The only downside of nuts is that they can be small calorie bombs. The American Heart Association recommends eating just four servings of unsalted nuts a week. It is also recommended to eat raw or dry-roasted nuts, not fatty, greasy or sugary ones. And keep in mind that one serving is a small handful (1.5 ounces) of whole nuts or 2 tablespoons of nut butter.
For the best options when it comes to maximizing the protein content of the nuts you choose, we went to the USDA to find out which nuts contain the most protein. The protein in pistachios represents 21% of each nut by weight, a high level perfect for use in vegan and vegetarian diets. Pistachios are a nut that has been part of human consumption for thousands of years. Originally from the Middle East, evidence suggests that humans were growing and consuming pistachios as early as 7000 BC.
C. Pistachio found its way around the world as part of trade between China and the West, and its culinary engravings were engraved in cultures around the world. It has been used as a food source, as a natural coloring, and in a multitude of natural home remedies throughout history. The undisputed superstar on the list is dry-roasted edamame, which contains a whopping 14 grams of protein and 43% of the calories come from protein.
For example, a cup of spinach contains 2.1 g of protein and a cup of broccoli contains 8.1 g of protein. In addition, unlike animal foods and soy, nuts are low in some of the essential amino acids (the building blocks of protein) that you need to get from food every day. The numbers 1 to 6 on this list have a higher percentage of calories from protein than nuts with a higher protein content, above peanuts. Ensuring that your diet is rich in protein is important for body mechanics and finding an adequate source of protein is critical, especially with plant-based diets.
If you're like me, you'll want a simple list ranked from the best nuts for protein to the worst. I used this same formula and nutritional data from the USDA food database to rank 20 nuts, seeds and legumes from highest to lowest protein content. For example, the nuts with the highest protein content per percentage of calories from protein are peanuts (which are actually legumes), with 7 grams of protein per 165-calorie serving. With 12 g of protein per cup of tempeh, 8 g of protein per cup of soy milk, and 10 g of protein per cup of tofu, it's easy to see why so many people include this versatile, flavor-absorbing ingredient in their meatless lifestyle.
While they're not necessarily protein-rich foods, you can definitely include them in a protein-rich, macronutrient-friendly diet.
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