Healthiest nut butters for protein and fibre

With around half of us having eaten it in the past three months, peanut butter may well be on your shopping list – and there are also other options gaining in popularity, such as almond, walnut and cashew butters. 

Registered dietitian Kirsten Jackson helps us to discover which nut butter is healthiest. 

As part of our report, we’ve analysed the labels of more than 80 different nut butter products* to see which takes the lead in regards to protein and fibre, so you don’t have to.

OUR EXPERT

Kirsten Jackson is a consultant dietitian specialising in gastroenterology. She is a spokesperson for the British Dietetic Association (BDA) and an advisory board member of The IBS Network.

She has held various NHS dietitian posts and was lead dietitian at King's College Hospital London, (UAE).

Peanut butter, almond butter, cashew nut butter or mixed: which is healthiest?

Regular nut consumption, particularly whole nuts and minimally processed nut butters, is associated with improved cholesterol balance and reduced cardiovascular risk, and may also support gut health. But which type is best?

Kirsten says: ‘Technically speaking, no one food is healthier than the other as it depends on the overall diet and interestingly, gut health research is pointing more towards plant variety in our diets rather than picking that 'one best option.' 

So ideally, we would be having a variety of nut and seed butters in our diet.

‘I recommend all my clients to include nut butters in their diet due to the multiple health benefits they provide,’ says Kirsten, ‘but also the versatility – they are so easy to add into or onto foods.’

Although Kirsten says if she had to choose, she’d pick almond butter for its vitamin E and fibre content, all nut butters bring something to the table. Here are some of their pros and cons:

Peanut butter: good for heart health and energy

• Pros: Packed with protein (look for high-oleic varieties on labels) and omega-9s to support heart health. B3 and calories provide an energy boost. Affordable, widely available, and a cupboard staple.
• Cons: Standard versions may contain palm oil (more than a quarter of those we examined). Plus, peanut allergy is one of the commonest food allergies.

Almond butter: great for metabolism

• Pros: High in vitamin E and fibre-rich, which helps with satiety and weight loss as well as stabilising blood sugar. 
• Cons: Generally pricier than peanut butter. It's also relatively high in oxalates, which may be an issue for people with a history of kidney stones.

Cashew nut butter: supports bone health 

• Pros: Naturally rich in minerals such as magnesium and copper, which support normal bone structure and help keep your nervous system working as it should, when included as part of a balanced diet. 
• Cons: Lower protein levels than the peanut butter and almond butter we looked at, plus lower in fibre – even the highest product for fibre we found was only 4.3g per 100g.

Walnut butter: helpful in lowering cholesterol 

• Pros: Rich in alpha‑linolenic acid (ALA), a plant‑based omega‑3 that can support heart health and help maintain healthy cholesterol levels, especially when used as a substitute for saturated fats and as part of a healthy diet.
• Cons: Walnut butter can taste bitter, and it’s not mainstream, so it can be expensive. It also has lower protein and fibre than other nuts.

Hazelnut butter: circulation booster

• Pros: Proanthocyanidin antioxidants (20 times more than in peanuts) help to produce nitric oxide to relax blood vessels and help with circulation, as well as working with monounsaturated fats to reduce ‘bad’ cholesterol. 
• Cons: Don’t mistake hazelnut spreads for much healthier hazelnut butters. For example, Lidl Deluxe Hazelnut Spread contains 20% hazelnut paste and a whopping 46g of sugar per 100g, compared to Biona smooth hazelnut butter which is 100% nuts and has just 4g of sugar per 100g.

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How much nut butter should you be eating?

One level tablespoon of nut butter provides around 4g of plant protein, 1g of fibre and 100 calories, most of which come from healthy fats.

‘I recommend 1-2 tablespoons per day as long as someone isn’t looking to lose weight, as this is a calorie-dense food,’ says Kirsten.

If you are watching your waistline, you should half this amount, as a heaped tablespoon can double the serving size when compared to a level one.

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Are high-oleic peanuts better than other peanuts?

High-oleic peanuts contain a higher proportion of monounsaturated fats than regular peanuts. 

While regular peanuts typically contain 35-69% oleic acid, high-oleic peanuts contain 75% or more. This means that in high-oleic peanuts there’s 9g of oleic acid to every 1g of linoleic, but for standard peanuts it’s around 1.5g of oleic to every 1g of linoleic. 

Why does this matter?

Kirsten says: ‘High-oleic peanuts contain 30% more monounsaturated fats than regular peanuts, so they are good at reducing bad cholesterol.’ 

Not only that, but high-oleic peanuts are considerably more stable than other peanuts, so they don’t go off as quickly. 

High-oleic peanut butter products include M&S (100% Smooth/Crunchy), ManiLife, Pip & Nut, and Yumello. While Whole Earth also offers a high-oleic version, it is usually a specific product within their wider range, so check the label.

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Top nut butters for protein

Peanut butter

• Whole Earth Drizzler Super Smooth 100% peanut butter - 29.6g protein per 100g ( £3.30 for 320g/£1.03 per 100g, Morrisons).
• Waitrose 100% peanuts crunchy peanut butter - 29.3g protein per 100g (£2 for 340g/59p per 100g, Waitrose).
• Waitrose 100% peanuts smooth peanut butter - 29g protein per 100g (£2 for 340g/59p per 100g, Waitrose).

The lowest were Pip & Nut Sweet & Salty peanut butter (20.6g per 100g), Yumello Crunchy Salted Date peanut butter (22.6g) and Morrisons smooth peanut butter (23.4g). It’s worth noting that although the product with the least protein had around 70% less than the best one, all the peanut butters looked at had decent protein levels.

