Whole Story

UPDATE: Thank you to everyone who entered! Congratulations to our winner Robyn W. from Wisconsin! At Whole Foods Market®, we love sharing good food and drink. Whether it’s a peak-of-the-season berry, a team member creation from our bakery, sausages made in house or a new grocery discovery, we love celebrating great flavors and products. But we don’t just want to tell you about it; we want you to enjoy it too. So, we’re doing a series of summer giveaways through mid-August.

From sandwiches to smoothies to cookies, mighty almond butter can do everything peanut butter can; yet, not everyone has tried it. (The reason why is a hard nut to crack!) So, we’re giving away a case of versatile almond butter for summer’s last hurrahs and after-school snack preparations. Read on to find out how to enter to win.

Based near Boulder, Colorado, Earth Balance produces a line of delicious buttery spreads, shortenings, nut butters, soymilk, soy nog, coconut spread and alternative mayo. Besides being flavorsome, we like their products because they’re all plant-based, vegan and made without artificial ingredients and hydrogenated oils. Bonus: because they are made without gluten, lactose and eggs, Earth Balance products offer a delectable alternative for shoppers with food sensitivities. We also appreciate that the company strongly supports the Non-GMO Project, and all their products are made without genetically modified ingredients.

But let’s talk almond butter. Earth Balance’s Creamy Natural Almond Butter tastes…well, it tastes like almonds because that’s what they start with. You get all the benefits of fresh-ground almonds, expeller-pressed oils and ALA Omega-3-rich flaxseed before they round it all out with a touch of naturally sweet agave.

Are you already part of the almond butter following or do you want to join the club? Either way, there are lots of scrumptious recipes that feature this lesser-known nut butter from breakfast to dinner. Here are a few favorites:

• Three words. Chocolate. Almond. Smoothie. This high-fiber, family-friendly smoothie is a yummy addition to breakfast or snacktime.
• A twist on the traditional nut sandwich, these apple sandwiches with almond butter and granola make for a likeable lunch.
• Looking for a picnic perfect side for Labor Day? Reinvented Carrot Salad with Almond Butter Dressing could be just the thing.
• Partnered with ginger, garlic, dates and chile pepper, almond butter makes a highly flavorful dressing for broccoli and bean sprouts.
• Greet the kids after school or treat yourself with these vegan-friendly Whole Wheat-Almond Butter Cookies.

What’s the first thing you’d make if you won some almond butter? Tell us in the comments below by Sunday, September 9 and we’ll pick a winner at random to receive a case of Earth Balance Creamy Almond Butter.  

The fine print: No purchase necessary. Promotion ends Sunday, September 9, 2012, 11:59 PM CDT. Must be a legal resident of the US or Canada (except in Quebec, where it is void) age 18 or older to participate. Taxes on prize, if applicable, are the responsibility of the winner. Employees of Whole Foods Market, Inc., are not eligible. Void where prohibited.