6 Snack Combos With Heart-Healthy Nuts

They're more similar than different, but each kind of nut offers different benefits, so it's best to eat a variety of the nut butters you enjoy

1. Almond Butter + Pear. Creamy almond butter is fabulous slathered on slices of sweet, juicy pear, which is in its peak season now. The satisfying spread comes raw (subtly sweet) or roasted (a more intense flavor), and it goes great with any pear variety. You'll know your pear is ripe when the neck-just below the stem-is a little soft. Pears and almonds are fiber-rich, and almond butter is a protein star, with about 4 grams per tablespoon.

The clincher: One sliced pear with a tablespoon of almond butter has less than 200 calories and helps blast belly fat with monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs).

2. Cashew Butter + Cinnamon Raisin Toast. Start the day by spreading smooth cashew butter on warm, crusty whole-grain bread, chock-full of sweet raisins and spicy cinnamon.

3. Peanut Butter + Banana. Elvis loved a good peanut butter-and-banana sandwich-and who can argue with the King? Go for barely ripe bananas; they keep you feeling full longer.

4. Macadamia Butter + Fig A smear of velvety, rich macadamia butter on this chewy is a match made in snack heaven. Macadamia butter is a worthy indulgence, especially because it's loaded with heart-healthy fats.

5. Tahini + Grilled Lamb Chop. This union is a Middle Eastern classic. Lamb is relatively lean and rich in zinc and iron. Serve it with tahini (ground sesame seed paste), which is full of fat-fighting MUFAs and is a good source of calcium.

6. Honey-Sweetened Peanut Butter + Lime Juice. Swirl this pair together for an amazing dipping sauce that's excellent with chicken satay or tossed with whole-wheat pasta.

Source health.com