Sunflower Butter

Nut butters are such a great way to incorporate more protein, minerals, and vitamins into your diet. The most popular type is peanut butter, but any nut can be made into a paste. The higher the fat nut, equals a smoother and thin paste (ex: Macadamia). When buying nut butters from the store, read the ingredient list!! You do not want any thing in the ingredient list, only the nut! Many commercial companies add more into their nut butters so they have a longer shelf-life.
I had some sunflower seeds, so I decided to make sunflower butter! I made just plain sunflower butter and dark chocolate sunflower butter. It was so quick and easy! Remember that: homemade nut butters don't last as long as shelf-bought butters. Homemade nut butters last about a month in the refrigerator, make sure they are in a sealed container. Sunflower seeds have a high fat content, which leads to rancidity, so storing it properly is important!

Fun Facts about Sunflower Seeds

-1 oz ( 28g)=173 calories, 16 g fat, 3 g fiber

-High fat content 

-Rich in phytosterols that helps lower cholesterol

-Great source of Vit E (alpha-tocopherol)

-Good source of magnesium, manganese, thiamin, selenium, copper, and phosphorus

Sunflower Butter

Ingredients:

- 1 lb sunflower seeds

- additions: dark chocolate chips (anything else you want to add)

Directions:

1. Place sunflower seeds in food processor.

2. Grind until a smooth, buttery consistency. Than you have plain sunflower butter.

3. Or add any additions, ex: dark chocolate chips. 

4. Pulse until chocolate chips are blended with sunflower butter. Now you have dark chocolate chip sunflower butter!