Nuts and seeds covers almonds, walnuts, cashews, pistachios, pecans, brazil nuts, macadamia, hazelnut, peanut (legume but culinarily nut), chia, flax, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, sesame, hemp, plus their butters (peanut butter, almond butter, tahini). Per 100g values reflect high energy density — these are among the most calorie-dense foods in the database.
Nuts and seeds are a concentrated source of healthy unsaturated fats, plant protein, fiber, magnesium, vitamin E, and zinc. They are calorie-dense: a 100g reference serving is 3-4 times a typical snack portion. The American Heart Association recommends a small daily serving of unsalted nuts as part of a heart-healthy diet.
Raw or dry-roasted unsalted nuts and seeds score highest — typically 85-95. Flavored or heavily salted versions lose points from sodium. Nut butters match their whole-food scores when the ingredient list is just nuts (and maybe salt); versions with added sugar or hydrogenated oils fall 15-25 points. Chia and flax seeds score exceptionally well because of fiber and omega-3 content.
Score distribution
Top 20 nut or seeds
ranked by FoodScore (0–100)- 0185Brazil Nuts RawVery good
- 0285Cashews RawVery good
- 0385Chia seedsVery good
- 0485Hazelnuts RawVery good
- 0585Macadamia Nuts RawVery good
- 0685Poppy SeedsVery good
- 0784Almonds (raw)Very good
- 0884Flax Seeds WholeVery good
- 0982Hemp SeedsVery good
- 1082RaisinsVery good
- 1181Pumpkin Seeds Dry RoastedVery good
- 1281Sunflower Seeds Dry RoastedVery good
- 1380Pistachios Dry RoastedVery good
- 1479Pecans RawVery good
- 1579Walnuts RawVery good
- 1679WalnutsVery good
- 1778Sesame Seeds WholeVery good
- 1873Cashews Dry RoastedGood
- 1968Kashi GO LeanGood
- 2064Cashew Milk UnsweetenedGood