Although nuts are high in fat and calories, they’re a great source of protein and fiber. And because the fat in nuts is unsaturated, products such as nut butters can help reduce LDL (bad) cholesterol.

Nut butters make a healthy snack when eaten in moderation. Here are some shopping tips:

• Choose nut butters with the lowest amount of sugar content.
• Opt for nut butters with higher amounts of fiber per serving.
• Note that reduced-fat nut butters usually are lower in fat than other nut-butter products but are rarely much lower in calories and often contain more sugar.

Going by the Numbers
The following chart displays calories, fat, percent calories from fat, sugar, and fiber content for a variety of nut butter products.

Nut Butters (serving size = 2T)	Cals	Fat (gm)	% Cals from Fat	Sugar (mg)	Fiber (gm)
I.M. Healthy Original Chunky Soy Nut Butter	170	11	58	3	3
Once Again Sunflower Seed Nut Butter	170	15	79	3	3
Earth Balance Natural Almond Butter	170	16	85	2	4
Skippy Super Chunk Peanut Butter, Reduced Fat	180	12	60	4	2
Soy Wonder Soy Nut Butter, Creamy	180	12	60	5	3
Peter Pan Reduced Fat Peanut Butter, Creamy	190	11	52	5	2
Nutella Hazelnut Spread with Skim Milk & Cocoa	190	11	52	20	1
Jif Crunchy Peanut Butter, Reduced Fat	190	12	57	4	1
Peter Pan Honey Roast Peanut Butter, Creamy	190	14	66	8	2
MaraNatha Cashew Butter	190	15	71	2	2
Skippy Super Chunk Peanut Butter	190	16	76	3	2
MaraNatha Almond Butter, Creamy	190	17	81	3	3
Laura Scudder’s Old Fashioned Peanut Butter, Smooth, Reduced Fat	200	12	54	2	2
Natural Sunbutter (sunflower seed nut butter)	200	16	72	3	4
Artisana Walnut Butter	205	19	83	1	2
Laura Scudder’s Old Fashioned Peanut Butter, Smooth	210	16	69	1	2
Santa Cruz Organic Peanut Butter, Crunchy	210	16	69	1	2
Smucker’s Natural Peanut Butter, Chunky	210	16	69	1	2
Artisana Pecan Butter	213	20	85	1	3
MaraNatha Macadamia Butter	230	24	94	1	3

Sources: Product packaging, MayoClinic.com

© StayWell Custom Communications. Information is the opinion of the sourced authors and organizations. Personal decisions regarding health, diet, and exercise should be made only after consultation with the reader's own medical advisers. This material may not be reproduced for redistribution without written permission from StayWell Custom Communications.