Spread the love and make the world a beautiful place. Yes, it’s a fact that spreads such as peanut butter and almond butter makes everything taste so much better. Nut butters star in so many of our familiar recipes, from delectable cookies and sandwiches to savoury satay and curry dishes.
But when the whole philosophy behind your diet changes, you have to re-evaluate a lot of the foods you used to enjoy. One really common question is whether you can still have nut butters on a low carb diet.
If you’re on a low-carb, high-fat keto diet, but you love either peanut or almond butter, you’ll want to know whether these nut butters can still be a part of your diet. The good news is that both peanut butter and almond butter can be eaten on a keto diet, depending on the amount you consume.
Let’s help you enjoy these wonderful spreads without stressing over your macros. Read on for a deep dive into the nutritional content of peanut butter versus almond butter.
Is Peanut Butter Keto Friendly?
Let’s take a look at some interesting figures about peanut butter. For every 20 grams of peanut butter – a one tablespoon serve – you’re getting the following nutrients:
Calories: 120
Fat: 10.25 grams
Carbs: 3.25 grams
Fiber: 1.25 grams
Protein: 4.5 grams
Sugars: 2.13 grams
Source: USDA & Medical News Today. Note that this nutritional data reflects net carbs as per Australian nutritional labelling, and has been adjusted to reflect an Australian tablespoon.
The exact nutritional profile of any nut butter will also vary from brand to brand, presumably due to natural variation in the raw ingredients. Many Australian peanut butters are made with high-oleic peanuts, which also makes a difference to the macronutrient ratio of the finished product.
Beyond macros, what are the nutritional benefits of peanut butter? Each serving of natural peanut butter contains minerals such as magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, and potassium. It also has vitamins B3, B6, B9, and E.
Natural peanut butter gives you an energy boost, helps lower blood pressure, and reduces bad cholesterol. It’s also a great source of fiber, thus lowering your risk of obesity, stroke, and gastrointestinal ailments. And because of its high-fat macronutrient ratio, it completely suits ketogenic diet recommendations.
As you can see, peanut butter is packed with healthy fats, with an even amount of proteins and carbs, plus some important vitamins and minerals. Not to mention that peanut butter is delicious as well, whether eaten straight from the jar, used as a spread on a piece of bread, or an ingredient in dishes.
How much peanut butter can you eat on a keto diet?
Peanuts, the core ingredient of peanut butter, are technically a legume and not a nut at all. While usually prohibited (or very restricted) on a keto diet, peanuts have a much higher fat content than other legumes. This nutritional difference is what makes peanuts a suitable choice for keto diets, offering a natural boost of unsaturated fat.
However, it’s important to note that – like other varieties of legume – peanuts can be an inflammatory food. So if your motivations for sticking to a keto diet include the management of health conditions, you may find that peanuts aren’t a good fit for you. When introducing (or cutting out) a food or food group, pay attention to the way your body reacts and any fluctuation in symptoms.
And even with their promising macronutrient profile, it’s not really a good idea to eat as many peanuts as you like. If you’re on a keto diet, you’re aiming to acquire 60 to 80% of your daily calories from fat and around 20 to 30% protein. As a general rule of thumb, a keto diet usually means keeping your net carbs under 20 grams per day – though some people choose a number between 20g and 50g, particularly if tracking total carbohydrates instead.
Of course, this does not include the nutrition that comes from other food you eat during the day, which is always the biggest factor to consider. Whether a certain food is keto-friendly will always depend on how it fits into your overall eating plan.
But here’s the thing about including peanut butter in your keto diet: you need to track the precise amount you’re eating. That’s because peanut butter is so pleasantly tasty that it’s easy to overeat, even if you already feel full. If you don’t keep an eye on your serving sizes, that 3.25g of carbs per tablespoon quickly adds up.
If you can’t trust yourself not to have ‘just a little bit more’, consider these single serving peanut butter slugs from Pic’s Peanut Butter. Available on the Pic’s website, they’re a handy on-the-go snack and suitable for a keto lifestyle (as long as you’re watching your daily macros).
