Whether you’re looking for a quick sweet and salty snack or a way to add protein to your meal, nut butters are a healthy choice.
Nut butters are delicious, versatile, and rich in healthy fats that will keep you feeling full. They’re also a great source of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. But do all nut butters have the same nutritional value? What’s the difference between peanut butter and almond butter?
Both are rich, nutty, and nutritious, but which is healthier: peanut butter or almond butter? Which has more protein or fewer calories? Dietitians share which is your best choice and what to look for when choosing a nut butter.
Which is the healthiest nut butter?
Natalie Rizzo, TODAY.com’s nutrition editor and registered dietitian, explains that it’s difficult to choose the healthiest nut butter based on the type of nut, as each has different nutritional values and benefits.
However, if you’re buying it and not making it yourself, the healthiest nut butters have fewer ingredients, minimal saturated fat, and no added sugar or oil. “The healthiest version is just nuts and salt or unsalted, if you’re watching your sodium intake,” Rizzo says.
Hazelnut butter is simply a paste made by mashing roasted hazelnuts, sometimes with water, into a paste. Hazelnut butter is generally considered healthy when consumed in moderation and as part of an overall balanced, nutritious diet.
This is largely due to its high plant-based protein and healthy fat content, which provide energy to the body and keep you feeling full for longer.
Nuts are also rich in unsaturated fats, which can help lower LDL (bad) cholesterol, support heart and brain health and help with blood sugar control, author and registered dietitian nutritionist Frances Largeman-Roth previously told TODAY.com.
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According to the American Heart Association, people who eat nut butters regularly have a lower risk of heart disease and Type 2 diabetes than those who don’t eat nut butters.
Rizzo notes that nut butters are also rich in vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin E, magnesium, potassium, and zinc, which play a role in heart health, skin health, muscle function, and more.
Nutritional values of peanut butter and almond butter
Both almonds and peanuts are healthy and provide a very similar amount of nutrients. “Since the two foods have similar nutritional value, their nut butters are also very similar,” says Rizzo.
A single serving (two tablespoons) of smooth, unsalted peanut butter or almond butter contains approximately:
- 190–195 calories
- 7–8 grams of protein
- 16–18 grams of fat
- 1.5–3 grams of fiber
Rizzo adds that there’s one important difference: peanuts are not a nut but a legume that grows in the ground, while almonds are a tree nut. This slightly impacts their nutritional content.
Protein
Peanut butter and almond butter are both excellent sources of plant-based protein, says Largeman-Roth, although peanut butter contains slightly more protein than almond butter.
One serving of each provides the following amount of protein:
- Peanut butter: 8 grams of protein
- Almond butter: 7 grams of protein
Oil
Peanut butter and almond butter are also great sources of healthy fats. Peanuts and almonds are plant-based foods and therefore don’t contain cholesterol, Largeman-Roth said.
One serving of each provides the following amounts of fat, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture database:
- Peanut butter: 16 grams total (13 grams unsaturated, 3 grams saturated)
- Almond butter: 18 grams total (17 grams unsaturated, 1 gram saturated)
Peanut butter and almond butter are high in heart-healthy unsaturated fatty acids, including oleic acid, a type of omega-9 fatty acid that helps lower LDL cholesterol, according to Largeman-Roth.
But almond butter is slightly richer in omega-3 fatty acids, which are essential fats that support brain and heart health and that we must get from food, which the body cannot produce on its own.
Peanut butter and almond butter do not contain trans fat (the worst kind), according to the USDA, but they do contain some saturated fat.
TODAY.com previously reported that saturated fats are considered “bad” fats because they can raise LDL cholesterol and increase the risk of heart disease.
Peanut butter tends to have more saturated fat than almond butter, with three grams per serving. But that’s still below the recommended daily intake. The AHA recommends getting less than 6% of your daily calories from saturated fat — for a 2,000-calorie diet, that’s about 13 grams of saturated fat per day.
Fiber
Fiber is a gut-healthy nutrient that helps you feel full, aids digestion, and supports heart health. It’s found in many plant-based foods, including nuts and legumes.
However, Rizzo notes that almond butter is better than peanut butter in the fiber category because almonds are naturally richer in fiber.
A serving of almond butter provides about 3 grams of fiber, while peanut butter only has about 1.5 grams of fiber.
Sugar
Almond butter and peanut butter can both contain sugar, depending on the manufacturer and added sweeteners, Rizzo says. If you’re buying them at the store, both types of nut butters should be free of added sugar, Rizzo says.
However, they may still contain some natural sugars that are not added and are found naturally in peanuts and almonds.
Almond butter is slightly lower in natural sugar than peanut butter (2.5 grams compared to 3 grams).
Which is healthier: peanut butter or almond butter?
Peanut butter and almond butter are both nutritious, delicious and filling. Ultimately, which one is healthiest for you will depend on your individual dietary needs, food allergies and preferences.
But if you’re looking at nutritional content alone, one stands out. “If I had to choose one, I would say almond butter is healthier,” Rizzo adds. Almond butter has a slightly stronger nutritional profile than peanut butter, making it the best choice.
Although both contain similar amounts of protein and fat, almond butter is richer in fiber and several vitamins and minerals.
“Almond butter has a little more magnesium and vitamin E than peanut butter, which gives it a slight advantage,” says Rizzo. Almond butter also has more calcium and iron than peanut butter.
As TODAY.com previously reported, when it comes to peanut butter, some people are concerned about aflatoxins, a toxin produced by a fungus that grows on peanut crops that has been linked to liver cancer.
To minimize health risks, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration routinely tests foods, including peanuts and peanut butter, for the presence of aflatoxin, according to the National Cancer Institute. So it’s highly unlikely that you’d be exposed to dangerous levels by eating peanut butter and it’s usually nothing to worry about.