Not Your Average Nut Butter

All peanut butter is not created equal. At one end of the spectrum are spreads loaded with trans fat, hydrogenated oils and preservatives. At the other end is NuttZo, a nutritional powerhouse.

The recipe for NuttZo came from company founder Danielle LiVolsi, who made it her mission to prepare creative, super-nutritious foods after she and her husband adopted two boys from the Ukraine who were vitamin deficient. Now she’s sharing her delicious multi-nut butter with the world.

NuttZo blends seven key ingredients: Valencia peanuts, flax seed, hazelnuts, cashews, almonds, Brazil nuts and sunflower seeds. The combination delivers a powerful shot of protein, minerals, Omega-3 fatty acids and more. Granted, NuttZo looks a bit strange at first, with whole flax seeds and hazelnut chunks floating around the mixture. But we were won over by its great taste.

So was startup advisor and dedicated weight lifter Apollo Sinkevicius. We asked Apollo to give NuttZo a try, since he eats peanut butter every morning as part of his weight-training regime. “Regular peanut butter provides the good fats you need, but in most cases, you also have to take supplements to make sure you have all of your Omegas for the day,” he says. “One serving of NuttZo replaces one giant flax seed oil pill.” The biggest plus is the taste, Apollo says: “The mix of nuts NuttZo uses creates just enough sweetness.”

So try it on crackers, apple slices or celery — or enjoy it by the spoonful. You may never reach for plain old peanut butter again.

— Ann