A slice of toast can be made a hundred times tastier with a bit of nut butter. But if you're watching your weight or trying to stick to a diet, you might feel nervous about adding nut butter to your daily meals.
Fortunately, manyhigh-quality nut buttersare chock-full of vitamins, minerals, and health-friendly macronutrients. If you've been wondering what the lowest calorie nut butter might be, this guide can help.
But before we explore the healthiest nut butter, let's discuss what nut butter is and why you'll want to add it to your diet!
What Is Nut Butter?
If you've ever enjoyed a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, you've tried nut butter! While peanut butter might be one of the most well-known of these products, almost any nut, seed, or legume can become a buttery spread.
For example, thereare severaldifferent kinds of nut butter. Most are made from:
- Peanuts
- Almonds
- Cashews
- Hazelnut
- Coconut
However, there's also nut butter made from walnuts, pecans, and macadamia nuts. Even sunflower seeds can be delicious, spreadable butter!
To make nut butter, you'll need a blender or a mortar and pestle. That's because nut butteris made from ground nuts that are formed into a paste.
Many types of nuts and seeds contain natural oils that give them a smooth texture and sheen. As such, the healthiest nut butter options don't have any added oils or fats. But which nut butter is the most beneficial?
What Is the Healthiest Nut Butter?
When searching for the healthiest nut butter, it's essential to ignore caloric intake.After all, nearly every nut butter is high in calories.
Instead, you'll want to choose an option that's:
- Rich in Vitamins and Minerals
- High in Heart-Healthy Fats
- Full of Life-Sustaining Macronutrients
Not every nut butteris equally nutritious, even if they're all delicious. To help you select the best nut butter for your diet and overall health, we've investigated the most common types of nut butter and their nutrition.
Let's explore each option in greater detail and find out just how they compare.
Peanut Butter
Pure, all-natural peanut butter is one of the best choices you can make when watching your weight and health. That's because natural, organic peanut butter doesn't include added oils, sugars, or salts.
Instead, it's a health-friendly mixture of omega-6 fatty acids, protein, and fiber. Natural peanut butter is also an excellent source of vitamin E, a crucial vitamin for continued skin health and elasticity.
As such,pure and natural peanut butter spread could be a filling and sweet treat that helps you look and feel your best. Of course, almond butter has even more to offer.
Almond Butter
Almonds have quickly become the go-to nut for many dieters and health enthusiasts. That's because almonds are rich in protein, magnesium, and calcium. Eating these nuts can help you enjoy stronger bones and muscles.
Almond butter contains everything found inside of almonds, but it's a little richer. That's because it's a fatty substance that's full of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids.
Cashew Butter
Cashew butter tends to be slightly lower in fats than peanut butter, making it a standard option for dieters. However, many store-bought cashew butter contains an excessive amount of added sugars.
Organic, all-natural cashew butter is a far better option. It contains a surprising amount of iron and potassium. Still, you won't be enjoying any omega-3 fatty acids with this type of nut butter.
Hazelnut Butter
Besides peanut butter, hazelnut butter might be the most beloved option among those with a sweet tooth. That's because hazelnut butter is often mixed with chocolate or peanut butter to create a rich, creamy spread.
Sadly, this often results in a sugar-packed product that's not appropriate for diabetic individuals or those watching their sugar intake. As such, hazelnut butter is one of the least healthy options.
Coconut Butter
Coconuts aren't actual nuts, but they're often processed into coconut butter products. These creamy spreads have a light coconut flavor and plenty of heart-healthy fats. But they're not an excellent source for other nutrients.
What Is the Best Nut Butter for Weight Loss?
Generally, the best nut butter for weight loss contains the most vitamins, minerals, and macronutrients. While calories also enter into this equation, they're not nearly as essential.
Consequently, the healthiest nut butter for weight loss might be:
- Almond Butter
- Cashew Butter
- Peanut Butter
Each of these options offers unique benefits, so let's take a moment to explore them more deeply. After all, the key to sticking to your diet might be adding one of these nut butter products to your daily meals!
Almond Butter
If you're looking for nut butter that's rich in heart-healthy omega fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals, you may want to choose almond butter. This creamy, dark brown spread is brimming with nutrition and a delicious nutty flavor.
Just Plain Nutty Almond Butteris a fine example of a health-conscious almond butter spread. It doesn't contain any unnecessary added ingredients like sugar or preservatives.
And it only takes two tablespoons of this stuff to get nearly 10% of your daily recommended intake of calcium! It's also packed with protein, making it a natural choice for bodybuilders and those looking to get in shape.
Cashew Butter
Many cashew butter products contain added sugars that lower their overall healthiness. Still, there are all-natural options likeJust Plain Nutty Cashew Butter.
These don't contain added sugars, but they have many micronutrients, fiber, and protein. So if you're looking for an easy iron boost, try adding some cashew butter to your toast or morning smoothie.
Peanut Butter
Peanut butter is an easy option, as many of us have grown up enjoying it on various snacks and sandwiches. And because it's so popular, you'll be able to find peanut butter spreads in almost every grocer store.
When choosing peanut butter, be sure to consider organic, all-natural options.Just Plain Nutty Peanut Butteris an excellent, whey-free option that's perfect for gluten-free and paleo diets.
Just two tablespoons are all you need to enjoy a boost of iron, calcium, potassium, fiber, protein, and heart-healthy fats. Once you've tried this simple peanut butter, you'll never turn back to sugar-filled ones.
Shed Pounds and Enjoy a Delicious Nut Butter
You don't have to avoid nut butter to enjoy a healthy diet. In fact, many types of nut butter are full of life-sustaining vitamins and minerals. Still, the healthiest options tend to be almond, cashew, and peanut butter.
These types of nut butter are rich in heart-healthy fats, protein, and fiber. When eaten in small quantities, they could make an excellent addition to a diet-friendly meal plan.
Are you looking for nut butter on the go? Be sure totry a squeeze packtoday!
