The cashew nut is grown
in Vietnam, Nigeria, India, and on the Ivory Coast, but it is native
to Brazil. The nut is a product of the evergreen cashew tree (Anacardium
occidentale) that produces both a fruit (also called an apple) and a
nut (also called a seed) that hangs beneath the fruit.
Cashews are consumed as
a snack on their own, are commonly used in nut mixes, and can also be processed
into cashew butter, cashew milk, and other products. Cashews can be a healthy
addition to your diet when consumed in moderation.
Cashew Nutrition
Facts
The following nutrition
information is provided by the USDA for 1 ounce (28g) of raw, unsalted
cashews.1
- Calories: 157
- Fat: 12g
- Sodium: 3.4mg
- Carbohydrates: 8.6g
- Fiber: 0.9g
- Sugars: 1.7g
- Protein: 5.2g
Carbs
A single serving of
cashew nuts is 1 ounce—or about 18 nuts.2 One serving contains 157 calories and just under 9 grams
of carbohydrate. Most of the carbohydrate in cashews is starch. A small amount
is fiber (just under 1 gram) and the rest (about 1.7 grams) is sugar.
The estimated glycemic
load of cashews is 3 if you consume a 1-ounce serving. Glycemic load takes
serving size into account when estimating a food's impact on blood sugar. Foods
with a glycemic index of 10 or less are considered low glycemic.
Fats
Most of the calories in
cashews come from fat. There are 12 grams of fat in a serving if you consume
the full ounce. Most of the fat is monounsaturated fat (6.8g) or
polyunsaturated fat (2.2g). Unsaturated fats are considered to be healthier
forms of fat. There are also about
2.2 grams of less healthy saturated fat in a serving of cashews.
Protein
Cashew nuts provide
just over 5 grams of protein per serving. As a basis for comparison, cashews
provide less protein than peanuts, which provide over 7 grams per one-ounce
serving.
Vitamins and
Minerals
Cashew nuts provide
vitamin K (about 12% of your daily needs).You'll also benefit from thiamin and vitamin B6 when you
consume cashews.
Cashews are an excellent source of magnesium, phosphorus, copper, and manganese and a good source of zinc and iron.
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