Cashews vs. Whey Protein Powder

Nutrition comparison of Cashews and Whey Protein Powder


Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?

We compared the nutritional contents of cashews versus whey protein powder (100g each) below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].

For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in cashews and whey protein powder:

  • Both cashews and whey protein powder are high in calories, dietary fiber, potassium and protein.
  • Cashew is an excellent source of iron.
  • Whey protein powder has more riboflavin and Vitamin B12, however, cashew contains more pantothenic acid.
  • Whey protein powder is an excellent source of calcium.
Detailed nutritional comparison of cashews and whey protein powder is analyzed below. You can also visualize the nutritional comparison for a custom portion or serving size and see how the nutrition compares.

USDA sources for nutritional information: Cashews (Nuts, cashew nuts, raw) and Whey Protein Powder (Protein powder, whey based, NFS) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Calories and Carbs

calories

Both cashews and whey protein powder are high in calories. Cashew has 57% more calories than whey protein powder - cashew has 553 calories per 100 grams and whey protein powder has 352 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, cashews is much lighter in protein, heavier in carbs and much heavier in fat compared to whey protein powder per calorie. Cashews has a macronutrient ratio of 12:21:67 and for whey protein powder, 89:7:4 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Cashews Whey Protein Powder
Protein 12% 89%
Carbohydrates 21% 7%
Fat 67% 4%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Cashew is high in carbohydrates and whey protein powder has 79% less carbohydrates than cashew - cashew has 30.2g of total carbs per 100 grams and whey protein powder has 6.3g of carbohydrates.

dietary fiber

Both cashews and whey protein powder are high in dietary fiber. Cashew has a little more dietary fiber (6%) than whey protein powder by weight - cashew has 3.3g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and whey protein powder has 3.1g of dietary fiber.

sugar

Whey protein powder has less sugar than cashew - cashew has 5.9g of sugar per 100 grams and whey protein powder does not contain significant amounts.

Protein

protein

Both cashews and whey protein powder are high in protein. Whey protein powder has 329% more protein than cashew - cashew has 18.2g of protein per 100 grams and whey protein powder has 78.1g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Cashew is high in saturated fat and whey protein powder has 90% less saturated fat than cashew - cashew has 7.8g of saturated fat per 100 grams and whey protein powder has 0.78g of saturated fat.

cholesterol

Cashew has less cholesterol than whey protein powder - whey protein powder has 16mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and cashew does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamins

Vitamin C

Cashews and whey protein powder contain similar amounts of Vitamin C - cashew has 0.5mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and whey protein powder does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin E

Cashew has more Vitamin E than whey protein powder - cashew has 0.9mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and whey protein powder does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamin K

Cashew has more Vitamin K than whey protein powder - cashew has 34.1ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and whey protein powder does not contain significant amounts.

The B Vitamins

Whey protein powder has more riboflavin and Vitamin B12, however, cashew contains more pantothenic acid. Both cashews and whey protein powder contain significant amounts of thiamin, niacin, Vitamin B6 and folate.

Cashews Whey Protein Powder
Thiamin 0.423 MG 0.609 MG
Riboflavin 0.058 MG 2.017 MG
Niacin 1.062 MG 1.136 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.864 MG ~
Vitamin B6 0.417 MG 0.607 MG
Folate 25 UG 33 UG
Vitamin B12 ~ 2.45 UG

Minerals

calcium

Whey protein powder is an excellent source of calcium and it has 11 times more calcium than cashew - cashew has 37mg of calcium per 100 grams and whey protein powder has 469mg of calcium.

iron

Cashew is an excellent source of iron and it has 491% more iron than whey protein powder - cashew has 6.7mg of iron per 100 grams and whey protein powder has 1.1mg of iron.

potassium

Both cashews and whey protein powder are high in potassium. Cashew has 32% more potassium than whey protein powder - cashew has 660mg of potassium per 100 grams and whey protein powder has 500mg of potassium.

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

For omega-3 fatty acids, both cashews and whey protein powder contain significant amounts of alpha linoleic acid (ALA).

Cashews Whey Protein Powder
alpha linoleic acid 0.062 G 0.034 G
Total 0.062 G 0.034 G

omega 6s

Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, cashew has more linoleic acid than whey protein powder per 100 grams.

Cashews Whey Protein Powder
other omega 6 0.266 G ~
linoleic acid 7.782 G 0.264 G
Total 8.048 G 0.264 G



Customize your serving size


The comparison below is by weight, but sometimes 100g isn't that intuitive of a measurement for food. View a custom portion comparison (e.g. cups, oz, package).

You can try adding or subtracting the amount of either Cashews or Whey Protein Powder .

Note: The specific food items compared are: Cashews (Nuts, cashew nuts, raw) and Whey Protein Powder (Protein powder, whey based, NFS) .

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FAQ

Does cashews or whey protein powder contain more calories in 100 grams?
Both cashews and whey protein powder are high in calories. Cashew has 60% more calories than whey protein powder - cashew has 553 calories in 100g and whey protein powder has 352 calories.

Is cashews or whey protein powder better for protein?
Both cashews and whey protein powder are high in protein. Whey protein powder has 330% more protein than cashew - cashew has 18.2g of protein per 100 grams and whey protein powder has 78.1g of protein.

Does cashews or whey protein powder contain more calcium?
Whey protein powder is a rich source of calcium and it has 11 times more calcium than cashew - cashew has 37mg of calcium in 100 grams and whey protein powder has 469mg of calcium.

Does cashews or whey protein powder contain more iron?
Cashew is an abundant source of iron and it has 490% more iron than whey protein powder - cashew has 6.7mg of iron in 100 grams and whey protein powder has 1.1mg of iron.

Does cashews or whey protein powder contain more potassium?
Both cashews and whey protein powder are high in potassium. Cashew has 30% more potassium than whey protein powder - cashew has 660mg of potassium in 100 grams and whey protein powder has 500mg of potassium.