Which nut butter is the healthiest?

Before I dive into the pros and cons of different types of nut butters, here are a few tips that are applicable to shopping for and/or eating any nut butter:

1) Look for brands that have only one ingredient listed (i.e. roasted peanuts). Look out for any added sugars or hydrogenated oils.

2) Don’t buy the reduced fat kind. When it comes to nut butters, the healthy fat that they offer is kind of the point. The caloric difference between the two is often minimal. A single serving of Kraft Light smooth peanut butter has 80 calories, while the regular kind contains 90 per serving.

3) Serving size is key. While nut butters are a healthy option and a great ingredient for every runner to stock, they are also easy to go overboard with. Most nutritional labels will show the values for a serving size of one tablespoon. For some reason though, most of us think we can slather on as much as we like and it still only counts as the calories displayed on the label. Sadly, this isn’t true.

4) Think of it as a fat, rather than protein source. Oftentimes, there is confusion among consumers that nut butters are a protein source. While they do contain some protein, the value is nowhere near that of a meat source, or vegetarian protein option like lentils. This confusion likely spurs from the fact that, in the Health Canada food guide, two tablespoons of nut butter counts as one serving from the ‘meat and meat alternatives’ food group. This puts nut butters on par with a serving of chicken or fish, when the truth is that these options will provide double the protein that a serving of nut butter does.

Here are some of our top picks for nut butters all runners should give a try.

Almond butter

Both almond butter and peanut butter contain the healthy monounsaturated fat that is also found in ingredients like olive oil. However, almond butter outranks peanut butter by a bit, with 5.2 g per tbsp, versus peanut butter’s 3.8. Almond butter also contains more than double the amount of vitamin E per serving than peanut butter.

Walnut butter

Though not a common one, walnut butter is a great option. It has more of the omega-3 fatty acid called alpha-liolenic acid (ALA). Researchers have also determined that walnuts are an effective source of antioxidants. Ninety per cent of these antioxidants are located in the skin of the nut.

Soy butter

Soy butter, a common alternative among those with nut allergies, is an option which shouldn’t be overlooked by runners. Made from roasted soybeans, soy butter offers less fat and more protein than other nut butters and is a strong source of amino acids.

Peanut butter

Did you know peanuts aren’t a nut at all? They’re a legume. This fact is kind of funny, considering peanut butter is often considered the king of the nut butters and is by far the most widely consumed. For the healthiest option, choose a natural peanut butter (at many health food stores, you can actually grind your own peanut butter, which is kind of fun) as it has less sodium content than the processed kind.

Pumpkin seed butter

A quarter cup of pumpkin seeds contains more than half your daily recommended magnesium and are one of the richest food sources of zinc. Preliminary studies have shown possibilities that pumpkin seeds can also act as an anti-inflammatory.

Sunflower seed butter

A source of magnesium, vitamin E and healthy fats, sunflower seed butter is definitely one to try. They are also a good source of selenium. Plus, it’s pretty cool that they used to be part of a flower.

Tahini (sesame seed butter)

While still largely unknown, with the rise in vegetarian and vegan recipe popularity, tahini is gaining a bit more attention. This ingredient can help you get the small amount of copper you should be ingesting. It is commonly used as a vegan alternative to make creamy salad dressing. Check out this tahini-lemon salad dressing from the vegan cookbook, Oh She Glows.