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Below is a nutritional analysis of some commonly eaten nuts. Nuts are good sources of many nutrients such as protein, calcium (almonds), and vitamin E. Nuts also provide the B vitamins thiamine, niacin, and riboflavin; and the minerals potassium, iron, magnesium, zinc, copper, and selenium. Nuts also contain heart-healthy fats such as polyunsaturated fats (omega-6 fatty acid; an example is linoleic fatty acid) and monounsaturated fats. Nuts are a good source of fiber. Some persons are allergic to nuts (particularly peanuts)-use caution.
Unfortunately, nuts and seeds also contain a lot of fat. We need to limit how much we eat in a given day, since a cup of nuts may contain 800 to 1,000 calories! The general recommendation is to eat no more than 1/4 cup or 1 oz per day, on average, of these nutritious, heart-healthy, high-fiber plant foods. Enjoy them dry-roasted, with no sugar or salt added.
Our top picks
- Almonds: not the highest in calories, good protein content, moderate in carbs, high in fiber, and rich in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.
- Walnuts, pine nuts, pecans, and peanuts are especially high in polyunsaturated fats. Walnuts are a good source of omega-3 fatty acid, a polyunsaturated fat.
- Other: Cashews, pecans, and walnuts are low in fiber (only 1 g fiber compared to the rest).
- Macadamia nuts are very high in fat.
All of the below nutrients, except calories, are given in grams.
| 1 ounce |
Calories |
Protein |
Carbo-hydrate |
Fat |
Fiber |
Satur
ated fatty acid |
Mono-unsatur-
ated fatty acid |
Poly-unsatur-
ated fatty acid |
Almonds,
whole, dried, unsalted |
165 |
6 |
6 |
15 |
3 |
1.4 |
9.6 |
3.1 |
| Cashews, dry roasted |
163 |
4 |
9 |
13 |
1 |
2.6 |
7.8 |
2.2 |
| Macadamia, dried |
199 |
2 |
4 |
21 |
3 |
3.1 |
16.5 |
0.4 |
| Peanuts, dried, unsalted |
166 |
7 |
6 |
14 |
2 |
2 |
7 |
4 |
| Pecans halves, dried, unsalted |
187 |
2 |
5 |
19 |
1 |
1.5 |
11.9 |
4.8 |
| Pine Nuts, (pinyon, pinon, pignoli), dried |
161 |
3 |
5 |
17 |
3 |
2.7 |
6.5 |
7.3 |
| Pistachios, dried, shelled |
162 |
6 |
7 |
14 |
3 |
1.7 |
9.3 |
2.1 |
| Soybean Nuts, roasted |
129 |
10 |
9 |
7 |
5 |
0.9 |
1.6 |
3.6 |
| Walnuts, English, chopped |
180 |
4 |
5 |
17 |
1 |
1.6 |
4 |
11.1 |
Bon Appetit!
References:
- Bowes & Church. (1994). Food Values of Portions Commonly Used, 16th ed.
- Cooper, N. (July, August 2000). Nuts, Seeds, and Nut Butters. Diabetes Self-Management
- Sizer, F; Whitney, E. (1997). Nutrition Concepts and Controversies, 17th ed.
- Soy Protein Partners. (2002). Soyfoods Guide.
2006-2010 Eastern Virginia Medical School/The Strelitz Diabetes Center, Maternal-Fetal Medicine. All Rights Reserved.
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