October 3, 2026
Cashews vs Almonds vs Walnuts: Nutrition Compared
The numbers, per 100g
Nuts are compared per 100g so the figures line up. These are approximate values for raw nuts. Real packs vary by brand, and roasting or salting changes them, so treat this as a guide rather than a label.
Cashews: about 18g protein, 30g carbs, 44g fat, 3.3g fiber, around 553 calories.
Almonds: about 21g protein, 22g carbs, 50g fat, 12.5g fiber, around 579 calories.
Walnuts: about 15g protein, 14g carbs, 65g fat, 6.7g fiber, around 654 calories.
Peanuts (technically a legume): about 26g protein, 16g carbs, 49g fat, 8.5g fiber, around 567 calories.
Pistachios: about 20g protein, 28g carbs, 45g fat, 10g fiber, around 562 calories.
Pecans: about 9g protein, 14g carbs, 72g fat, 9.6g fiber, around 691 calories.
Macadamias: about 8g protein, 14g carbs, 76g fat, 8.6g fiber, around 718 calories.
Where cashews come out ahead
Cashews are on the lighter side. They have the fewest calories of this group per 100g, and noticeably less fat than walnuts, pecans and macadamias. A typical 28g handful works out to roughly 155 calories.
They're also the mild, creamy one, which is why they blend so well into gravies and cashew butter. On minerals, cashews stand out for magnesium and copper, which we cover in our post on cashew nutrition and benefits.
Where they honestly don't
Cashews have the least fiber of the lot: about 3.3g per 100g, compared with 12.5g for almonds. They also carry the most carbs here, and less protein than almonds, peanuts and pistachios.
If fiber and protein are what you're after, almonds win on both. That's not a knock on cashews, just a reason not to treat any one nut as the answer to everything.
There's no single best nut
Different nuts do different jobs. Almonds are the fiber pick, walnuts bring plenty of unsaturated fat, and cashews are the creamy, easy-eating one for snacking, curries and gifting. A mix is often a better answer than a winner.
Portion and added salt or sugar usually matter more than which nut you pick. These figures are for raw nuts, and our roasted cashews sit close to them when lightly roasted and lightly salted. This is general information, not personal dietary advice.
Keep reading
If you enjoyed this, you might also like our guides to cashew myths vs facts and raw vs roasted cashews.