Almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, cashews, macadamia nuts, brazil nuts, peanuts, pecan nuts – there really is a wide selection of nuts and there is something for every taste. Each nut is different and contains different nutrients. Therefore, the nutritional values also vary from nut to nut.
In this article, we will give you an overview of the different nutritional values in nuts and introduce you to the nut with the highest fat content, the lowest calorie content and the highest protein content.
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An overview of the nutritional values of different nuts
As every nut is different, the nutritional values of nuts naturally vary. In general, nuts contain a relatively high amount of fat, with 50 to 73 grams of fat per 100 grams. However, the fatty acids contained in nuts are mainly unsaturated fatty acids. These fatty acids are important for our body because they have an anti-inflammatory effect and protect our cell membranes by keeping them permeable and flexible. Therefore, nuts should not be labelled as unhealthy food.
Calories per 100g | Carbohydrates | Protein | Fat | |
Almond | 612 kcal | 5.7g | 24.0 g | 53.0 g |
Hazelnut | 655 kcal | 6g | 16.3g | 63.6g |
Walnut | 723 kcal | 6.1g | 16.1g | 70.6g |
Cashew | 598 kcal | 22.2g | 21.0 g | 47.1g |
Peanut | 599 kcal | 7.5 g | 29.8g | 48.1g |
Macadamia | 720 kcal | 4 g | 8.8g | 73.0 g |
Brazil nut | 697 kcal | 4.1g | 17.0 g | 68.1g |
Pecan nut | 690 kcal | 4.4g | 9.3g | 72 g |
Low in calories and fat: cashews and peanuts
The two nuts with the lowest calorie density are the cashew nut and the peanut. This is mainly because these two nuts also contain less fat than other nuts. So if you are particularly careful about your diet and calorie intake, you should therefore reach for cashew nuts and peanuts. However, you should also include nuts in your daily diet if you want to lose weight, as they contain important nutrients and even a handful of nuts a day can help you lose weight.
Full of healthy fats: macadamias and walnuts
As can be seen in the table, the walnut and macadamia are the nuts with the highest calorie density. This is mainly because they contain a lot of fat. Since one gram of fat has 9 kcal and thus more calories than one gram of protein and one gram of carbohydrates, which only have 4 kcal per gram, nuts with a high fat content are more caloric. However, it is important to note that the fatty acids contained in walnuts and macadamia nuts are monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fatty acids. These fatty acids are important for our body and are not only found in high quantities in these two nuts, but are also of a particularly high quality. You can find out more about why walnuts are a real superfood here.
3 tips to avoid nuts becoming a calorie trap
Nuts are often labelled as unhealthy and a calorie trap, but here too, it's simply a matter of quantity. We have 3 tips for you to avoid nuts becoming a calorie trap.
- When you eat nuts, you should make sure you eat consciously and don't snack on them on the side. When you eat consciously and are not distracted, you will feel full more quickly and be able to really enjoy the taste of the nut. It is also important to always chew well. As a rule of thumb for chewing, you should chew each bite about 30 times before swallowing it.
- When you eat nuts, you shouldn't just take the nut pack, put it down next to you and then start eating. It's better to take a handful of nuts (about 30 grams) a day from the pack and put them in a bowl, then eat them consciously.
- You should also make sure that you mainly eat unprocessed nuts that are neither roasted nor salted, as salt in combination with fat further stimulates the appetite.
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Low-carb nuts: macadamias and Brazil nuts
If you pay particular attention to eating a low-carb diet , you should choose macadamias and Brazil nuts. These two nuts contain comparatively few carbohydrates, but the fat content is relatively high.
Rich in protein: peanuts and almonds
Nuts are also a healthy vegan source of protein. In particular, peanuts and almonds are particularly high in protein. Peanuts, in fact, contain almost a third of their weight in protein per 100g. These two nuts are therefore excellent plant-based sources of protein that you can easily incorporate into your diet.
Conclusion
Since every nut is different, it also contains different amounts of carbohydrates, proteins and fats. In this article, we have given you an overview of the nutritional values of eight different types of nuts and presented the nut with the lowest fat, the highest protein and the lowest carbohydrate content. However, it is of course very important to eat a varied diet and therefore you should regularly include all types of nuts in your diet.