As much as 80 percent of a nut is fat. Even though most of this fat is healthy fat, it’s still a lot of calories. That’s why you should eat nuts in moderation. Ideally, you should use nuts as a substitute for saturated fats, such as those found in meats, eggs and dairy products.
Instead of eating unhealthy saturated fats, try substituting a handful of nuts or a tablespoon or two of a nut spread. The American Heart Association recommends eating four servings of unsalted nuts a week.
Select raw or dry-roasted nuts rather than those cooked in oil. A serving is a small handful (1.5 ounces) of whole nuts or 2 tablespoons of nut butter. But again, do this as part of a heart-healthy diet. Just eating nuts and not cutting back on saturated fats found in many dairy and meat products won’t do your heart any good.
Walnuts are one of the best-studied nuts, and it’s been shown they contain high amounts of omega-3 fatty acids. Almonds, macadamia nuts, hazelnuts and pecans are other nuts that appear to be quite heart healthy.
And peanuts — which are technically not a nut, but a legume, like beans — seem to be relatively healthy.
Keep in mind, you could end up canceling out the heart-healthy benefits of nuts if they’re covered with chocolate, sugar or salt.
Here’s some nutrition information on common types of nuts. All calorie and fat content measurements are for 1 ounce, or 28.4 grams (g), of unsalted nuts.
Type of nut Calories
Total fat (saturated/unsaturated fat)*
Almonds, dry-roasted 169
15 g (1.1 g/12.9 g)
Almonds, raw
163
14 g (1.1 g/12.2 g)
Brazil nuts, raw
186
19 g (4.3 g/12.8 g)
Cashews, dry-roasted
163
13.1 g (2.6 g/10 g)
Chestnuts, roasted
69
0.6 g (0.1 g/0.5 g)
Hazelnuts (filberts), dry-roasted
183
17.7 g (1.3 g/15.6 g)
Hazelnuts (filberts), raw
178
17 g (1.3 g/15.2 g)
Macadamia nuts, dry roasted
204
21.6 g (3.4 g/17.2 g)
Macadamia nuts, raw
204
21.5 g (3.4 g/17.1 g)
Peanuts, dry roasted
166
14 g (2g/11.4 g)
Pecans, dry roasted
201
21 g (1.8 g/18.3 g)
Pistachios, dry roasted
161
12.7 g (1.6 g/10.5 g)
Walnuts, halved
185
18.5 g (1.7 g/15.9 g)
