Nut Butters: The Secret To A Good Smoothie

We love nut butters!

Much more than your typical peanut butter, natural nut butters are full of nutrients and very satisfying. Adding a handful of nuts or a good quality nut butter (one that contains 100% nuts) adds a healthy dose of good fats to any recipe, as well a delicious nutty flavour.

Perfect in smoothies, smeared on toast, or added to raw treat recipes, nut butters are very versatile and can be a goldmine of nutrients.

Nut butter benefits:

• high in beneficial fats such as omega 3 and omega 6
• fats are a readily available source of energy
• most nut butters are high in protein
• contains beneficial vitamins and minerals such as calcium, magnesium, zinc, Vitamin E, potassium, and more
• supports healthy brain function
• high in antioxidants

If you can’t find a good nut butter that is 100% nuts, you could try making it yourself at home. They are very easy to make as they only require one ingredient. All you need is a decent food processor or blender, and some high quality (preferably organic) nuts.

Note: roasting the nuts before blending results in a creamier butter and a nice roasted flavour. You can also add a little bit of salt to your butter if preferred, but resist adding any liquids - these may change the consistency.

Here are our favourite nut butters and a few of their unique benefits.

Almond Butter

Perhaps the healthiest nut butter, almond butter is loaded with protein, healthy fats and other nutrients such as calcium and magnesium.

Peanut Butter

The classic nut butter! Peanut butter is packed with protein, low in carbs, and is a very satisfying and delicious. It’s perfect in post-workout smoothies or pre-workout snacks.
Peanut butter pairs perfectly with cacao, as well as berry flavours.

Hazelnut Butter

Hazelnut butter is full of omega-6 fatty acids which are needed for brain function and development. It also contains protein and many vitamins and essential nutrients. Try mixing hazelnut butter into a cacao smoothie for healthy nutella-like smoothie.

Cashew Butter

Cashew butter is creamy and smooth in flavour. It’s not particularly high in protein, but it does contain essential vitamins and minerals such as magnesium, calcium, zinc, and more. Cashew butter goes very well with fresh berries in smoothies and raw treats.

Macadamia Butter

This creamy butter has a similar nutritional profile to peanut butter - it’s high in protein and good fats. Try mixing macadamia butter with cacao or matcha flavours.

Two of our favourie nut butters - Pic's Peanut Butter and Rainforest Food's Macadamia Butter