Nuts about nut butter? Here's which ones are best

Which nut butter is healthiest?

CapeTalk's John Maytham discussed a Conversation article on the topic with dietician Jenna Bowes.

Maytham said that when he was a child, he remembers peanut butter being in the supermarkets. But now you can go into health shops and big retail chains and buy almond, cashew, hazelnut, and macadamia nut butters as well as various blends.

"You're going to dilute the nutrient quality if you're going to choose something that's got more additives to it," said Bowes.

"Common food additives that make the product taste better include oils and fats, which give it a better mouthfeel. Sugars and salts are going to make you want to go back for more. So they definitely enhance the flavour of products and probably attract consumers to buy those products again and again."

Should you be looking for the nut itself as the only or main ingredient in the butter?

"Labels are always listed from biggest to smallest in weight. If sugar and salt or added oil - vegetable oils, canola oils - are at the top of the ingredients list, you're going to know that they're going to be quite a big portion of the weight of that product. If you see an almond butter with 99% of the product being made with almonds themselves, then you know you're going for a superior product."

"Any oils that are more processed by nature," said Bowes.

"I use a lot of the products myself, and they are delicious added to smoothies, breakfast bowls, oats, spread on crackers and bread. But you do want to make sure that you do a little bit of product research. Going to shops that stock a range and you can have a look at the label and make an informed decision yourself."