Cashews and almonds occupy the same snack category, but their nutrition profiles are not interchangeable. Almonds are higher in protein and dramatically higher in fiber; cashews contain somewhat less fat and considerably more carbohydrate.
Raw nuts per 100 g
| Nutrient | Cashews | Almonds |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | ~553 | ~579 |
| Protein | ~18.2 g | ~21.2 g |
| Fat | ~43.9 g | ~49.9 g |
| Carbohydrate | ~30.2 g | ~21.6 g |
| Fiber | ~3.3 g | ~12.5 g |
| Magnesium | ~292 mg | ~270 mg |
Almonds provide about 3 g more protein and 9.2 g more fiber per 100 g. Cashews contain about 6 g less fat and 26 fewer calories, but roughly 8.6 g more carbohydrate.
The 100-gram view is useful for concentration, not for suggesting that a typical snack should weigh 100 grams. Both nuts are calorie-dense, so a serving-size comparison is more practical.
At a 30 g serving, calories are nearly a tie
Thirty grams of cashews is about 166 calories, 5.5 g protein, 13.2 g fat, 9.1 g carbohydrate, and 1.0 g fiber. The same weight of almonds is about 174 calories, 6.4 g protein, 15.0 g fat, 6.5 g carbohydrate, and 3.8 g fiber.
The calorie difference is only about 8 calories, while the fiber difference is close to 3 grams. That makes fiber a much more meaningful distinction than treating cashews as a low-calorie nut.
Using equal weight also prevents the common mistake of comparing a large handful of one nut with a smaller handful of another. Weighing a serving once can help you recognize what roughly 1 ounce looks like later.
Why cashews are higher in carbohydrate
Cashews contain more starch than many other nuts. USDA’s legacy entry lists a substantial share of their roughly 30 g carbohydrate per 100 g as starch, which helps explain why a 30 g serving contains about 9 g carbohydrate versus about 6–7 g in almonds.
That does not make cashews equivalent to a grain. They are still high-fat, moderately protein-rich nuts, but within the nut category their macronutrient split leans more toward carbohydrate.
Both provide magnesium; cashews stand out for copper
Magnesium is similar: roughly 292 mg/100 g in cashews and 270 mg/100 g in almonds. At 30 g, that is about 88 versus 81 mg.
Cashews are particularly concentrated in copper at roughly 2.2 mg/100 g, so a 30 g portion supplies around 0.66 mg.
This is one reason variety among nuts makes sense. Different nuts emphasize different micronutrients, so there is no need for one option to win every category.
Almonds stand out for fiber and vitamin E
At 12.5 g fiber/100 g, almonds contain almost 3.8 times the fiber of cashews. They are also notably rich in alpha-tocopherol, the main form of vitamin E.
At a realistic 30 g serving, the fiber difference is large enough to matter in a day’s intake. If your goal is getting more fiber without changing calories much, almonds have a clear advantage here.
What about fat quality?
Unsaturated fats dominate in both nuts. Cashews contain roughly 43.9 g total fat and almonds 49.9 g per 100 g. Saturated fat is a minority of total fat in both, although the exact fatty-acid mix differs.
Almonds’ higher total fat helps explain their slightly higher calorie count, but that does not make the fat nutritionally worse. Type of fat, portion size and the overall diet are more useful than treating total fat alone as a quality score.
The useful takeaway
Almonds lead on protein, fiber, and vitamin E; cashews contain slightly less fat, more carbohydrate, and a great deal of copper. Their calorie difference is small—only about 8 calories in a 30 g serving—so choosing on nutrient profile makes more sense than choosing on calories alone.
Alternating them is also perfectly reasonable. A food does not need to win every nutrient category to be useful.
Sources
- USDA FoodData Central — Raw cashew and almond composition per 100 g, including macronutrients and minerals.