Cashew Nuts Benefits & Nutrition Facts

Cashew nuts benefits get thrown around a lot without much detail behind them, so here's what a real serving actually contains. A standard serving is about a small handful — roughly 28g, or 15-18 whole cashews. That's a useful reference point, since it's easy to eat well past it without noticing: cashews are calorie-dense, so portion awareness matters more with these than with, say, an apple.

Like most tree nuts, cashews are primarily fat by weight. Most of that is unsaturated fat — the kind generally associated with better cholesterol profiles when it replaces saturated fat in the diet, rather than being added on top of it.

They're also a decent source of plant-based protein per serving, which is part of why a small handful can feel more satisfying than an equivalent amount of a purely carb-based snack.

Cashews are a particularly good source of magnesium and copper compared to other common snack nuts, along with meaningful amounts of iron, zinc, and manganese. Magnesium in particular is a mineral a lot of diets fall short on, and a handful of cashews is one of the more pleasant ways to close that gap.

Roasting cashews changes flavor and texture far more than it changes nutrition — the core fat, protein, and mineral content stays roughly the same whether raw or roasted. Where it matters more is added salt and oil: a lightly roasted, lightly salted cashew is nutritionally close to raw, while heavily seasoned or candied versions add sugar and sodium worth being mindful of if you're eating them often.

If you're watching sodium specifically, our raw or unsalted options give you the same base nutrition without the added salt.