Go Nuts For Delicious Spreads

These days you’ll find an assortment of nut butters hoping to muscle in on good old peanut butter and some offer a nutritional advantage which makes them worth a try. Here’s a helpful guide:

• peanut – a great source of protein, folic acid (essential during pregnancy) and healthy monounsaturated fats and vitamin E

• cashew – high in zinc, copper and iron (but slightly lower in protein than other nut butters)

• almond – lower in calories but highest in protein, fibre and calcium

• brazil – rich in selenium, which helps protect against prostate cancer and heart disease, but can be expensive

• walnut – a great vegetarian source of omega-3 fatty acids which are useful for heart health but can have a bitter aftertaste

• hazelnut – lower in saturated fat and rich in antioxidants, but can be more expensive