Almonds are the protein-and-fibre nut; walnuts are the omega-3 one. Per 100 g almonds carry 21.5 g of protein to walnuts’ 14.6 g — about half as much again — and more than double the fibre, 10.8 g against 5.2 g, for fewer calories: 626 against 730. Walnuts are fattier, 69.7 g against 51.1 g, and that is the point of them: walnuts are the one common nut with a substantial amount of plant omega-3.
Almonds also carry considerably more potassium, 733 mg against 424 mg. A handful of either is 25–30 g, so a realistic portion is roughly a quarter of everything above.
| Nutrient | Almonds | Walnuts |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 626 kcal | 730 kcal |
| Protein | 21.5 g ✓ | 14.6 g |
| Total Carbohydrate | 20.0 g | 10.9 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 10.8 g ✓ | 5.21 g |
| Total Sugars | 4.35 g | 2.61 g ✓ |
| Total Fat | 51.1 g | 69.7 g |
| Saturated Fat | 3.79 g ✓ | 6.05 g |
| Sodium | 0 mg | 0 mg |
Notable compounds in each
When to choose each
Reach for almonds when you want protein, fibre and the lower calorie count of the two, and for their vitamin E. Reach for walnuts for alpha-linolenic acid, the plant form of omega-3 — no other everyday nut comes close, and it is the reason walnuts appear in heart health advice specifically rather than nuts in general.
Almonds vs walnuts nutrition per 100g
Both are raw and unsalted, whole nuts rather than flour or butter. These are the two most calorie-dense whole foods most people eat regularly, so the per-100 g figures read alarmingly — a 30 g handful of walnuts is around 220 calories and of almonds around 190.
The fat in both is overwhelmingly unsaturated. What differs is the type: almonds are mostly monounsaturated, walnuts mostly polyunsaturated, which is where their omega-3 sits.
Common questions
Which is healthier, almonds or walnuts? Almonds give you more protein and more than double the fibre for fewer calories. Walnuts give you plant omega-3, which almonds have very little of. If you eat nuts daily and only pick one, the case for walnuts is the omega-3; the case for almonds is everything else.
Do almonds have more protein than walnuts? Yes — 21.5 g per 100 g against 14.6 g, about half as much again.
How many calories are in almonds vs walnuts? Almonds are 626 calories per 100 g and walnuts 730. In handful terms that is roughly 190 against 220 calories for 30 g.
Which nut is best for omega-3? Walnuts, by a wide margin among common nuts. The omega-3 in them is alpha-linolenic acid, the plant form, which the body converts to the long-chain type found in oily fish only inefficiently — so walnuts complement fish rather than replacing it.