Choosing the Best Nut Butter for Diabetes

There are so many nut butter options on the market today, that it can be hard to know what to try. Each spread has its own unique profile of nutrients that makes for a delicious sandwich or snack option that won't spike your blood sugar.

The best nut butters for people with type 2 diabetes

When shopping for a nut butter to support blood sugar management and satiety, always check the ingredients label first. Look for products with minimal ingredients—ideally just roasted nuts and a pinch of salt. Avoid brands with added sugars, trans fats, or hydrogenated and palm oils, as these unnecessary additives offer no nutritional benefit and can lead to high cholesterol and unexpected blood sugar spikes.

Check out some of these nutritious alternatives and decide if trying something new might work for you!

Peanut butter

Let’s start with the original favorite. Traditional peanut butter is a fantastic high-protein alternative to meat on your sandwich.

Nutritional facts per two-tablespoon serving:

• Calories: ~190
• Carbohydrates: 7g
• Protein: 8g
• Dietary Fiber: 3g

These components, along with the healthy fats from peanuts, will help promote satiety and keep your blood sugar steady until your next meal. When shopping for a jar of peanut spread, check the ingredients list. Opt for natural peanut butter with as few ingredients as possible, ideally only peanuts and a pinch of salt or no salt at all. Avoid peanut butter brands with hydrogenated oils and palm oils, as these are unnecessary and may lead to high cholesterol.

Almond butter

If standard peanut butter isn’t your favorite, give almond butter a try! It has a distinctly different taste with a very comparable texture, although almond butter is often a little grainier than creamy peanut butter.

Nutritional facts per two-tablespoon serving:

• Calories: ~190
• Carbohydrates: 7g
• Protein: 7g
• Dietary Fiber: 3g

Like its peanut-based counterpart, it contains fiber to support balanced blood sugar, but it has only seven grams of protein compared to peanut spread's eight grams. Be sure to read the label, as some brands recommend storage in the refrigerator to avoid natural oil separation. If yours is fine in the cupboard, just give it a good stir before each use.

Cashew butter

Another alternative is cashew butter. Made from your favorite nut in the trail mix, cashew butter has a nice, buttery flavor.
Nutritional facts per two-tablespoon serving:

• Calories: 210
• Carbohydrates: 9g
• Protein: 5g
• Dietary Fiber: 1g

Cashew butter provides a few more calories and carbohydrates than almond or traditional peanut butter. Because it contains less protein and fiber, it is the least likely to promote long-lasting satiety or keep your blood sugar balanced compared to peanut spread or almond butter. If it is the only one you like, however, these are still good nutrients to consume. Again, try to look for options that contain only dry-roasted cashews.

Mixed nut butters

These are becoming more and more popular on store shelves and offer great health benefits. Nuttzo® is a brand that contains seven different nuts and seeds. With cashew, almond, and Brazil nuts, as well as flax seeds, chia seeds, hazelnuts, pumpkin seeds, and sea salt, you get a nut butter variety packed with flavor and nutrients.

Nutritional facts per two-tablespoon serving:

• Calories: 180
• Carbohydrates: 8g
• Protein: 6g
• Dietary Fiber: 3g

The combination of nuts and seeds helps provide healthy fats that promote satiety, blood sugar stability, and heart health. The texture is closer to a crunchy peanut butter due to the nuts and seeds, but the flavor is different and delicious—it may be exactly what you need to get out of your classic peanut butter sandwich rut.

What do you think? Is one of these worth giving a try?