Recommended Low Carb Peanut Butter Brands for Keto Diets
Maintaining ketosis means you have to stay within essential nutrient ranges – what most people refer to as their ‘macros’, or the ratio of macronutrients. People on a low carb eating plan will usually tally their intake of fats, proteins and carbs throughout the day, aiming for an ideal balance and sticking to a carb ceiling (eg. 20 grams of net carbs per day).
One of the most essential steps towards keeping carb intake low is to avoid foods with added sugars. Unfortunately, many commercial and readily available peanut butter brands in Australia have a lot of added sugars. Yes, the Kraft (now Bega) peanut butter we all grew up eating is packed with sugar!
Note too that commercially prepared peanut butters have additives such as hydrogenated oils, which may contain trans-fats – not the kind you want to be consuming, even on a high fat diet. Shockingly, some varieties of peanut butter are made with less than 50% real peanuts.
Thus, if you want to incorporate peanut butter into your keto diet, look for all-natural peanut butters. Check the ingredients on the label, and choose brands with no added sugar or vegetable oils.
Ideally, the peanut butter you’re looking for should have only two main ingredients: peanuts and salt. Also keep an eye out for those that are advertised as ‘low fat’ – these usually have added sugar, oils and additives.
Are you looking for natural peanut butter in a supermarket near you? Here are some of the best low carb peanut butter brands in Australia:
– Pic’s Peanut Butter (available on the Pic’s website, Coles & Woolworths)
Carbs: 2.9g Protein: 5.3g Fats: 9.6g (20g serve)
Carbs: 1g Protein: 5.7g Fats: 8.3g (20g serve)
– Oh So Natural Wholefoods Peanut Butter (Aldi)
Carbs: 1.8g Protein: 5.2g Fats: 9.4g (20g serve)
Carbs: 2.7g Protein: 6.4g Fats: 8.4g (20g serve)
Is Almond Butter Keto Friendly?
Almond butter is another popular and much-loved spread, with an earthy flavour and sticky texture. You might find almond butter brands labeled as ‘raw’ or ‘roasted’ depending on how the almonds were prepared before being ground.
Unlike peanuts, which are actually legumes, almonds are a kind of tree nut. Thus, almond butter is a good alternative for people who are trying to avoid legumes in their diet.
Let’s check out the macronutrients found in almond butter. Below are the nutritional figures of 1 tablespoon (20g) of almond butter:
Calories: 123
Fat: 11.12 grams
Carbs: 1.62 grams
Fiber: 2.13 grams
Protein: 4.25 grams
Sugars: 1.25 grams
Source: USDA & Medical News Today. Note that this nutritional data reflects net carbs as per Australian nutritional labelling, and has been adjusted to reflect an Australian tablespoon.
Almond butter is also rich in minerals such as copper, potassium, iron, calcium and manganese. Almonds are an abundant source of vitamin E and riboflavin. These nutrients improve cardiovascular health, support bone growth, normalise blood sugar and repair cell damage. Pretty impressive!
How Much Almond Butter Can You Eat on a Keto Diet?
With only 1.62 grams of net carbs per tablespoon, natural and unsweetened almond butter is certainly a low-carb food.
As mentioned earlier, in an ideal keto diet, most of your daily calories should come from fat and around 20 to 30% from protein. You should also limit your carbohydrates to between 20 and 50 grams daily. With these metrics, you can potentially include at least 2 tablespoons of almond butter in your daily diet while remaining in ketosis.
Recommended Almond Butter Brands for Keto Diets
When buying almond butter, just like peanut butter, you always should check the label to find out what’s really going into the spread. You should be looking for brands that have 90 to 100% nuts.
Avoid almond butter brands containing inflammatory vegetable oils, as these may harm your health even if they suit your macros. Despite being a higher-fat diet, it’s still recommended that those following a ketogenic lifestyle avoid:
– soybean oil
– canola oil
– hydrogenated vegetable oil
– sunflower oil
– palm oil
In some almond butter brands, coconut or MCT oil is added to make the product smoother and easier to spread. Unlike vegetable oils, these two oils are perfectly acceptable and even desirable in a ketogenic diet. In addition to boosting your healthy fat intake, coconut and MCT oils may help you to feel fuller longer.
