Most athletes are surprised when I mention they can eat nut butters. NUT Yes they are high in fat, but they are high in good fats and provide you with so many other essential nutrients, too, such as calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus and vitamin E. The high fat content means they help to keep you full and so can actually be useful for people who are trying to lose or watch their weight – but do be careful about quantity! Nuts also provide protein, so they can be particularly useful in vegan and vegetarian diets. One thing to watch, though – they don’t make such a good choice post a high-intensity training session as the fat content means that it slows down the absorption of protein needed for recovery. One way round this is to have a glass of milk first (soya if you are vegan), and follow up with your nut butter!