16 Nuts and Seeds High in Protein

Written by Daisy Whitbread, BSc (Hons) MSc DipIONPowered by USDA Nutrition Data

Last Updated: December 9th, 2020

Nuts and seeds are a heart-healthy snack. Almonds, in particular, have been proven to lower cholesterol. In addition to being a good source of fiber and healthy fats, nuts can also be a good source of protein.

The current Daily Value (%DV) for protein is 50 grams per day. One ounce (1oz) of nuts or seeds is typically equivalent to a handful, or 2-3 tablespoons. Most nuts provide between 8-18% DV of protein per 1oz handful.

High protein nuts and seeds include hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds, peanuts, almonds, pistachios, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, sesame seeds, chia seeds, cashews, and more. Below is a list of 16 nuts and seeds high in protein. For more, see the extended list of less common nuts and seeds high in protein.

Table of Contents

Introduction
List of High Protein Nuts
Extended List of Protein Rich Nuts and Seeds
Nutrient Ranking Tool
Related
Feedback
References

List of High Protein Nuts

#1: Hemp Seeds

Protein per Oz	Protein per 100g	Protein per 200 Calories
9g (18% DV)	31.6g (63% DV)	11.4g (23% DV)

Nutrition Facts for Hemp Seeds. (Source)

#2: Seeds (Squash and Pumpkin Seeds)

Protein per 1oz Handful	Protein per 100g	Protein per 200 Calories
8.5g (17% DV)	29.8g (60% DV)	10.4g (21% DV)

Nutrition Facts for Roasted Squash And Pumpkin Seeds (Unsalted). (Source)

#3: Peanuts (Dry Roasted)

Protein per Oz	Protein per 100g	Protein per 200 Calories
6.9g (14% DV)	24.4g (49% DV)	8.3g (17% DV)

Nutrition Facts for Dry Roasted Peanuts. (Source)

Peanuts are actually legumes, but are listed here since they are nuts in the culinary sense.

#4: Almonds

Protein per 1oz Handful	Protein per 100g	Protein per 200 Calories
6g (12% DV)	21.2g (42% DV)	7.3g (15% DV)

Nutrition Facts for Almonds. (Source)

#5: Pistachios (Dry Roasted)

Protein per 1 Oz Handful	Protein per 100g	Protein per 200 Calories
6g (12% DV)	21.1g (42% DV)	7.4g (15% DV)

Nutrition Facts for Dry Roasted Pistachio Nuts. (Source)

#6: Sunflower Seeds (Dry Roasted)

Protein per Oz	Protein per 100g	Protein per 200 Calories
5.5g (11% DV)	19.3g (39% DV)	7.1g (14% DV)

Nutrition Facts for Dry Roasted Sunflower Seeds (With Salt). (Source)

#7: Flax Seeds

Protein per Oz	Protein per 100g	Protein per 200 Calories
5.2g (10% DV)	18.3g (37% DV)	6.9g (14% DV)

Nutrition Facts for Flax Seeds. (Source)

#8: Sesame Seeds

Protein per Oz	Protein per 100g	Protein per 200 Calories
4.8g (10% DV)	17g (34% DV)	6g (12% DV)

Nutrition Facts for Sesame Seeds (Toasted). (Source)

#9: Chia Seeds

Protein per oz(~2 Tblsp)	Protein per 100g	Protein per 200 Calories
4.7g (9% DV)	16.5g (33% DV)	6.8g (14% DV)

Nutrition Facts for Chia Seeds. (Source)

#10: Cashews (Dry Roasted)

Protein per 1 Oz Handful	Protein per 100g	Protein per 200 Calories
4.3g (9% DV)	15.3g (31% DV)	5.3g (11% DV)

Nutrition Facts for Dry-Roasted Cashews. (Source)

#11: Walnuts

Protein per Oz	Protein per 100g	Protein per 200 Calories
4.3g (9% DV)	15.2g (30% DV)	4.7g (9% DV)

Nutrition Facts for Walnuts. (Source)

#12: Hazelnuts (Filberts) (Dry Roasted)

Protein per 1 Oz Handful	Protein per 100g	Protein per 200 Calories
4.3g (9% DV)	15g (30% DV)	4.7g (9% DV)

Nutrition Facts for Dry Roasted Hazelnuts. (Source)

#13: Pine Nuts

Protein per Oz	Protein per 100g	Protein per 200 Calories
3.9g (8% DV)	13.7g (27% DV)	4.1g (8% DV)

Nutrition Facts for Pine Nuts (Dried). (Source)

#14: Pecans

Protein per Oz	Protein per 100g	Protein per 200 Calories
2.6g (5% DV)	9.2g (18% DV)	2.7g (5% DV)

Nutrition Facts for Pecans. (Source)

#15: Macadamia Nuts

Protein per 1 Oz Handful	Protein per 100g	Protein per 200 Calories
2.2g (4% DV)	7.9g (16% DV)	2.2g (4% DV)

Nutrition Facts for Macadamia Nuts. (Source)

#16: Dried Coconut

Protein per Oz	Protein per 100g	Protein per 200 Calories
2g (4% DV)	6.9g (14% DV)	2.1g (4% DV)

Nutrition Facts for Dried Coconut (Unsweetened). (Source)

See All 61 Nuts and Seeds High in Protein

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Extended List of Protein Rich Nuts and Seeds

Food	Serving	Protein
#1 Butternuts (Dried) View (Source)	1oz	14% DV (7.1g)
#2 Black Walnuts (Dried) View (Source)	1oz	14% DV (6.8g)
#3 Safflower Seeds View (Source)	1oz	9% DV (4.6g)
#4 Lotus Seeds View (Source)	1oz	9% DV (4.4g)
#5 Hickory Nuts (Dried) View (Source)	1oz	7% DV (3.6g)
#6 Pilinuts (Dried) View (Source)	1oz	6% DV (3.1g)
#7 Ginkgo Nuts (Dried) View (Source)	1oz	6% DV (2.9g)
#8 Acorns (Dried) View (Source)	1oz	5% DV (2.3g)
#9 Beechnuts (Dried) View (Source)	1oz	4% DV (1.8g)
#10 Coconut Water View (Source)	per cup	3% DV (1.7g)
#11 Breadfruit Nuts (Boiled) View (Source)	1oz	3% DV (1.5g)

From the Nutrient Ranking Tool

View more food groups with the nutrient ranking tool, or see ratios with the nutrient ratio tool.

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Data Sources and References

U.S. Agricultural Research Service Food Data Central

MyFoodData provides nutrition data tools and articles to help you organize and understand the foods you eat. Read more...