Nut butters are all the rage at the moment – and with good reason, it is healthy and delicious. Let’s take a deeper look at the health benefits you can enjoy by working nut butter into your diet!
Low in Carbs, High in Healthy Fats
One of the biggest health benefits of nut butters is the fact that they are low in carbs but are packed full of healthy fats and protein. This means that they perfectly fit into low-carb and keto diets. If you are following a keto diet, some nut butters will be more keto-friendly than others, check out this guide for an in-depth look at the best nut butters if you are on a keto diet.
Even if you are just looking for a way to build more healthy fats into your diet, but are not on a strict low-carb diet, nut butters are a great way to do this because they are so versatile. They make a great addition to morning coffee, you can bake with nut butters, or enjoy them as a spread. Whatever way you choose to enjoy nut butters, they are a great way of bringing healthy fats into your life!
Also, nuts make for a great source of protein, so nut butter is a way to work protein into meals that typically would not have any. In particular, using nut butters to bake is a great way to add extra protein to baked treats like cookies and brownies.
Nut Butters Are Filling
People often say that the trickiest part of dieting is the cravings for something to snack on throughout the day. This is where adding nut butters to your arsenal can be really helpful, because nut butter is filling and satisfying.
A great way to hold off your cravings is to include nut butters in snacks that you prepare yourself at home. Not only does making your own snacks give you control over the ingredients, making them healthier, it also helps to save money on expensive, prepared stuff. Unlike most diet-friendly snacks, which just leave you wanting more, nut butters are actually really satiating This is because of their high healthy fat and protein content.
The great thing with nut butter is that it goes well with so many different flavors that you won’t run out of new and exciting snacks to whip up. Nut butters are both tasty and versatile, so you can work them into a wide range of snacks, although baking with them is a real favorite. You can even try combining nut butters with other ingredients to make delicious new spreads, like in this cinnamon almond butter recipe.
A Great Source of Fiber, Vitamins, and Minerals
It is not just on macronutrients where nut butter shines. It also contains lots of important micronutrients that help support a healthy lifestyle. Vitamin and mineral content will vary depending on the type of nut used to make the nut butter. At the same time, every nut butter will be high in dietary fiber.
Dietary fiber is really important for digestion. It helps support your gut flora and has even been connected with improved heart health. Often, when people follow diets (especially low-carb) they end up cutting out a lot of the sources of dietary fiber. This is where nut butter can really help, as it supports these low carb diets while providing much-needed fiber content.
Similar thing happens, when people start cutting foods out as part of a diet. They quite often overlook the fact that these foods are good sources of vitamins and minerals. It is really important that on any diet you are still getting the necessary micronutrients. Again, this is an area where nut butters can help by providing a low-carb way of getting important micronutrients.
Some of the key micronutrients provided by nuts are:
- Magnesium, which our body uses to control muscles and nerves.
- Manganese, which is a key part of the metabolization process. It helps your body break down food and get the nutrients inside.
- Various antioxidants, like vitamin E, that have a range of health benefits including a potential link to helping prevent cancer.
As well as these general nutrients present in all nuts, specific nuts have extra great properties:
- Walnuts contain a high amount of omega-3 fatty acids, which help lower cholesterol and combat heart disease.
- Hazelnuts are packed full of vitamin E and proanthocyanidins – two antioxidants that help keep you healthy.
- Cashews contain oleic acid, the same fatty acid that is in avocados, which has been linked to lower blood pressure.
Final thoughts
So there you have it – nut butter really is that dietary secret weapon you have been looking for! Packed to the brim with protein, healthy fats and micronutrients, and all in a low carb package. What’s not to love about nut butter?
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