How Many Calories in Almonds?
That virtuous handful of almonds from every diet article is 166 kcal, near enough the same energy as a packet of crisps. Whole kernels run 554 kcal per 100 g, and a single nut costs about 7. So how many calories in almonds is the easy part; the real question is what those calories buy you.
You'd need to walk about 33 minutes to burn the 166 calories in a 30 g handful (about 23 almonds).
How long does it take to burn off almonds?
A 30 g handful (about 23 almonds) is 166 kcal. Enter your weight and the amount you ate to see how long it takes you to burn that off:
lb
| Activity | Time to burn 166 kcal |
|---|---|
| Walking, brisk | 33 min |
| Cycling, moderate | 21 min |
| Swimming, moderate | 24 min |
| Jogging | 20 min |
| Weight training, moderate | 37 min |
Times are for a 154 lb (11 st) adult at a steady pace; change the weight to see yours. The amount is set to the portion in the text (30 g); change it to what you actually ate. BodyPal works this out from your steps automatically.
On this page
- Almond nutrition per 100 g
- Handfuls, single nuts and real portions
- Toasted, flaked and ground
- How do almonds compare
- The soaked almond myth
- Most popular almond brands
- FAQ
Almond nutrition per 100 g
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | % RI* |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 554 kcal / 2,318 kJ | 28% |
| Protein | 21.2 g | 42% |
| Carbohydrates | 5.3 g | 2% |
| Fat | 49.9 g | 71% |
| Saturates | 3.8 g | 19% |
| Fibre | 12.5 g | — |
| Sugar | 4.5 g | 5% |
| Salt | 0 g | 0% |
*Reference intake of an average adult (8,400 kJ / 2,000 kcal). No RI is set for fibre; the NHS guideline is 30 g a day.
Verified nutrition data
Numbers on this page come from CoFID, the UK government’s Composition of Foods Integrated Dataset, and from manufacturer labels where a branded product is named. Last verified August 2026. How we verify our data →
Half the weight of an almond is fat, which is why the calorie figure looks alarming next to almost any other snack. But look at the company that fat keeps: 21.2 g of protein and 12.5 g of fibre per 100 g, with only 3.8 g of the fat saturated. The NHS points to unsaturated fats as the kind to favour, and nuts are one of their standard examples. Zero salt, barely any sugar.
Handfuls, single nuts and real portions
| Portion | Calories |
|---|---|
| 1 almond | ~7 kcal |
| 10 almonds | ~70 kcal |
| Handful, 30 g (~23 almonds) | 166 kcal / 695 kJ |
The 30 g handful is the portion nearly every guide settles on, and it's worth taking seriously, in both directions. At 166 kcal it is not a "free" food: that's a packet of crisps' worth of energy. But those 166 kcal come with 6.4 g of protein and 3.8 g of fibre, which is why a handful holds you to the next meal in a way crisps never will.
The mistake isn't eating almonds. It's eating them from the big bag, where handful number three arrives without a decision being made.
Toasted, flaked and ground
| Type | Calories per 100 g |
|---|---|
| Whole raw kernels | 554 kcal |
| Toasted | 579 kcal |
| Flaked or ground | 612 kcal |
Toasting drives off a little moisture, so the same weight packs slightly more energy: 579 kcal per 100 g. Flaked and ground almonds concentrate further still, to 612, which matters when a recipe calls for 100 g of ground almonds and you're the one eating the bakewell.
This also settles a common confusion. If you've seen 579 kcal quoted on American sites, that's the roasted figure; the raw UK number is 554. Neither is wrong, they're different products.
How do almonds compare
| Snack | Typical serving | Calories |
|---|---|---|
| Chia seeds | 1 tbsp (12 g) | 58 kcal |
| Peanut butter | 1 tbsp | 97 kcal |
| Almond butter | 1 tbsp | 103 kcal |
| Almonds | 30 g handful | 166 kcal |
| Pistachios | 30 g kernels | 180 kcal |
The verdict: per portion the butters look cheaper, but a tablespoon disappears in seconds while a handful of whole nuts takes minutes and actually fills you. For a snack you chew, almonds edge pistachios on protein and fibre; for something to spread on toast, peanut butter at 97 kcal a tablespoon is the better deal than almond butter.
