How to Choose Nut & Seed Butters

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Transcript

Britni: Welcome back to “Ask a Nutritionist”, our weekly mini episode of Dishing Up Nutrition. My name is Britni Vincent, a Registered and Licensed Dietitian here at Nutritional Weight & Wellness. And today I will be talking about a pantry staple that seems simple but can actually be surprisingly confusing, and that is nut and seed butters.

So you have all probably been there. You walk down the grocery aisle and you will find dozens of options. There's peanut butter, almond butter, cashew butter, sunflower seed butter, pumpkin seed butter, mixed nut butter. There's organic, conventional, creamy, crunchy, refrigerated, shelf stable.

My goodness, it can leave you wondering which one is the best choice? Which one is actually the healthiest? Well today I will be answering some of the most common questions listeners had, so let me just dive right in.

Is there one healthiest nut or seed butter?

So the first question is, is there one healthiest nut or seed butter? And I would say there isn't one perfect winner. Most minimal ingredient nut and seed butters, they're nutrient dense foods. And we would put that in the category of a healthy fat. They're not only a good source of healthy fats, but they do contain a little protein, some fiber, some vitamins, minerals, all of which are going to support heart health, blood sugar, and keep you more satiated.

So instead of asking which type of nut or seed butter is healthiest, I like to ask which one gives you nutrients that you will actually consistently eat. I mean, which one do you prefer? You know, if you love peanut butter on apple slices or celery instead of grabbing a cookie, that's a wonderful choice. If almond butter is your favorite, that is also great.

You know, if you're somebody that has a tree nut allergy or somebody in your household does, and sunflower seed butter works for you, that is a healthy choice as well. And each nut or seed butter is going to have a different nutrient profile. But again, they're all excellent whole food choices when they are minimally processed.

What ingredients should you look for?

So I think this is a big question that often we get is what ingredients should you actually look for? Because they are not all created equal. The peanut butter that I grew up eating and probably most of you grew up eating is not going to be the best choice. So when you're at the grocery store, you're trying to make sense of all the different options, don't just read the front of the label because it can be really misleading.

It's a great example of how food manufacturers use the term “natural”. The word “natural” actually doesn't have any official meaning. It's more of a marketing phrase. It's a ploy.

Because people see the word “natural” and they assume that it's going to be a better choice, which may or may not be true.

Because a natural nut butter could very easily still have sugar in it. So instead turn the jar around, read that ingredient list. That is always what you should do when you're looking at a food product with the label. Check out that ingredient list. And ideally, it should just contain the nut or seed, or if there's multiple nuts or seeds, and salt if you prefer salt in there. That's it. So pretty basic.

Some products also contain a small amount of oil, especially if they're freshly ground. But again, generally the fewer ingredients the better.

Common ingredients to avoid

So here's some common ingredients you want to avoid: any sort of added sugar, including corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup. We want to look at the oils that they might be adding, avoid partially hydrogenated oils, and anything in there that is a little bit questionable. Again, ideally we're just looking for the nut, the seed, and maybe some salt in there.

There's a lot of no stir peanut butters that stay perfectly smooth because they've added extra stabilizers, maybe some extra fat in there. But those minimal ingredient nut and seed butters will naturally separate because healthy oils will naturally rise to the top. And that is completely normal.

I understand it's not super convenient all the time, but once you give it a really good stir, I find that that is very helpful to keep it mixed together well.

Is a seed butter or nut butter a better choice?

Another question: is a seed butter or nut butter a better choice? Again, neither is automatically healthier. I think they all bring their own unique nutrients to the table. So for example, almond butter is a great plant source of magnesium, has some calcium plus some vitamin E in there.

Sunflower seed butter also is rich in vitamin E, plus selenium. Pumpkin seed butter provides us with magnesium, zinc, and a little bit of iron. Tahini, which is made ground sesame seeds, that's a great source of calcium and copper. And if someone has, again, a tree nut allergy, those seed butters can be a wonderful alternative.

