5 Things to Remember When Buying Nut Spreads

5 Things to Remember When Buying Nut Spreads

Nuts and seeds are some of the most nutrient-dense natural foods. They’re packed full of macronutrients such as fats, proteins and carbohydrates, as well as a range of vitamins and minerals. Eaten on their own, along with dried fruit as a snack, in salads and on porridge, in chocolate or baking, nuts can always add a delicious twist to your day.

Luckily enough, there’s an even more convenient yet indulgent way to consume nuts – in homemade or store-bought nut butter spreads. Until not long ago, nut spreads were mainly single nut-based, but they’ve recently seen lots of diversification in their flavour, texture, and nutritional benefits.

Depending on the type, quality and quantity of nuts, sweeteners, oils and flavour-rich ingredients added to nut spreads, their final nutritional benefits can vary greatly. That’s why not all spreads are created equal. These are just a few of the criteria we kept in mind when creating our indulgent vegan spreads:

No refined sugar

Most nut spreads you may find on supermarkets’ shelves contained large quantities of refined sugar, often larger amounts of sugar than nuts. We have instead sweetened our spreads with crystallised coconut blossom nectar and  lucuma. We chose coconut blossom nectar because it has a lower glycaemic index than conventional sugar, which makes it a better option for managing blood sugar spikes.

Good fats content

Unlike many highly processed popular nut spreads, our nut spreads are high in polyunsaturated fats from cashews and hazelnuts. Polyunsaturated fats can help lower “bad” LDL cholesterol levels in your blood. Some of the two main types of polyunsaturated fats omega-3 and omega-6 cannot be made by the body, hence it’s important to get adequate amounts of them from your diet.

Superfood content

Naturya spreads are uniquely different because they were enriched with superfoods including Lucuma, a sweet-tasting South American fruit with a characteristic caramel flavour. Besides, our Cacao & Hazelnut spread contains organic cacao powder to deliver a rich & premium yet guilt-free chocolaty taste.

Care for the planet

Palm oil is one of the most common ingredients used to adjust the consistency of sweet nut spreads. Unfortunately, it’s often produced unsustainably, irreverent of natural habitats. You can find out more about how palm oil overproduction affects the environment here.

All Naturya products, including our vegan spreads that are made with coconut oil, have recently been certified Palm Oil Free by the International Palm Oil Free Certification Trademark. 

No additives or preservatives

It’s not uncommon to add artificial additives and preservatives to nut spreads to improve their taste and functionality. However, we have adopted a zero additives and preservatives policy, focusing instead just on what nature offers to develop products that are good for your body.