Go Nuts for Nut Butters

Sometimes you feel like a nut, or at least, like eating nut butter. While nut and seed butters—essentially ground nuts and seeds, such as peanuts, sunflower seeds, and almonds—are high in fat, it is mostly the type of fat that’s beneficial to heart health. In addition, they contain good amounts of protein and fiber, which can help you feel full longer. In fact, studies show that nut butters can be helpful if you’re trying to control calories and weight.

Nut and seed butters are a simple and delicious way to get a meatless source of protein into a snack or simple sandwich, and they are also a delicious part of savory dishes, like Thai peanut sauce. However, all nut butters are not created equal. They should contain as few ingredients as possible, ideally just nuts and perhaps a little nut or seed oil for blending, and salt for flavor. However, some have unnecessarily high amounts of added sugar and sodium, as well as artificial ingredients.

Helpful hints. When you’re looking for something to spread on your apple or whole grain bread, check out our nut butter list first.

  • Check ingredients. Look for brands that only include ingredients you could find in any home-kitchen.
  • Be careful of reduced fat. The fat content may not be that different from regular (regulations say it must be at least 25 percent lower), and the calories are often the same because these products usually have more sugar.
  • DIY. If you have a good food processor you can easily whip up a batch of homemade nut butter, using a range of nuts and seeds, such as peanuts, almonds, cashews, and sunflower seeds. Put plain or roasted nuts into a food processor and process until it reaches your desired consistency. You may need to add a small amount of vegetable oil to make the nut butter spreadable. Once blended you can mix in a tiny bit of kosher salt, honey, real maple syrup, or any other flavor you like. It will last up to one month in an airtight container at room temperature, or you can store it in the refrigerator to keep it from turning rancid.

—Heidi McIndoo, MS, RD

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