In a nutshell, nut butters are any creamy spread made from crushed nuts. These include peanut butter, almond butter, cashew butter, and macadamia nut butter. On the South Beach Diet, natural nut butters are the best choice, but most can be used as long as they don't contain trans fat.

How to Use Nut Butters

As with peanut butter, nut butters are a rich source of high-quality protein and monounsaturated fats. Also, like peanut butter, nut butters can be diet busters if eaten in large quantities. When adding nut butter to your daily diet, you can choose to treat it as a protein (eating it with a meal) or as a nut (eating it as a snack). Try to limit yourself to one serving per day, and avoid eating whole nuts in the same day. Your Meal Plan allows for two tablespoons daily of any nut butter.

Where to Find Nut Butters

Nut butters other than peanut butter can be found in specialty grocery stores or in health food stores. You can also make your own by grinding up whole nuts in your food processor. Natural nut butters should be stored in the refrigerator to prevent spoilage. If the natural oils separate from the solids, simply stir them together before use.

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