Some high-quality almond butters do have natural and healthy additives included for flavour, such as cinnamon, sea salt, vanilla bean or monkfruit (which is widely accepted to be a keto-friendly sweetener). However, watch out for almond butter brands with other added ingredients such as artificial flavors, preservatives, stabilizers and sugar.
If you’re looking for a high quality and keto friendly almond butter, try these all-natural almond butter brands:
– Melrose Almond Butter (available on the Melrose website)
Carbs: 1.4g Protein: 4.8g Fats: 8.2g (20g serve)
– Macro Natural Almond Spread (available at Woolworths)
Carbs: 1.4g Protein: 4.0g Fats: 11.4g (20g serve)
– Noya Almond Nut Butter (available on the NOYA website & Woolworths)
Carbs: 1.9g Protein: 9.3g Fats: 15.8g (20g serve)
– Oh So Natural Wholefoods Almond Spread (Aldi)
Carbs: 2.9g Protein: 4.4g Fats: 10.6g (20g serve)
Nutrition & Macros of Almond Butter vs Peanut Butter
In a battle of almond butter vs peanut butter, which is better for a keto diet? It’s difficult to choose a clear winner, since both can be enjoyed in moderation. However, if we’re looking at the most important factors for a ketogenic diet – the fat, protein and carb content – almond butter does manage to edge in on top.
Opting for almond butter can also be a good choice if you’re aiming to reduce your intake of inflammatory foods, a common goal for people with certain health conditions. The hefty dose of vitamin E and other antioxidants in almonds can in fact have the opposite effect, so they’re frequently recommended on an anti-inflammatory diet.
In all honesty, both almond butter and peanut butter can be great for keto eaters due to their healthy fat content and natural proteins. But let’s zoom in a little closer on the macros so you can make a more informed decision.
Remember, each brand of nut butter will vary slightly on macros and nutritional content – an inevitable result of using natural ingredients and relying on companies’ own analysis for nutritional information.
Carbohydrates in Peanut Butter vs Almond Butter
As a rule of thumb, peanut butter contains more net carbohydrates than almond butter, at 3.25 grams compared to almond butter’s 1.62 grams per tablespoon. Choosing an all-natural nut butter is always your best bet when it comes to minimizing the carb count – and if you can find a skin-on peanut butter, the extra fiber reduces the net carbs once again.
Ultimately, if you’re buying an all-natural nut butter, either option can be made to suit your daily macros. Because you’ll be limiting the quantity you eat to small keto-friendly portions, you can still afford to choose your favourite.
Fats in Peanut Butter vs Almond Butter
Fat is, of course, a major priority in a keto diet. Both peanut butter and almond butter have similar amounts of fat at around 10 to 11 grams per tablespoon. Even commercial peanut butter with added hydrogenated oil has a similar fat content, though not all fats are equally desirable.
Looking at the type of fat these nut butters have yields more interesting data. Both natural peanut butter and almond butter contain monounsaturated fats. These are “good” types of fat, providing health benefits such as reducing your risk of heart disease. However, almond butter does have 25% more of this healthy fat.
Both peanut and almond butter also contain omega-6 fatty acids, which can lessen the risk of cardiovascular ailments.
Almond butter proves to be the highest in fat, but only by a difference of one gram on average.
Protein in Peanut Butter vs Almond Butter
When it comes to proteins, all-natural peanut butter packs more protein than all-natural almond butter.
When it comes to protein quality, almond butter also loses to peanut butter. According to the Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Scoring, the nutritional value of peanut protein is comparable to that of dairy and eggs.
Thus, almond butter is not quite as effective as a post-workout protein source, especially if you’re aiming to build muscle. Thus, if increasing muscle mass is a lifestyle goal for you along with weight loss or maintenance, you’re better off with peanut butter as a pre- or post-workout food.
Calories in Peanut Butter vs Almond Butter
Most of the calories in either peanut or almond butter come from their fat content. The rest of the calories come from their proteins, with the smallest amount from carbs. These ratios fit easily into the recommended proportions of a ketogenic diet.
When it comes to calories, almond butter has slightly more calories per serving than peanut butter – but as fat is the primary contributor, this isn’t a significant worry for most keto eaters.
Studies have also shown that the calories in natural nut butters rarely contribute to weight gain. That’s because the healthy fat and fibre content helps keep you full for longer.
