If you’ve been told to limit the oxalates in your diet for certain health conditions (such as kidney stones), you might be wondering which nut butters have the lowest oxalates to fit in your diet.
Some of the nut butters with the lowest oxalates include coconut butter, macadamia nut butter, walnut butter, and pecan butter.
We’ll review nine nut and seed butters that are lower in oxalates to fit in a low-oxalate diet!
What are oxalates?
Oxalates are natural compounds that are naturally present in certain foods. Oxalates can bind to minerals such as calcium and lead to issues like kidney stones, a painful health condition impacting around one in ten people.
If you’ve been told to follow a low-oxalate diet (such as if you’ve had kidney stones in the past), then you’ll need to be mindful of how many oxalates you get in your diet.
Some of the foods with the highest oxalate concentrations include:
- Spinach
- Potatoes
- Chocolate
- Almonds
- Peanuts and other legumes
- Raspberries
- Soy products
9 low oxalate nut & seed butters
Coconut butter
Coconut butter is more similar to coconut oil than nut butter, but it’s a good option because it’s free of oxalates. Coconut butter is very high in fat, but unlike coconut oil it contains fiber. It’s a Paleo-friendly option as well!
Macadamia nut butter
Macadamia nuts are low in oxalates, and macadamia nut butter is both the highest-fat and highest-calorie nut butter, making it a great keto nut butter option.
Walnut butter
Walnuts are rich in heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids and are low in oxalates, so walnut butter is a healthy low-oxalate choice.
Pecan butter
Pecans are low in oxalates, so you might consider pecan butter – especially if you enjoy pecan pie!
Pistachio butter
Pistachios are lower in fat compared to some other nut butters, and they are also low in oxalates.
Flaxseed butter
Flaxseeds are rich in fiber and heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Flaxseed butter is very low in oxalates, so if you’re up for trying a seed butter instead, flaxseed butter is a good low-oxalate option.
Pumpkin seed butter
Pumpkin seed butter contains the most iron compared to other nut and seed butters, and it’s low in oxalates. Iron is an important mineral to helps build oxygen-transporting proteins in your red blood cells. Without enough iron, you might develop iron deficiency anemia, which can lead to fatigue and weakness.
Iron is an important nutrient in a vegan diet since the richest iron sources come from animal products like red meat.
Sunflower butter
Sunflower butter is a great option if you have tree nut or peanut allergies, and it’s low in oxalates!
Watermelon seed butter
Watermelon seed butter is trickier to find compared to the other nut and seed butters on our list, but if you can get your hands on it, it’s low in oxalates. It’s also lower in calories compared to other nut butters without sacrificing protein!
Nutritional comparison of low oxalate nut butters
| Serving size: 2 tbsp. | Calories | Total fat (saturated) | Total carbs | Net carbs (fiber) | Total sugars (incl. added) | Protein |
| Coconut butter | 197 | 19 g (17 g) | 7 g | 2 g (5 g) | 2 g (0 g) | 2 g |
| Macadamia nut butter | 230 | 24 g (4 g) | 5 g | 2 g (3 g) | 1 g (0 g) | 3 g |
| Walnut butter | 200 | 19 g (2 g) | 4 g | 2 g (2 g) | 1 g (0 g) | 5 g |
| Pecan butter | 200 | 18 g (2 g) | 6 g | (4 g) ~2 g | 0 g | 2 g |
| Pistachio butter | 180 | 14 g (2 g) | 8 g | 5 g (3 g) | 2 g (0 g) | 6 g |
| Flaxseed butter | 190 | 13 g (1.5 g) | 9 g | 0 g (9 g) | 0 g | 8 g |
| Pumpkin seed butter | 180 | 14 g (4 g) | 4 g | 1 g (3 g) | 1 g (0 g) | 9 g |
| Sunflower butter | 200 | 17 g (2 g) | 6 g | 4 g (2 g) | 3 g (3 g) | 7 g |
| Watermelon seed butter | 156 | 13 g (3 g) | 4 g | 4 g (0 g) | 0 g | 8 g |
FAQs:
Almond butter is not low in oxalates compared to other nut and seed butters. If you have a history of kidney stones that are worsened by dietary oxalates, you might need to avoid almond butter.
High-oxalate nut butters can be harmful if you have a history of certain types of kidney stones. Some high-oxalate nut butters include almond butter, Brazil nut butter, and pine nut butter are among the highest-oxalate nut butters.
Peanut butter is generally considered to be lower in oxalates compared to other nut butters, but they aren’t the lowest in oxalates, either.
If you need to follow a low-oxalate diet, you should avoid eating large amounts of peanut butter – but you should check with your healthcare provider or dietitian to be sure.
