Over the past few years, nut butters have become more and more popular and most grocery stores have expanded their range past traditional peanut butter to include other varieties of nuts, including:
- almond butter
- cashew
- sunflower
- and hazelnut butters
The question is, which of these, if any, are suitable for a keto diet and which ones are going to give you the most significant health boost?
The good news is, as long as you control your portions properly and choose natural, additive-free products, pretty much every nut butter can make for an excellent addition to the keto diet.
We know that nuts are packed with the protein and healthy fats we want and need to achieve ketosis and that they’re high in soluble fiber that helps bring down the net carb level, but it’s also important to remember that they can be quite caloric, so moderation is key.
In this article, we’re going to take a look at the top five healthiest nut butters that are guaranteed to give you the health kick you need in your keto diet.
The 4 Healthiest Keto Nut Butters
#4 Almond Butter
After peanut butter, almond butter is probably the most popular nut butter around, and it’s not hard to see why.
Not only does almond butter taste creamy and delicious, but it also contains more protein per serving than any other nut which is perfect for helping you lose weight and build muscle on keto.
The high protein content helps you feel fuller for longer [1] and it’s ideal for a post-workout snack or even as a tasty addition to a keto smoothie.
Almonds are also packed with Vitamin E and other antioxidants that provide numerous health benefits, ranging from protecting our eyes and preventing ocular diseases, to nourishing our skin by protecting it from harmful UV rays, speeding our body’s healing processes, and reducing the risk of cancer (i.e. skin cancer).
With 14g of fat, 6g of protein and only 2.5g of net carbs per ounce, almond butter is a great way to start expanding your nut butter horizons.
#3 Walnut Butter
With 18g of fat, 4g of protein and 2g of net carbs per ounce, walnuts have similar macros to almonds, but what really sets them apart from other nuts is their high polyunsaturated fat content.
These omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to boost the metabolism, potentially resulting in faster weight loss, as well as helping to prevent heart disease [2], fight inflammation, lower LDL cholesterol and even help regulate insulin levels, preventing the onset of type-II diabetes.
Walnuts are also full of unique, powerful antioxidants—more than any other nut—which are great at protecting our cells from free radicals, harmful molecules that can lead to a number of adverse effects, including heart disease.
They’re also great for digestive health as they aid in detoxifying our digestive track and work as a prebiotic—helping boost our important internal gut bacteria.
It’s also possible that increasing your walnut intake can help you get a better night’s sleep, as walnuts contain the “body-clock” hormone, melatonin, which can regulate your sleep and give you a more restful night.
#2 Hazelnut Butter
We’re definitely not talking about Nutella here, real hazelnut butter is the real deal!
Like all of the nuts on this list, hazelnuts have an excellent source of macros (17g of fat, 4g of protein and 2g of net carbs per ounce) and are full of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals that protect your body’s cells and fight against disease.
Hazelnuts in particular are rich in an antioxidant known as proanthocyanidin which, along with vitamin E, has demonstrated the ability to fight off cancerous cells [3], reducing DNA damage and preventing cancerous cells from multiplying.
Hazelnut is easy to make at home and if the nutty butteriness is making you crave something with a little more flavor, you can easily add a little bit of stevia and unsweetened cocoa to create your own healthy “chocolate spread”.
Unsweetened cocoa is ideal for keto and comes with its own array of health advantages, so feel free to experiment with different combinations!
#1 Macadamia Butter
Top of the list of healthy nut butters sits macadamia, which always comes out on top when comparing nuts that are ideal for keto. With 21g fat, 2.2g of protein and a mere 1.5g of net carbs, it’s easy to see why they’re the perfect fit.
Macadamias are loaded with micronutrients and have been linked to weight loss, healthier skin and a lower risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease [4]. Macadamias are a great source of fiber, calcium, copper, iron, potassium, zinc, vitamin B6 and monounsaturated fats. Additionally, they’re known to contain an extremely rare omega-7 fatty acid, known as palmitoleic acid.
Along with being linked to a healthier heart, palmitoleic acid is also known to protect the brain’s neurons, maintaining long-term brain health and protecting against neurodegenerative diseases.
However, before you dash out to buy a jar of macadamia butter, you may want to think about making your own batch at home, as it’s know to be pretty expensive!
Summary
Nut butters are the perfect addition to the keto diet and every one of the spreads above is guaranteed to help you to achieve and maintain ketosis while providing numerous other health benefits.
Just like with anything else, be mindful of how much you’re consuming!
Each butter comes with its own special properties and unique, delicious flavor, so feel free to try them all to find your favorite and, if you’re making butter at home, you can experiment endlessly with different blends and recipes.
References:
[1] Tan SY, Mattes RD. Appetitive, dietary and health effects of almonds consumed with meals or as snacks: a randomized, controlled trial. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2013 Nov;67(11):1205-14. doi: 10.1038/ejcn.2013.184. Epub 2013 Oct 2.
[2] Nuts and your heart: Eating nuts for heart health; Discover how walnuts, almonds and other nuts can help lower your cholesterol when eaten as part of a balanced diet. By Mayo Clinic Staff
[3] Alqahtani S, Kaddoumi A. Vitamin E transporters in cancer therapy.
AAPS J. 2015 Mar;17(2):313-22. doi: 10.1208/s12248-014-9705-5. Epub 2014 Dec 3.
[4] Giuseppe Grosso, Justin Yang, Stefano Marventano, Agnieszka Micek, Fabio Galvano, Stefanos N Kales; Nut consumption on all-cause, cardiovascular, and cancer mortality risk: a systematic review and meta-analysis of epidemiologic studies, The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Volume 101, Issue 4, 1 April 2015, Pages 783–793, https://doi.org/10.3945/ajcn.114.099515