However, the additive oils and fats used in some processed nut butters can affect the calorie count, and these are the primary ingredients that can contribute to weight gain.
Which can you eat more of on a keto diet: peanut butter or almond butter?
So in an almond butter vs peanut butter keto slugfest, which nut butter lets you eat the most? Well, the lower carb content means you can have more almond butter on a keto diet without falling out of ketosis. However, as long as peanut butter isn’t consumed excessively, it’s a perfectly acceptable keto-friendly choice as well.
The important thing is that the brand should be made of all-natural ingredients, possibly with very minimal additives. Any additive such as sugars, trans fats, partially hydrogenated oils, coloring, or preservatives can tip the scale and sabotage the healthy properties of nut butters.
On a strictly nutritional basis, almond butter is slightly healthier than peanut butter. While peanut butter does contain vitamin E, iron, and calcium, almond butter has almost thrice the amount of those vitamins and minerals.
The downside is that almond butter generally has a heftier price than peanut butter. If you’re cooking with it regularly, this difference in cost can really start to add up.
How much nut butter can you eat on a keto diet? You can eat as much peanut butter or almond butter as fits into your macros for the day, really. Like all kinds of food, the key is moderation. To keep things interesting, you can also alternate between peanut and almond butter while sticking to your macro goals.
DIY Keto Nut Butter Recipes
Does your local supermarket only stock processed nut butters? Does going to a specialty organic food store involve a long drive? Well, why not make your own butters? It’s fun and cost effective at the same time.
Check out this recipe for a homemade peanut butter that is simple, delicious, and keto-friendly. It contains just three ingredients: peanuts, coconut oil and salt. The mixture is then roasted and blended into a food processor until it forms a paste.
This is a great and easy recipe for homemade almond butter. Mix almonds, MCT oil, and some salt to taste. You can even add your favourite spices or a keto-friendly sweetener for variety. Roast the mixture then blend into a food processor until it becomes a smooth and creamy paste.
While there are many commercial peanut butters made with 100% nuts, it can be difficult to achieve a well-blended nut butter at home. Hence, adding a little (healthy) oil is recommended to make the blending process easier.
Keto Nut Butter Recipes
Now that you’ve made some of your very own peanut or almond butter, why not make use of them? Here are some ideas:
Keto porridge – start your day right with a steaming bowl of low carb porridge.
Keto peanut butter cups – These low carb peanut butter fat bombs are so cute! They’re perfect for dessert, afternoon tea or as a high-fat snack to bring with you when you’re out and about. Keep these in the fridge (or even the freezer) to satisfy any sweet cravings and give your daily fat intake a boost. You can also try using almond butter instead of peanut to create delicious almond butter fat bombs.
Peanut Butter Cheesecake - Cheesecake fans rejoice! This cheesecake will satisfy all your cravings. This slice is perfectly freezer friendly making it a great grab and go option for when you need a sweet treat.
Packed full of healthy fats, both peanut butter and almond butter are fantastic ingredients that deserve a place in your keto friendly pantry.
Related Questions
How many almonds can I eat on keto?
While often recommended as a health food, the carb-to-fat ratio of raw almonds means they should be approached with caution on a low carb diet. One cup of almonds has around 31 grams of carbs – so when eating almonds on a keto diet, moderation is the key. Stick to a small handful of almonds or a few tablespoons of almond butter to keep your macros under control.
Are you supposed to refrigerate almond butter?
All-natural almond butter, along with peanut butter, should probably be refrigerated. That’s because without preservatives, it’s quite susceptible to spoilage, particularly in warmer weather. The healthy fats oxidize quickly when they’re exposed to air, light, and heat. If you go through a lot of nut butter, you may finish the jar before it has a chance to go bad, but to maintain the best quality and flavour, the fridge is the safest place to store almond butter.
Disclaimer: This article is published in good faith and for general informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for medical or nutritional advice and does not take into consideration your individual health needs. Ketolicious Kreations, trading as Your Meals, does not make any warranties about the ongoing completeness and reliability of this information. Always check the product label regarding allergens and other health needs. Any action you take upon the information you find on this website is strictly at your own risk. For any medical advice regarding diet and nutrition, or before changing your diet drastically, always consult a doctor or nutritionist.