The soaked almond myth
Soaking almonds overnight is supposed to "unlock" them or shrink their calories. It does neither. Water adds weight, not energy: a soaked almond is the same ~7 kcal nut, slightly heavier and softer. If you prefer the texture, soak away, but the arithmetic doesn't move.
The version of this myth worth keeping is portioning. Counting out 10 almonds (~70 kcal) into a bowl genuinely does change how much you eat; the soaking bowl is just a longer way of doing the counting.
Most popular almond brands in the United Kingdom
Ranked by how widely each product appears among foods sold in the United Kingdom, from the BodyPal food database of over 3.3 million products. Calories are the figures printed on each label. Label figures run above raw CoFID because most packs are roasted.
| Product | Calories (per 100 g) |
|---|---|
| Alesto Almonds (Lidl) | 621 kcal |
| Holland & Barrett Awesome Almonds | 612 kcal |
| Blue Diamond Almonds | 607 kcal |
Brand popularity: BodyPal food database. Nutrition: manufacturer labels.
Almond FAQs
How many calories in a handful of almonds?
A 30 g handful, about 23 almonds, is 166 kcal. That's comparable to a packet of crisps in energy, but it arrives with 6.4 g of protein and 3.8 g of fibre, which is why the handful keeps you full and the crisps don't. Weigh it once so you know your own handful.
How many calories in 10 almonds?
About 70 kcal, at roughly 7 kcal per nut. Ten almonds make a genuinely light snack, and counting them out is one of the few portion tricks that survives contact with real life. Twenty almonds is about 140 kcal, still less than most cereal bars.
How much protein is in almonds?
21.2 g per 100 g, among the highest of any common nut. A 30 g handful gives you 6.4 g of protein alongside 3.8 g of fibre. That combination, rather than the calorie count, is the reason almonds keep turning up in weight-loss meal plans.
Are almonds fattening?
At 554 kcal per 100 g they are energy-dense, so an open 200 g bag is a 1,100 kcal hazard. Portioned, they behave differently: a 166 kcal handful with protein and fibre displaces snacking rather than adding to it. The bag is fattening; the handful generally isn't.
Do soaked almonds have fewer calories?
No. Soaking adds water weight but no calories leave the nut, so a soaked almond is still about 7 kcal. Claims that soaking makes almonds slimming have no basis in the numbers. Choose soaked or raw on texture alone.
How many calories in flaked or ground almonds?
612 kcal per 100 g, the highest of the almond formats, because flaking and grinding remove moisture and pack more nut into every gram. Toasted whole almonds sit between, at 579. For calorie counting, weigh baking almonds rather than estimating by volume.
Why do some sites say almonds are 579 calories?
579 kcal per 100 g is the toasted (roasted) figure, widely quoted on US sites. Raw whole kernels, the number used across this page, are 554 kcal per 100 g. Both are right for their product; check which form your bag actually contains.
How many almonds should I eat a day?
The 30 g handful, around 23 nuts and 166 kcal, is the standard portion and a sensible daily ceiling if you're watching calories. If you're using nuts to replace less filling snacks, one handful does the job; a second is another 166 kcal, not a health upgrade.
Similar foods
- Pistachios — 180 kcal per 30 g kernels
- Peanut butter — 97 kcal per tablespoon
- Chia seeds — 58 kcal a tablespoon
- Almond butter — 103 kcal per tablespoon
- Mayonnaise — 103 kcal a tablespoon
- Margarine — 48 kcal per scrape
Count the handful without the maths
BodyPal logs a handful of almonds – calories, protein and fibre – from one photo.
