Mass production of processed food is in full swing in this day and age of the “your way, right away” mentality of instant society. In this fast paced world we live in, everyone is looking to squeeze the most out of every hour of every day and no one is particularly fond of spending inordinate amounts of time preparing
nutritional and natural meals.
The stats have to top 95% of all people that have at least partaken in a fast food run to save time for a meal. McDonalds, Wendy’s, Burger King, Subway and the list goes on of all the available places to get a quick bite and get on with your daily routine. There’s no judgement here. We’ve all done it. Some indulge more than others, but it’s almost unavoidable to utilize fast food for a busy day.
What can we do? We can control what we have at home for quick easy meal prep. Not all meals have to a fine-china hours on end type of affair to prepare. There are several natural and more healthy items out there to choose from to stock your cabinets with. The key is to be prepared and that’s why we’re here with this review.
Nuttzo nut butter (https://gonuttzo.com/) sports a natural alternative to overly-processed peanut butter that adorns so many of our shelves. Peanut butter in moderation is a great alternative for a quick meal or snack. And then there’s the people that are addicted to peanut butter and could have it every meal. Yes, please. But, what’s going to happen when you turn to the less natural, more processed alternatives of peanut butter on a regular basis? Well, when you throw in sugar, hydrogenated vegetable oils and soybean and rapeseed to prevent separation, you get ingredients that are not benefiting your body much at all. You want to capture the positive aspects of peanut butter and that’s what Nuttzo wants to do.
Read on below for our review of Nuttzo to find out if you can have your natural nut butter and like it, too.
Packaging / Shelf Appeal / Marketing
Aw man, they printed the label up-side-down. Yes, they did, but on purpose. It catches your attention right off the bat and we thought we had received a bunk printing job, but that’s one of their “gotchas” to get your attention.
The graphics and printing of Nuttzo appeals to the child in all of us crusty adults that sometimes take life too seriously. They promote fun, color and energy with their packaging.
They are active on Facebook and Twitter, a must for any brand looking for traction in this digital day and age. They reply to comments and interact with their consumer base instead of housing a robotic existence in social media.
Form / Construction
There’s something to be said in the details. In addition to touting a natural nut butter, Nuttzo brags that their “Jars are PET BPA-free plastic. Lighter and stronger. So you save on shipping, and we reduce breakage. 100% Recyclable.” Putting their money where their mouths are, Nuttzo is covering all of the tree-hugging bases, if you are monitoring that type of thing.
When you break down the nut butter and bolts of their product, they list 100% Organic Ingredients of peanuts, cashews, almonds, brazilian nuts, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, hazelnuts, and sea salt. No vegetable oils or additives to keep the butter from separating. Yes, you may see the oils separate from the butter when you get your Nuttzo home, but simply stir it together and no problem. What you spend in 2 minutes stirring could save you 2 hours in aerobic exercise to burn off additives.
The product from jar, label and to the nut butter is professional in appearance and could match any manufacturer in quality and stature. Placed on a shelf next to the big boys of peanut butter, Nuttzo could stand toe to toe, but up-side-down.
They also have choices. You can get original nut butter, peanut free (contains other types of nuts) or chocolate in creamy or crunchy. Pick what tickles your fancy.
Fashion / Appearance
When you break into your Nuttzo jar, you may or may not have to stir the oil and butter together, but that’s about as much work as you need to do. The rest of your effort consists of grabbing a spoonful or knife full of nut butter and spreading it on your confection of choice.
Bread, bagels, rice cakes or tortilla shell will take your Nuttzo butter with ease. Depending on smooth or chunky style, Nuttzo spreads uniformly or stays on your utensil long enough to lick it off. It looks appealing, although different than the typical regular peanut butter products. You will see the specks of different colors that look like spice flakes mixed in the butter, but are from all seven of the different nuts mixed in.
Fit / Function
So, it may seem more healthy and works like regular peanut butter, but how does it taste?
Yes, natural nut butter is a different taste than your usual processed peanut butters. It takes a little getting used to going from sugars and vegetable oils to nuts only with sea salt. It won’t be as sweet and you may actually need a few meals to get used to it, but have faith that your taste buds will come around and you won’t remember what you are missing from the sugar loaded regulars.
We tried it in oatmeal, protein shakes, PB&J sandwiches, on bagels, bread, tortilla shells, with and without jelly and pretty much any way you can eat nut butter. It was filling and served the same nutritional requirements that we demanded from our processed peanut butters, but without some of the crud.
It’s amusing when you stop to think that the healthy items we eat may actually not be as exciting taste wise, but the reason is the natural existence of products are not jammed with sugar to make you crave it. There’s a reason why lab rats are more addicted to oreo cookies than crack cocaine.
Cost
Depending on your style, you could get Nuttzo direct from their site from $12.99 to $19.99 for a 16 ounce jar. You can also buy in stores locally or get a deal ordering in bulk from their site. You can get the regular peanut butter from $4 and up, but you get what you pay for. You are getting a discount for the mass production of a food product with additives to make it last longer on the shelves and be more visually appealing, not necessarily to make it more healthy.
We’re not judging. If you like your skippy or jiff, and they have “natural” versions, by all means go for it. Just check the labels. True natural nut butter will only contain nuts and salt, that’s it. Anything else is not for the benefit of your health.
Final thoughts
Nuttzo is a great option for those of us triathletes addicted to peanut butter as it’s a very quick and accessible source of appetite quenching and training nutrition. Too much processed peanut butter can contribute to an unhealthy serving of sugar and hydrogenated vegetable oil. Nuttzo is peanuts and sea salt, period. Simple and effective. You can’t pig out on it, but after you get accustomed to the taste of natural nut butter, you will never look back and can rest easy that you are satisfying those ridiculous requirements of your training diet at the peak of your ironman training. Quick, nutritious and a great energy source.
Disclaimer
* Writer's note - Nuttzo provided a sample of nut butter for this review at no cost and did not influence this review.
