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The peanut butter aisle used to be simple: Crunchy or Creamy.  Now there’s a variety of nut and seed butters to choose from – many with the claim of “natural” –  making even tougher to figure out what’s best, so today we’re Getting the Skinny with Molly on the best and worst of “natural” nut & seed butters.

 

Nut & Seed Butters: What to look for on labels:

  • Sugar: Look for brands with little or no added sugar (or honey, cane syrup, etc) in ingredient list
  • Nut-free: More & more varieties are allergen-friendly:  go peanut-free with almond butter, for example, or entirely nut-free with a seed butter like SunButter or Beyond the Equator 5 Seed Butter

 

 

LOVE IT!

 

Powdered PB – unflavored (available at Walmart)

  • Per 3 tbsp: 70 calories, 2 grams fat, 4 grams carbs, 2 grams fiber, 1 gram sugar, 8 grams protein
  • Defatted peanuts: 85% fewer calories than regular nut butter – easy to blend into smoothies

 

Justin’s Classic Almond Butter

  • Per 2 tbsp: 190 calories, 18 grams fat, 6 grams carb, 3 grams fiber, 1 grams sugar, 7 grams protein
  • Almonds, palm oil

 

NuttZo (Available at Costco)

  • Per 2 tbsp: 190 calories, 17 grams fat, 8 grams carb, 3 grams fiber, 1 grams sugar, 6 grams protein
  • Cashews, almonds, brazil nuts, flax seeds, chia seeds, hazelnuts, pumpkin seeds, salt

 

COnutButter Pure Sea Salt Almond Butter (LOCAL)

  • Per 2 tbsp: 160 calories, 15 grams fat, 5 grams carbs, 2 grams fiber, 1 gram sugar, 5 grams protein
  • Ingredients: Roasted almonds, organic cold-pressed coconut oil, sea salt
  • Locally at Langenstein’s, Nesbit’s Market, Robert Fresh Market, Dorignac’s, Breaux Mart & more

 

SunButter Organic

  • Per 2 tbsp: 210 calories, 16 grams fat, 7 grams carb, 3 grams fiber, 4 grams sugar, 8 grams protein
  • Ingredients: Sunflower seeds
  • Peanut-Free, Tree Nut-Free, Soy-Free

 

Organic Cashew Butter, Walnut Butter, and/or Almond Butter – any variety without added sugar

 

 

 

LIKE IT!

 

Beyond the Equator 5 Seed Butter (LOCALLY OWNED)

  • Per 2 tbsp: 220 calories, 20 grams fat, 5 grams carb, 2 grams fiber, 1 grams sugar, 6 grams protein
  • Ingredients: Sunflower seeds, cane syrup, chia seed, flax seed, hemp hearts, pumpkin seed, salt
  • Peanut-Free, Tree Nut-Free, Soy-Free
    • Locally at Langenstein’s, Nesbit’s Market, Robert Fresh Market, Zara’s, Breaux Mart & more

 

 

Skippy Natural

  • Per 2 tbsp: 190 calories, 16 grams fat, 6 grams carb, 2 grams fiber, 3 grams sugar, 7 grams protein
  • Roasted peanuts, sugar, palm oil, salt

 

 

HATE IT!

 

Natural Jif | Honey

  • Per 2 tbsp: 190 calories, 15 grams fat, 10 grams carb, 2 grams fiber, 6 grams sugar, 7 grams protein
  • Peanuts, palm oil, salt, molasses, honey

 

Justin’s Chocolate Hazelnut Butter | better than Nutella, but not nearly as good as “love” and “like” options

  • Per 2 tbsp: 180 calories, 14 grams fat, 12 grams carb, 3 grams fiber, 7 grams sugar, 4 grams protein
  • Dry roasted hazelnuts and almonds, cane sugar, cocoa, cocoa butter

 

Choco-Dream Hazelnut Cocoa Spread | “natural – nothing artificial – fair trade cocoa”

  • Per 2 tbsp: 210 calories, 13 grams fat, 21 grams carb, 1 gram fiber, 19 grams sugar, 2 grams protein
  • Ingredients: Sugar, oil, hazelnuts, cocoa…
  • More sugar + palm oil than nuts, it’s essentially an “all natural” Nutella!

 

 

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Want more from Molly?  Click here to sign up for Nutrition Bites, her weekly e-newsletter with links to her Get the Skinny TV segments here on WGNO, and her weekly column in NOLA.com|The Times-Picayune!   And you can follow Molly on Facebook, Twitter, & Instagram:  @MollyKimballRD