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20 foods graded

Nuts & Seeds Tier List

Unsaturated fats do the heavy lifting; saturated fat and sodium are the tax. Calorie-dense by nature — the per-100-calorie denominator keeps it honest.

SS tier · 2 foods

Flaxseeds

22.8g omega-3 per 100g — the ALA champion. Grind them or they pass straight through.

534 kcal18.3g protein#1

Chia Seeds

34g fiber and 17.8g omega-3 per 100g. Tiny seeds, absurd numbers.

486 kcal16.5g protein#2

AA tier · 4 foods

Sunflower Seeds

Vitamin E king at 35.2mg — cheap, snackable, underrated.

584 kcal20.8g protein#3

Almonds

Vitamin E standout — 25.6mg per 100g — with fiber and magnesium alongside.

579 kcal21.2g protein#4

Hazelnuts

Nutella's better half — the hazelnut deserved better.

628 kcal15g protein#5

Peanuts

A legume crashing the nut party — 25.8g protein, the cheapest protein in the bowl.

567 kcal25.8g protein#6

BB tier · 6 foods

Poppy Seeds

19.5g fiber and 1438mg calcium per 100g. The tiny overachiever.

525 kcal18g protein#7

Sesame Seeds

Calcium and iron numbers that embarrass most nuts — if you eat enough of them.

573 kcal17.7g protein#8

Hemp Seeds (Hulled)

A magnesium bomb with decent protein — at 553 calories per 100g. The omega-3s are ALA, the plant form your body converts poorly.

553 kcal31.6g protein#9

Pumpkin Seeds

A zinc and magnesium bomb — 592mg magnesium per 100g.

559 kcal30.2g protein#10

Walnuts

The only nut with meaningful omega-3s — 9.1g ALA per 100g.

654 kcal15.2g protein#11

Cashews

Creamy, magnesium-rich, lowest fiber of the nuts — great in curry, mediocre as a health halo.

553 kcal18.2g protein#12

CC tier · 5 foods

Pine Nuts

Pesto's expensive secret.

673 kcal13.7g protein#13

Pecans

MUFA-heavy and buttery — the pie nut with a respectable panel.

691 kcal9.2g protein#14

Pistachios

The snackable nut — 20g protein and easy portion control, if you buy the shells.

56 kcal20.2g protein#15

Brazil Nuts

One nut covers your selenium for days. Literally — stop at two.

659 kcal14.3g protein#16

Macadamia Nuts

The buttery nut — highest MUFA of the bunch.

718 kcal7.9g protein#17

DD tier · 3 foods

Tahini

Sesame paste with a real calcium number — hummus's quiet overachiever.

595 kcal17g protein#18

Lotus Seeds (makhana)

Makhana — the puffed snack that's basically protein-forward popcorn.

332 kcal15.4g protein#19

Chestnuts (roasted)

The outlier: starchy, low-fat, basically a potato wearing a nut costume.

245 kcal3.2g protein#20

How the grading works: scored per 100 calories on fixed benchmarks, weighted, ranked. Read the full methodology — the formula is published, argue with it.

Questions

How are nuts & seeds scored?

Every food is scored 0–100 per 100 calories across five factors (protein, fiber, micronutrients and more depending on the category), combined with fixed weights, then ranked. The top 10% of the board earn S tier. Full methodology.

What is the healthiest nuts & seed?

By our numbers: Flaxseeds — S tier, 78/100. See its full breakdown.

A note before you eat your screen: grades are computed from published nutrition data with a transparent formula. They are a starting point for thinking about food, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor or a registered dietitian about your diet.