And I encourage variety. If you do like multiple of these different nut and seed butters, maybe you switch it up. Every time you purchase a different kind. And then that way you're going to diversify the nutrients that you're getting.

Do nut & seed butters count toward protein?

Let's talk about protein in nut and seed butters because as a dietitian, I often hear clients using nut and seed butters as their protein source. But we want to remember that yes, nuts and seeds do contain protein. They are not a complete protein, nor are they very high in protein either.

So again, we consider them more in the healthy fat category because primarily that's what you're going to find is fat in those products. So we don't want to count them as your main protein source. We still want to be including ideally an animal source of protein. So you can think of the nuts and seeds as a little boost in protein in addition to your main protein source coming from an animal source.

Refrigerated nut butter vs. non-refrigerated

Another common question is how about nut butters that need refrigeration versus shelf stable nut butter? Why do natural nut butters need refrigeration? Natural nut butters contain very little. It's basically just the nuts or the seeds and salt. So those healthy, unsaturated fats are sensitive to heat and light and oxygen, and they can become rancid pretty easily.

And by putting them in the refrigerator, it's going to slow down that process of them going bad. And it also helps to preserve the freshness, the flavor of it. So some food manufacturers do recommend refrigerating after opening and others say it's optional if you'll use up that jar quickly.

If you buy freshly ground nut or products without preservatives, I do think refrigeration is going to be your best choice. We don't generally recommend those shelf stable nut butters as they do tend to contain some additives and some preservatives in there. But again, I completely understand that those shelf stable nut butters, they're easier to spread, they're easier to stir. I get that.

So here's a little tip that you can use if you don't like that refrigerated peanut butter or nut butter because it's hard to spread. Just keep a small amount in a separate container and keep that at room temperature. And then you can refill that, wash it and refill it as needed, but that can be a little hack to make it easier to spread.

Are there mold concerns with peanut butter?

Another question that we sometimes get is what about mold concerns with peanut butter? So peanuts can occasionally be contaminated with molds that produce compounds called aflatoxins. So high exposures to these are health concern. However, commercially produced peanut butter sold in the United States, it's going to undergo extensive testing, quality control to keep that aflatoxin levels well below regulatory safety limits.

So if you're buying peanut butter from reputable manufacturers, the risk is considered very low. Again, proper storage is definitely going to matter. You want to get rid of any peanut butter that might have an unusual smell. Maybe you see mold growth visibly or any other sign of spoilage, just toss it and get a new one.

Should you always choose organic for nut butter?

What about the question, should you always choose organic when it comes to nut butters? Organic nut or seed butters, I think they're a great choice and that would be preferable if you can find them. Organic farming standards will prohibit synthetic pesticides, herbicides.

But you know, if you're at the grocery store and you can't find an organic one that is again, minimal ingredients, I don't want someone avoiding nut butter altogether just because they think they have to purchase the organic option because a conventional natural nut butter with one or two ingredients is still far healthier than many highly processed snack foods.

I always like to think in terms of worst, better, best. So if you can find an organic nut or seed butter with just one or two ingredients, go for it. That would be the preferred option. If for some reason that store doesn't have it, purchase a conventional. That would be okay.

Recap

So let's wrap everything up with a simple guide. When choosing a nut or seed butter, read the ingredient list. Look for just nuts or seeds and maybe salt if you prefer that. Skip any added sugars or refined oils. Refrigerate the natural varieties after opening. Consider rotating different nut and seeds just to get a wider variety of nutrients and different flavors.

Pair nut butter with a fruit or vegetable carbohydrate and an animal protein source for a balanced snack. Overall, whether you choose peanut, almonds, sunflower, cashew, walnut, or pumpkin seed butter, you are choosing a whole food ingredient that's rich in healthy fats, minerals, fiber, and it provides you with overall good nutrition.

I want to thank you so much for listening to this episode of “Ask a Nutritionist” today. If you found today's episode helpful, please share it with someone who could benefit. And to learn more about our classes and counseling, you can visit weightandwellness.com or you can give us a call at 651-699-3438. I will talk to you next time.

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