Are you allergic to peanuts or have you kicked your peanut butter addiction and jumped onto the new health food craze band-wagon and moved on to a better alternative like nut-butter? It’s time that you understand the increased healthy benefits to nut butters versus peanut butter.

Nut butter is a blend of one or multiple tree nuts and/or seeds and are more nutrient dense than peanuts and offer more beneficial fats. They’re also less inflammatory than peanuts, which are also known to be allergenic and contain compounds like peanut lectin and aflatoxin that can cause gastrointestinal distress, among other things. Regardless of the many brands of peanut butter that contain added sugars and hydrogenated vegetable oils, peanut butter has been touted as a “health food,” thanks to its beneficial ratio of fat, protein, and carbs. Fortunately, similar macronutrient profiles derived from higher-quality ingredients can be found in many nut butters as we will describe here, but buyer beware…..nut butters are easy to overeat and should be consumed responsibly.

Justin’s

Justin’s almond butter is made from California almonds using a proprietary nut-grinding technique. Although the company offers a variety of nut-butter flavors, its Classic Almond Butter contains only tow ingredients: dry-roasted almonds and sustainably sourced palm-fruit oil. This all natural gluten-free product also matches peanut butter in protein content. Justin’s also has single-sere packets in case you are in need of portion control!

Sunbutter

SunButter, made from sunflower seeds, has been a savior for children who have peanut allergies. The company was created in part because the founder’s niece had a peanut allergy. SunButter makes several products, but two of them stand above the rest. Organic and Natural No Sugar Added – stand above the rest because they are free from added sweeteners. SunButter is a favorite among children and is recommended for those who want or need to follow a peanut-free diet.

Nuttzo

Nutzo is a unique product in that it combines seven different nuts and seeds rather than showcasing one. The company offers three flavors: of these, the Power Fuel PF variety, in particular, is peanut-free and contains nothing but sea salt and organic nuts and seeds (cashews, almonds, Brazil nuts, flaxseeds, hazelnuts, chia seeds, and pumpkin seeds.) The addition of flax and chia provides a dose of omega-3 fats in the form of alpha-linoleic acid.