Butter and No Stir Creamy Almond Butter.

No Stir Creamy Peanut Butter

My review: So smooth! It’s sweet and salty (they use both cane sugar and sea salt), with a great light grainy texture.

Dad’s review: Mmm, it s good! Tastes kind of whipped and creamy.

Ari’s review: My favorite of the “weird” peanut butters you’ve made me taste so far.

No Stir Creamy Almond Butter

My review: So creamy and smooth!  Sort of like sliding into a warm bath.

Dad’s review: Very creamy, not as intense as I thought it would be.  I hesitate to offer a criticism, though, because it’s still really good.  Gentle.

Ari’s review: Mmm, very good, but PB will always remain champion.

Although both No Stir labels recommend refrigerating the jars after opening, I keep them in the pantry and haven’t found them to be overly oily at all.

In the package the company included a coupon to use for any other Maranatha product, so I went for the…

Creamy and Roasted Cashew Butter

My review: This is sweet, roasted and creamy.  It’s perfectly salted and just sweet enough.  I learned to love cashews from the babysitter I had growing up, and I like eating them in new ways like this! The first time I tried cashew butter was when Melissa sent me a secret Santa package with chocolate covered cashew butter sandwiches, and we’ve had it stocked in the fridge from the co-op ever since! (Ari doesn’t know he tasted this as well, but I made him a peanut butter cup with cashew butter when we ran out of peanut… he loved it!)

The most obvious way I used the nut butters was in oatmeal.  It really makes the colors pop!

But there’s no end to the list of ways to use them.  In yogurt messes…

On toast…

In desserts…

In crazy breakfast creations…

I found it made the already smooth breakfast cookie that much creamier.

From the Maranatha website: Why are nuts so good for you?

  • Nuts are such an excellent source of protein that they are put in the meat category of the USDA Food Guide Pyramid.
  • Nuts contain no cholesterol, and are good sources of minerals and nutrients.
  • Nuts are also typically high in the “good” kinds of fat. Some nuts can even lower levels of harmful LDL cholesterol.
  • The FDA has identified polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats as “good” fats for cholesterol health. The fats in nuts are overwhelmingly of these two types.

Recent Major Health-Related Nut Studies:*

  • Physician’s Health Study of 22,000 men, Iowa Women’s Health Study of 40,000 women, and the Harvard Nurses Health Study of 86,000 women. One conclusion that all of these studies shared was that nut consumption lowered the incidence of heart disease. (Click Here for Details)
  • A study of 31,000 Seventh Day Adventists conducted by Loma Linda University in California discovered that not only did eating nuts lower the risk of heart disease, but surprisingly, also helped participants to keep their weight down. It is speculated that the “good” fat in nuts helps to satisfy appetites, so that people can manage to trim other possible calories throughout the day. (Click Here for Details)
  • Studies at both Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the Harvard School of Public Health concluded that people on a Mediterranean-style diet, one that is moderate in fat intake, were more successful in keeping weight off for longer than their counterparts on a traditional low fat diet. The participants in the Mediterranean group substituted their usual saturated fat foods such as butter, certain dressings and sauces, with mono and polyunsaturated fats such as nut butters, nuts, and healthy oils. (Click Here for Details)

Heart Health, Nuts, & the FDA:

Multiple large-scale studies in recent years are pointing to the conclusion that nuts are extremely beneficial to good health. The claims for certain nuts range from reducing heart disease risks, facilitating weight loss, to lowering the prevalence of Adult Type 2 diabetes. In July 2003, the FDA approved the first qualified health claim for a food. The claim can be used on package labels and states:

“Scientific evidence suggests, but does not prove, that eating 1.5 ounces per day of some nuts, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, may reduce the risk of heart disease.”

Bottom line: Would I purchase these? Yes! They’re delicious, affordable (each jar retails for about $5), and a great source of protein and healthy fat.  In fact, though I’ve never been a macadamia lover myself, I’ve got my eye on a jar of Maranatha Macadamia Nut Butter… hope I can track it down!

Want two score your own jars of Maranatha?  The company is giving away two sets of two coupons to two lucky winners in the US & Canada.  Here are three ways to enter:

1. Leave a comment about your favorite way to use nut butter.

2. Link back to this contest on your blog, if you have one.

3. Tweet this: @Lilveggiepatch is hosting a Maranatha giveaway! http://bit.ly/asEfm7

I will pick a winner on Saturday, March 6.  Good luck!

And the winners are….

Ada: You are such a lucky gal to get those Maranatha products! Glad you enjoyed them and thanks for the extremely thorough review:)

JW: In oats or of course PB sammies!

Congratulations!  Please e-mail me your addresses.

March 4th, 2010 | Tags: , | Category: Uncategorized

154 comments to Nutty for Maranatha

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