Cashew, popularly known as Kaju, in India is a food item falling under the nut category. Cashews are kidney-shaped seeds that come from the cashew tree. They are usually grown in warm climates and are considered a delicacy in India. Although they’re commonly referred to as tree nuts, cashews are actually seeds. They are full of nutrients and can be used in many recipes. The nutritional value of cashew is discussed below.
One serving of cashews has about 157 calories and about 9 grams of carbohydrate. Its starch content is about 1 gram.
Almost all of the calories in cashews comes from fat. Out of 12 grams of fat, 2 grams is saturated fat. Unsaturated fats, that constitute about 9 grams, are considered to have a low risk of heart disease.
Cashew nuts provide less protein than peanuts, and they're typically less than 5 grams per serving.
Cashews are a great source of Vitamin K manganese, and copper. They're also good sources of vitamin B6. They can also help boost your calcium levels.
If an average-sized nut is considered, then the number of calories in 1 cashew that weighs about 1.6 grams comes to around 9. That way, the calories in 10 cashews go to 90. One serving of cashew nuts is about 28 grams which contain about 157 calories. Let us take a look at the nutritional value of cashew per 100 grams of serving.
Nutrition Content |
Cashew Calories 100g serving |
Protein |
15.1 g |
Fats |
46 g |
Carbs |
32.1 g |
Sodium |
650 mg |
Potassium |
560.7 mg |
While most of the Indian delicacies that contain cashew are desserts and sweets, there are some food items like sabzi which contains cashew. Following is the list of common food items that we consume frequently containing cashews with their calories count.
Food Items Containing Cashews |
Calories in Cashew Food Items |
Cashew (Kaju) Milk (for 8oz) |
160 calories |
Kaju Katli (per piece) |
41 calories |
Paneer Sabzi with Cashew |
298 calories |
Kaju curry (per serving) |
297 calories |
Kaju Halwa / Sheera (per serving) |
499 calories |
Carrot Cashew Payasam (per serving) |
320 calories |
Roasted Cashews |
49 calories |
Cashew Chikki (per piece) |
70 calories |
Cashew Biscuits (per biscuit) |
69 calories |
We all have heard that cashews are good for health. But what exactly are the health benefits that you get from consuming cashews? Well, let us look at them one by one.
Cashew nuts are high in protein, which can help you lose weight. They are also beneficial for your digestive health. However, they should be consumed in moderation to avoid gaining weight since it contains fat.
Cashews can help lower bad cholesterol in adults. The food researchers discovered that when people with high risk of having high levels of fat consumed one serving of cashews everyday, their risk was reduced significantly by about 25%.
Cashews are high in fat, but they contain monounsaturated fats, which are good for your heart and lower your cholesterol levels. It is considered as good fat. They also provide a low-fat diet.
There is some evidence suggesting that eating nuts can reduce the risk of gallstone disease. However, the evidence is not strong enough to prove that nuts are effective at preventing gallstone disease.
Cashews are high in good fats that can help lower bad cholesterol. They also contribute to a healthy and balanced lifestyle by supplying energy and keeping the stomach filled. Daily consumption of 4-5 cashews can assist you to maintain proper weight balance as well as help you get the most out of its nutritional values. Considering 1 cashew nut calories at 9, calories in 5 cashews could come to 45.
You should make sure to consume cashews in the raw form and not the salted cashew nuts because higher levels of sodium in salt can have adverse effects on health. The optimum benefit of cashews can be taken when it is consumed in raw form.
You must always try to maintain a balanced BMI and BMR and the most important aspect you must focus on is how many calories you eat throughout the day. BMI calculator and calorie calculator are available online to help you keep a check on your intake.
As we saw, cashew nuts in raw form have lots of health benefits if consumed in moderation. But when consumed in excess or along with the sweet delicacies like desserts, its calorie count goes high which can adversely affect the Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) and Body Mass Index (BMI). For any discrepancies left, you must safeguard your health with health insurance. Bajaj Markets provides you with the best plans on health insurance you wouldn’t want to miss.
Cashew nuts can also cause weight gain and frequent urination. However, these effects are rare. When used on the skin, they can irritate and cause skin ulcers.
Intake of sugar in excess is never a healthy choice. Since desserts contain heavy sugar, one must avoid consuming excess sugar. However, any nuts and fruits, and other food items when added to a sweetened dessert lose their benefits. Hence, you must avoid consuming cashews by way of desserts.
The Indian states of Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa, Goa, etc are some of the states that produce cashew nuts. Cashew trees need a warm climate to grow. Maharashtra is the highest producer of cashew nuts in India.
There is about 15.1 grams of protein in 100g of cashews.
If an average-sized nut is considered, then the number of calories in 1 cashew that weighs about 1.6 grams comes to around 9.