Almond butter

• Lidl Maribel Crunchy almond butter, & smooth almond butter - 29.6g protein per 100g (both £1.99 for 170g, Lidl).
• Nuts About Nature smooth almond butter - 26.6g protein per 100g (£4.94 for 340g, Tesco).
• Meridian Organic Smooth almond butter - 25.4g protein per 100g (£15 for 470g, Ocado).

Lowest were Pip & Nut Smooth Coconut almond butter (16g protein), Nutcessity Organic Gingerbread almond butter (17.2g protein) and Meridian Coconut almond butter (19g protein). 

Cashew nut butter

• Lidl Maribel Smooth cashew butter - 21.2g protein per 100g (£1.99 for 170g, Lidl).
• Sun & Seed Organic Raw cashew nut butter -  21g protein per 100g (£6.20 for 200g, Sun &  Seed).
• Meridian cashew nut butter - 20.6g protein per 100g (£3.30 for 170g, Sainsbury’s).

Lowest were Daylesford Organic cashew butter (15.3g protein), Carley’s Organic raw cashew nut butter (17g protein) and Carley’s cashew nut butter (17.4g).

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Top nut butters for fibre

Peanut butter

• M&S 100% smooth peanut butter - 10.1g fibre per 100g (£2 for 340g, Ocado). Also made with high-oleic peanuts and no palm oil.
• Whole Earth 100% Nuts crunchy peanut butter, & smooth peanut butter - 10g fibre per 100g (£2,50 for 340g, Waitrose).
• M&S 100% crunchy peanut butter - 9.7g fibre per 100g (£2 for 340g, Ocado).

Five peanut butter products tied for the lowest fibre levels with 5.4g per 100g, namely Duchy Organic crunchy, Aldi Grandessa 100% nuts crunchy and smooth varieties, and Lidl Maribel 100% crunchy and smooth versions.

Almond butter**

• Meridian Coconut almond butter - 12g fibre per 100g (£3.40 for 170g, Ocado).
• Meridian Smooth fully roasted almond butter - 12g fibre per 100g (£8 for 470g, Ocado).
• Pip & Nut Coconut smooth almond butter - 12g fibre per 100g (£2.85 for 170g, Ocado).

Lowest for fibre were Aldi The Foodie Market smooth almond butter (7.1g fibre) and the crunchy variety (7.3g fibre) as well as Lidl Maribel almond butter, which had 8.3g fibre for both smooth and crunchy versions.

**Products are listed in alphabetical order because fibre content is the same for all three.

Cashew nut butter**

• M&S 100% Cashew nut butter smooth - 4.3g fibre per 100g (£3.50 for 227g, Ocado).
• Meridian fully roasted crunchy cashew nut butter - 4.3g fibre per 100g (£3.30 for 170g, Sainsbury’s).
• Meridian fully roasted smooth cashew nut butter - 4.3g fibre per 100g (£3.25 for 170g, Ocado). 

Just falling shy was Lidl Maribel smooth cashew butter, which has 4g fibre per 100g and is the top cashew nut butter for protein (see above).

Lowest for fibre were Carley’s Organic raw cashew nut butter (3g fibre), Daylesford Organic cashew butter (3g fibre) and Carley’s cashew nut butter (3.1g fibre), although across the nine products, there was just 1.3g of fibre difference between the most and least abundant.

**Products are listed in alphabetical order because fibre content is the same for all three.

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Crunchy vs smooth nut butters: which is best?

‘In theory, there may be a slight benefit from the crunchy version in keeping you fuller for longer because you are having to chew it,’ says Kirsten, ‘but really it’s unlikely to make a huge difference.’

When we looked, in some cases there were slight differences between a crunchy and smooth version of the same product for values such as protein and fibre, but these were negligible, so really it comes down to personal preference.

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Nut butter FAQs

Is nut butter suitable if you’re trying to lose weight?

It can be because its protein, fat and fibre content help curb cravings, stabilise blood sugar and help you feel full, but limit intake to half to one tablespoon daily because it’s also calorific.

Does nut butter cause blood sugar spikes?

Nut butters generally have a low impact on blood sugar, particularly when eaten in moderation and without added sugars.

What should I look for on the ingredients list?

Look for a nut butter with as few ingredients as possible – ideally 100% nuts or thereabouts. Although a nut butter containing, say, 96% nuts will still give you nutritional benefits, the remaining 4% will be from added extras – such as sugar, salt, flavourings or oils added for consistency, flavour or affordability.

Are ‘skin-on’ nut butters best?

The skins are rich in insoluble fibre and antioxidants for heart and gut health.

Meridian product labels specify ‘skins on’, otherwise look for darker, speckled nut butters as these are more likely to contain the skins, too. The higher the fibre, the more likely your nut butter contains skins. Look for fibre of ideally 8.5g or more for peanuts and 10.5g or more for almonds.

Are added sugar varieties still healthy?

Sugar can increase palatability, so if it means you’re more likely to eat a nut butter then go for it – just don’t overdo it. Better to have it as a treat and accrue the benefits of having some nuts in your diet than not at all.

Are palm oil and vegetable oils bad in nut butter?

Added oils in nut butters inevitably reduce the amount of actual nuts present. Some also contain palm oil, which is around 50% saturated fat, so ones with polyunsaturated fats such as sunflower or rapeseed oil are better choices if you’re picking one with added oil.

Is cupboard or fridge best for storing nut butter?

Temperature is the most important factor in quality change, and researchers found that storing at 10°C helps maintain texture and stability beyond 16 weeks without compromising quality. As this is higher than the recommended fridge temperature, store in a dark cupboard away from light and air, wipe the jar rim after each use to prevent oxidation, and use a separate spoon to serve to avoid spoilage. Always follow the manufacturer's guidance on shelf life and storage.

*including 56 peanut butters, 18 almond butters, 9 cashew nut butters and 3 hazelnut butters.