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Cashew nutrition, per serving and per 100 g
| Nutrient | Per serving | Per 100 g |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 87 kcal | 583 kcal |
| Protein | 2.8 g | 18.8 g |
| Carbohydrate (available) | 3.8 g | 25.5 g |
| Dietary fibre | 0.6 g | 3.9 g |
| Fat | 6.8 g | 45.2 g |
Serving: about 10 cashews, 15 g. IFCT 2017 food code H005, "Cashew nut (Anacardium occidentale)", the mean of 6 regions sampled. IFCT does not report glycaemic index, so this page prints none.
The verdict on cashew
Spoon-sized food
Use it by the spoon or the small handful: 400 kcal or more in every 100 g.
- 3.2 g of protein for every 100 kcal.
- One serving gives 2.8 g of the roughly 58 g of protein a day ICMR-NIN's RDA sets for a 70 kg adult.
- 0.6 g of fibre in a serving.
How cashew fits a plan that loses fat and keeps muscle
IFCT 2017 lists cashew nut at 583 kcal per 100 g, with 18.8 g of protein. It is a satisfying snack in small amounts, and like every nut its calories add up quickly.
The bigger issue in Indian food is hidden cashew: the paste that thickens restaurant gravies, kaju katli, and cashews fried in ghee for pulao. A plain handful counted as a snack is fine; the hidden ones are what to notice.
Cashew in an Indian kitchen
Count cashews: ten in a bowl is a serving, and a handful from a jar can be three times that. Plain, unsalted cashews are better than fried, salted or honey-roasted ones. In cooking, cashew paste is what makes restaurant gravies rich; at home, a spoon of hung curd or a little milk thickens a gravy with far fewer calories. Soaked cashews blend into a creamy base for a dairy-free sauce, in a small amount.
Pair it, or swap it
Ten cashews with a fruit, or a few in a vegetable stir-fry, add richness without excess. Pair with a protein snack if they are your whole evening snack.
Worth knowing
Roasted, salted or honey-coated cashews and kaju katli add oil, salt or sugar.
Cashew against similar foods
| Food | Energy | Protein | Fibre |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cashew | 583 kcal | 18.8 g | 3.9 g |
| Almond | 609 kcal | 18.4 g | 13.1 g |
| Peanuts | 520 kcal | 23.6 g | 10.4 g |
| Walnut | 671 kcal | 14.9 g | 5.4 g |