Nuts are the easiest keto snack to reach for and the easiest to overeat, so it helps to know where each one lands. This guide ranks the common nuts by net carbs per ounce, from pecans and macadamias at the low end to cashews at the high end, with how many nuts an ounce actually is and which ones to keep a lid on.
I have learned over the years that the hardest part about this lifestyle is traveling. When I'm home I can cook and follow my way of eating easily, but when I'm on the road, sky, or boat this gets difficult. One of my favorite on the go natural snacks is nuts. They are a great protein packed treat. Nuts still have carbs so you have to watch how many you eat. Since they are packed with fiber you can subtract the fiber from the total carbs to get your net carb count.
Net carbs by nut
Net carbs per 1 ounce serving, which is a small handful, ordered from lowest to highest. Numbers are rounded from USDA FoodData Central.
| Nut | Net carbs (1 oz) | About that ounce | Note |
|---|
| Pecans | about 1 g | ~19 halves | Lowest, very high fat |
| Brazil nuts | about 1 g | ~6 nuts | High in selenium, keep to a few a day |
| Macadamia | about 1.5 g | ~10 to 12 nuts | Keto favorite, the fattiest nut |
| Walnuts | about 2 g | ~14 halves | Good omega-3s |
| Hazelnuts | about 2 g | ~21 nuts | Pairs with chocolate for fat bombs |
| Peanuts | about 2 g | ~28 nuts | A legume, not a true nut |
| Almonds | about 2.5 g | ~23 nuts | The classic measured handful |
| Pine nuts | about 3 g | ~2 tablespoons | Pricey, the pesto nut |
| Pistachios | about 5 g | ~49 kernels | Higher, easy to overeat |
| Cashews | about 8 g | ~18 nuts | Highest, treat as occasional |
The real risk is the handful
For most nuts the difference between the lowest and the middle of this list is a gram or two an ounce, which is small. The thing that actually blows a carb budget is the second and third handful. An ounce of almonds is 23 nuts, and almost no one stops at 23 straight from the bag. Pour a portion into a bowl instead of eating from the container, and the per-ounce numbers above stay true. Eat by the handful in front of the TV and even pecans add up. Cashews and pistachios deserve the extra caution not only because they start higher, but because they are the two people find hardest to stop eating.
Aside from being a perfect snack they also can be used in cooking to substitute for many ingredients. Walnuts, pecans, and pine nuts make a great "natural crouton" in salads. You can also grind up almonds in a food processor and use them to replace breading or even to make a pie crust. Ground nuts are one of the swaps I rounded up in my low carb substitutes guide.
The nuts that pull double duty
A few of these earn their place by cooking, not just snacking. Pine nuts are the pignoli in Italian pesto, toasted and ground with basil and oil, which is why a high-carb-sounding price tag still buys a low-carb sauce. Walnuts and pecans crisp up as a crouton or a crust; my walnuts as a cracker swap leans on that. And when a recipe calls for almond flour by weight, the conversions in my cups to grams guide keep the portion, and the carbs, where you meant them.
Sources
USDA FoodData Central, carbohydrate and fiber values for tree nuts and peanuts.
Diet Doctor, low-carb nuts visual guide, cross-checked for net carbs per serving.
Sugarfreechic, low-carb snack notes.
