Why would you choose a fatty, calorie-laden raw nut butter when you could just stick with your fat-free, sugar-free pudding? (Insert sarcasm.) I’ll tell you why today, and then I’ll give 10 ways to enjoy raw nut butters.

This isn’t going to be complicated. 

I’ll give you the simple truths.

Raw Nut Butters

Nutritional Value

• walnut – omega-3 fats (94.5% of daily value in just .25 cup)
• almond – manganese, vitamin E, magnesium
• coconut – one of the very few sources that contain lauric acid, which helps your immune system fight bacterial and viral infections

Both images taken from World’s Healthiest Foods

Nuts and Digestion

I would be lying if I said that nuts were great for digestion. The truth is that when those with digestive disorders consume nuts, they might encounter problems. Part of the reason is due to the nut “pieces” that break off and get stuck in the diverticula – small, bulging pouches that form in the digestive system – aka diverticulitis. Even if you don’t have diverticulitis, nut pieces can irritate the digestive system and/or cause an inflammatory response (hence why they are not allowed on the Autoimmune Protocol).

However, nuts do contain a lot of fiber. Fiber helps clear out waste. Nuts also contain other nutrients that are naturally great for the digestive system (i.e. magnesium in almonds, omega-3’s to help reduce inflammation, etc.). 

When you get your gut in check, they are going to start working wonders for your digestive system! But until then….

3 secrets for digesting nuts to make them work for you

1. Raw nut butters (!) –> “Pureed” vs. whole nuts.
2. Clean out your gut –> I promise that once your gut heals it will be able to handle so much more.
3. Don’t eat more than 10-12 raw nuts in a sitting; start with 3-5 and work your way up.

Raw Nut Butters with Nil Sugar

Raw nut butters contain nil sugar.

1. Try any of these 7 nut butter recipes. They have anywhere from 0 – (very minimal) grams of sugar per serving!
2. Artisana Organic Raw Walnut Butter – 1g/sugar per 2 tbsp
3. Artisana Raw Cacao Bliss – 4g/sugar per 2 tbsp
4. Nutiva Organic Coconut Manna – 2g/sugar per 2 tbsp
5. Nikki’s Coconut Butter (just incredible all around; all flavors)

Raw nut butters barely contain any sugar, not because they are plump full of sugar-free sweeteners and chemicals, but because they are naturally sugar-free. Raw nut butters don’t need to market themselves as “sugar-free nut butter” (like sugar-free pudding) because there isn’t a sugar version that exists. (Keep in mind, though, that many dessert nut butters now do have a lot of added sugar to them. And yes, even if it’s agave or cane sugar – it’s still added sugar.)

I’m not here to judge….I never am.

But this is a choice.

Put these ingredients into your body (sugar-free, fat-free pudding): Modified Food Starch, Cocoa Processed With Alkali, Maltodextrin (From Corn), Tetrasodium Pyrophosphate and Disodium Phosphate (For Thickening), Contains less than 2% of Skim Milk, Natural and Artificial Flavor, Salt, Soy Lecithin (For Blending), Calcium Sulfate, Xanthan Gum (For Smooth Texture), Mono- and Diglycerides (Prevent Foaming), Aspartame (Phenylketonurics)

Or indulge with the simple ones from above.

It’s super easy to make your own nut butter (and you can then control exactly how much sugar is added). I’ve given the guide for how to make them, along with 7 different flavors to try (3 peanut butters, 2 almond butters, a walnut butter – OMG – Carrot Cake!, and a peanut-cashew butter). Grab them HERE.

10 Ways to Enjoy Raw Nut Butters

Click HERE to save this post for later.

1. Plain, plain, plain. Remember when I talked about fat? If not, see it here -> Healthy Fats! Fat does not make us fat. Still, you cannot sit there and eat spoonful upon spoonful of these nut butters. They do have a ton of calories and fat. Be cognizant when indulging. My secret? I whip out my 1/4 tsp I eat 4-6 of them when I’m craving some dessert, typically 2-3 times per day. Even if I do that 3 times per day, that is less than 2 tablespoons total. 
2. Spread on some plain, unsalted rice cakes (nil sugar option).
3. Warm it up and spread it over an apple, pear, mango or other piece of fruit.
4. Mix it in with your gluten-free oats in the morning (nil sugar option).
5. Use it as a gluten-free mini cupcake frosting replacement.
6. Infuse into a “nice cream” (= non-dairy, banana ice cream).
7. Put some into your smoothie (try this recipe: Chocolate Protein Super Smoothie).
8. Dippin’ – heat it up and dip a banana in it.
9. Crackers and Butter. Remember the pre-packaged crackers and peanut butter? Make your own. Grab a gluten-free rice cracker (or any cracker), and spread away. (nil sugar option)
10. Frozen Chocolate-Covered Peanut Butter Banana Sandwiches. Make these. Just do it. 

psssst. In A Gutsy Girl’s Nut Butter Recipes: The A Loving Spoon nut butter original recipes, you will find 44 Simple Nut Butter Pairings.

Xox,
SKH