Calories in Almonds
Almonds contain 579 kcal per 100g — calorie-dense due to their fat content (50g/100g). A typical 1 oz serving (~23 nuts, 28g) is 164 kcal.
Nutrition by portion size
| Portion | kcal | Carbs (g) | Protein (g) | Fat (g) | Fiber (g) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 oz (28g, ~23 almonds) | 164 | 6 | 6 | 14 | 3.5 |
| 10 almonds (~14g) | 80 | 3 | 2.9 | 7 | 1.7 |
| 1/4 cup (~36g) | 207 | 8 | 7.6 | 18 | 4.4 |
| 100g almonds | 579 | 22 | 21 | 50 | 12 |
| 1 Tbsp almond butter (16g) | 98 | 3 | 3.4 | 9 | 1.6 |
About these numbers
Almonds are calorie-dense by weight but easy to overconsume because a "handful" feels small. 1 oz (28g) is roughly 23 nuts — the standard serving size used by most nutritional research. At 164 kcal per serving, almonds are the upper-mid calorie density among nuts (similar to cashews, lower than macadamia, slightly above pistachios).
The cardiometabolic data is strong. The 2019 Becerra-Tomás meta-analysis (12 RCTs, 1,000+ subjects) found almond consumption reduced LDL cholesterol by 5.4 mg/dL and total cholesterol by 7.6 mg/dL vs control. The PREDIMED trial included mixed nuts (30g/day) as one of the two Mediterranean diet arms that reduced CV events 28% over 5 years. Despite their calorie density, almonds are weight-neutral in most studies — likely because their satiety effect and incomplete chewing-absorption offset the labeled calorie content.
Use the calculators
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- Net Carbs Calculator — useful for keto and T1D insulin dosing
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Frequently asked questions
- How many calories are in a handful of almonds?
- A "handful" is ambiguous — most people's handful is 20–30 almonds, which works out to 145–210 kcal. The standard 1 oz serving used in nutrition research is 28g, or about 23 almonds, providing 164 kcal. For precision, weigh on a kitchen scale; visual estimates of nut quantity are reliably off by 30–50%.
- Are almonds good for weight loss?
- Better than the calorie density suggests. Despite ~165 kcal per 1 oz serving, almonds are weight-neutral or slightly weight-favourable in most controlled feeding studies. The 2012 Mattes et al. meta-analysis in the British Journal of Nutrition pooled nut consumption trials and found no weight gain effect from regular nut intake at moderate doses. Two mechanisms explain it: incomplete chewing leaves some calories unabsorbed (research suggests ~20% of almond calories pass through undigested) and high satiety from fat + protein + fiber displaces other calorie sources.
- How many almonds should I eat per day?
- The PREDIMED trial used 30g/day as the dose that produced cardiovascular event reduction. Most cardiology recommendations land at 1–2 oz (28–56g) per day. Beyond ~2 oz, the calorie density does start to matter for weight management. For people not actively cutting, 1 oz daily is the practical sweet spot.
- Do almonds raise blood sugar?
- Minimally on their own — almonds have GI of about 0, near-zero glycemic load. But more importantly, eating almonds *with* carbs reduces the post-meal glucose response. The 2017 Choudhury et al. randomised crossover study showed adding 28g of almonds to a high-GI carb meal reduced post-prandial glucose excursion by 27%. The mechanism: fat slows gastric emptying, fiber slows absorption, and almonds contribute very little carb of their own. For diabetes management, almonds are an excellent meal addition.
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