I have a longstanding relationship with peanut butter. As a North American, I was practically reared on the stuff - each and every day this was my sandwich of choice during primary school. I’m just nuts about nut butters.
As a middle-aged woman my love for peanut butter hasn’t wavered, although it has changed – matured, even! Growing up, I was all about Skippy and Kraft peanut butter, which were loaded with sugar, but over the years I have veered towards the unsweetened versions. Recently I have broadened my nut butter repertoire to include a world of different nuts, from almond to cashew, pistachio to pecan, and ever-more interesting blends. As an addict, this has not been easy for me. I can inhale the stuff by the bucketload.
In the health and fitness space, nut butters have become immensely popular as they can be used to add protein and healthy fats to shakes, bars, truffles and pancakes. For the vegetarians and vegans out there they’re a godsend. A spoonful straight from the jar is a welcome snack after a workout, and one I’m often guilty of.
Forget crunchy or smooth – there is so much to choose from nowadays.
So, in a world of nut butter confusion, how do you find the one for you? As a self-professed nut butter connoisseur, let me be your guide.
Nut butters – the definitive review.
Part 1 - Meridian
I’ve decided to begin this ongoing series with Meridian, my favourite nut butter brand. Others will follow – I just don’t want to rush such an important job!
Peanut Butter: Available in both smooth and crunchy variants – and they’re both absolutely brilliant. The pure taste of peanuts shines through, with the chunky one brimming with chopped nuts. Whilst I generally tend to eat them by the spoonful, the smooth one works well in marinades (i.e., satay), smoothies, spread on rice cakes or atop a stack of pancakes (the chunky one works well as a satay sauce if you like a bit more texture). Another plus is that they are devoid of palm oil, added sugar, salt or other nasties so they are as pure as they come. Also, unlike many nut butters, they do not have that pinch of sea salt (don’t get me wrong, sea salt in nut butters is lovely, but sometimes I just like them completely au naturel).
I know many of you out there are after macros so here is the breakdown per tablespoon. However, if you are anything like me, one tablespoon per sitting is a ridiculous notion – and anyone who says they can do that is a liar!
SMOOTH: Kcal: 85, protein: 4g, carbohydrates: 1.6g, fats: 6.6g
CRUNCHY: Kcal: 88.5, protein: 4.2, carbohydrates: 1.6g, fats: 6.5g
Smooth Cashew Butter: Probably one of the tastiest cashew butters out there, with the sweet and delicate taste of cashews shining through. It is so smooth that it literally melts when dunked into a hot beverage, which is another of my guilty pleasures. There’s no aftertaste to it, unlike other cashew butters. Also, like its peanut butter sisters, it is devoid of any nasties and consists 100% roasted cashew nuts. Try it in smoothies, protein truffles and as a yoghurt topping.
From a taste perspective, it is 100% bang on. It is much costlier than peanut butter, with the 1kg bucket setting you back about £12. From my point of view, however, it’s well worth the investment (you could always start with a small jar at £5-6 and take it from there).
In terms of macros, it is slightly higher than the peanut butter from an overall per tablespoon calorie perspective and contains less protein. Nevertheless, it's still a really macro-friendly snack.
Kcal: 89.8, protein: 2.9g, carbohydrates: 2.7g, fats: 7.3g
Smooth Almond Butter: This is one of the best almond butters out there for those who crave an almond fix. Like the other products in range, it is made entirely of roasted almonds and contains no extra additives, sugars or oils. Like the cashew butter, it is slightly more expensive per bucket than the peanut version, but if you don’t want to outlay £12 out the gates you can get a smaller sized jar for about £5/6.
Macro-wise, it is pretty close to the aforementioned butters with the protein and fat content being ever so slightly higher and the carb count being slightly lower than the cashew butter.
Kcal: 89.6, protein: 3.6, carbohydrates: 0.9g, fats: 7.93
To conclude, I can’t recommend this brand highly enough. And I thoroughly enjoyed reviewing it for you! I have yet to try some of the other flavours like coconut almond, macadamia, pecan, hazelnut and brazil nut, but they’re all definitely on the list. For taste, value for money, texture and quality of ingredients, you can’t go wrong with Meridian.
Stay peeled for my next post, when I’ll let you know if EPIC spreads are in fact epic!