How many calories are in almonds?
Almonds has 162 calories per 1 oz (28 g, ~23 nuts) — that's 579 calories per 100 g, roughly 8% of a 2,000-calorie day. Most of those calories come from fat.
USDA FoodData Central · raw · FDC 170567
Calories by portion
| Portion | Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fat |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 oz (28 g, ~23 nuts) | 162 | 5.9 g | 6 g | 14 g |
| 100 g | 579 | 21.2 g | 21.6 g | 49.9 g |
| 1 oz (28 g) | 164 | 6 g | 6.1 g | 14.1 g |
Where the calories come from
Protein 14% Carbs 14% Fat 72%
Calories computed from USDA per-100 g data (FDC 170567, SR Legacy). raw. The macro split uses general Atwater factors (protein and carbs ≈ 4 cal/g, fat ≈ 9 cal/g) and is approximate.
Almonds are nutritious and genuinely filling — and they are calorie-dense, which is the number people miss. A standard 1 oz handful (28 g, about 23 nuts) carries roughly 162 calories, and 100 g comes in at a hefty 579 calories. A small handful is only about 8% of a 2,000-calorie day, but it’s small enough to grab on autopilot, and that’s exactly where the calories sneak up. The reason a modest handful costs so much is sitting in the macro split.
Where the calories come from
Almost everything here is fat. Run almonds through the standard Atwater factors (protein and carbs ≈ 4 cal/g, fat ≈ 9 cal/g) and roughly 72% of the calories are fat, with the remaining quarter split about evenly between protein (~14%) and carbohydrate (~14%). With nearly 50 g of fat per 100 g, and fat carrying 9 calories a gram versus 4 for protein and carbs, the density is baked in. None of this makes the fat bad — it’s mostly the heart-healthy monounsaturated kind, and it comes packaged with vitamin E, magnesium, and about 3.5 g of fiber per ounce. But fat-forward means calorie-forward, which changes how you should reach for them.
Why portion control is the whole game
The discipline almonds demand is portion control, not avoidance. A measured 1 oz handful is about 162 calories of genuinely good nutrition; the trouble starts when “a handful” quietly becomes three. Eat from the bag and you can clear 400–500 calories without registering a single one — the same density that makes a small serving satisfying makes a large one a calorie trap. The reliable move is to measure once: a small cupped handful is about right, and portioning into a bowl rather than grazing from the package keeps almonds working as the smart, nutrient-dense snack they are. Compare that to a whole egg at ~72 calories or 3 oz of chicken breast at ~140 — almonds simply cost more per bite, so the portion is what you control.
For the protein side of the picture — and why that impressive per-100g protein number doesn’t make almonds a protein source — see protein in almonds.
Packaged nuts options, graded
Prefer something off the shelf? Here are the best-graded nuts in our catalog — each scored on our transparent Labelgrade. Check the calorie line on each label for your goal.
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Labelgrade 85/100 · 160 cal · 6 g protein
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Labelgrade 79/100 · 170 cal · 6 g protein
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many calories are in a 1 oz serving of almonds?
About 162 calories in a 1 oz handful (28 g, roughly 23 nuts), based on 579 calories per 100 g (USDA FDC 170567). That's around 8% of a 2,000-calorie day in a portion small enough to grab without thinking — which is exactly the catch.
How many calories are in almonds per 100 g or per ounce?
579 calories per 100 g, which is about 164 calories per ounce (28 g) — so a standard 1 oz handful lands near 162 calories. Be careful with the per-100g figure: 100 g of almonds is about 3.5 ounces and roughly 80 nuts, far more than a normal snack.
Where do the calories in almonds come from?
Overwhelmingly fat. By Atwater factors, almonds are about 72% fat calories, with the rest split roughly evenly between protein (~14%) and carbohydrate (~14%). Nearly 50 g of fat per 100 g is what makes almonds so calorie-dense — the fat is healthy and mostly monounsaturated, but it's still 9 calories a gram.
Why are almonds so easy to overeat?
Because they're calorie-dense and effortless to graze on. A measured 1 oz handful is about 162 calories, but doubling it without noticing pushes you past 320 — the difference between a smart snack and a meal's worth of calories. The fix is portion control: measure a small cupped handful once instead of eating from the bag.
How many almonds is a serving?
A standard serving is 1 oz, about 23 almonds or a small cupped handful (28 g, ~162 calories). It carries roughly 5.9 g of protein and 14 g of fat, plus vitamin E, magnesium, and about 3.5 g of fiber — genuinely nutritious, just dense, so the portion is the thing to watch.
When was this data last verified?
2026-06-04, against USDA FoodData Central FDC 170567 (Nuts, almonds; SR Legacy). We re-verify reference pages periodically and update when USDA revises its data.
Whole-food values are USDA reference data, not a Labelgrade (that score is for branded packaged products). See our methodology and the TDEE calculator to turn this into a daily target.