What Nut Butters Are Paleo? (2024)

FAQs

What Nut Butters Are Paleo? ›

The short answer is yes. Nut butters made from cashews, macadamias, hazelnuts, and almonds are all Paleo, but there's a stipulation: they must only contain nuts. If additives, preservatives, or flavorings are included on the label, it isn't Paleo.

Coconut butter is a tasty alternative if you can't or choose not to eat tree nuts. Macadamia nut butter is interesting because macadamias have the best fatty acid profile of any nuts.

Strict paleo adherents may avoid it due to its dairy origin. However, many who follow a more relaxed paleo meal plan, sometimes referred to as “primal,” may include grass-fed butter or ghee in moderation.

Peanuts are technically legumes, which are not paleo compliant, and that means peanut butter is off limits for paleo eaters. All other nuts and seeds are fair game, so if nuts and seeds are the only ingredients, snack away!

The short answer is yes. Nut butters made from cashews, macadamias, hazelnuts, and almonds are all Paleo, but there's a stipulation: they must only contain nuts. If additives, preservatives, or flavorings are included on the label, it isn't Paleo.

Nuts and seeds such as macadamia nuts, almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, pecans, pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds play an important role on the paleo diet. As do healthy fats and oils from fruits or nuts (extra virgin olive oil, avocado oil coconut oil, walnut oil, etc.).

"Of all the nut butters, walnut butter has the most omega-3 fatty acids," Andrea says. The healthful fat ratio helps lower LDL cholesterol, increase HDL cholesterol, and reduce inflammation.

Avoid nut butters with added sweeteners such as sugar, corn syrup or molasses. Avoid nut butters with added oils such as hydrogenated vegetable oils.

That's why ghee is a better Paleo oil than butter. Ghee is lactose and casein-free dairy, whereas butter contains lactose and casein. The risk of dairy allergy is more with butter, and ghee is allergy risk-free. Food sensitivity is the reason Why is ghee paleo and not butter.

What cheese can you eat on Paleo? ›

A Paleo-diet purist will tell you no, all cheese should be avoided on a Paleo lifestyle. Paleolithic humans didn't milk cows or process dairy. This is one case in which keto diet rules are much more lax than paleo.

Many people on a paleo diet today also include some sources of full-fat dairy, such as butter, cream, yogurt or whole milk. It's ideal if the dairy you eat or drink is from grass-fed cows.

Many paleo followers wonder if bananas are paleo because of their higher sugar content. They are considered paleo. One medium banana has 113 calories, 2 grams of fiber and 26 grams of carbohydrates. Bananas are an unprocessed, whole food with a good source of potassium.

A paleo diet is an eating plan based on foods humans might have eaten during the Paleolithic Era. The Paleolithic Era dates from around 2.5 million to 10,000 years ago. A modern paleo diet includes fruits, vegetables, lean meats, fish, eggs, nuts and seeds.

What Are Peanut and Nut Butter Alternatives? As Yawitz explains, substitutes for peanut butter and nut butters use a variety of ingredients such as soy nuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds, coconut, and even oats—many of which can increase nutrient diversity in the diet.

Jarred nut butter with just almonds and palm oil is Paleo, so go ahead and enjoy taking your packs of Justin's Almond Butter and a banana with you on a hike, to the office, or as a post-workout snack.

Cassava Flour

The newfound darling in the paleo world! Made from the cassava root, it is soft, powdery, and very similar to wheat flour. I love using cassava flour to make these Cassava Flour Pancakes. In most cases, you can substitute cassava flour at a 1:1 ratio for almond flour.