For gaming, choose nuts by the calories in the portion you will eat, not by assuming one variety is low-calorie. The British Heart Foundation says a 30g handful can contain around 180–225 kcal; once you have decided on a portion, compare the exact packs for salt, ingredients and allergens. Plain almonds, salted peanuts and mixed nuts offer different trade-offs, while chestnuts are worth considering if you do not need the same crunch.
If a packet stays beside you throughout a session, deciding how much to put in a bowl beforehand makes the amount easier to keep track of. A small packet can help too, but check its weight: a packet is not necessarily one serving.
Plain nuts and seasoned snacks can differ in salt and ingredients even when their calories per serving are close. Compare the labels rather than choosing on flavour or calorie figures alone.
When someone in the household has an allergy, the named ingredients and any ‘may contain’ statement on the exact pack matter. Check them before putting nuts out for a shared gaming session.
Decide on a serving first, then use the pack label to compare energy, salt, ingredients and allergens.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Portion size | Check the pack weight and energy per serving. The British Heart Foundation says a 30g handful of nuts can contain around 180–225 kcal, depending on the variety. Measure out your portion before putting the packet away. | I want something to nibble during a session without repeatedly taking more from a sharing bag. |
| Label comparison | Compare energy on the same weight basis, such as per 100g, as well as for the portion you intend to eat. Read traffic-light colours alongside the stated serving size. | I want to compare packs without mistaking a smaller stated serving for a lower-energy product. In a 2024 Food Standards Agency and Ipsos Northern Ireland survey of 611 interviewees, 49% said they actively used traffic-light labelling when shopping for food; that figure describes food shopping, not nut choices. |
| Salt and coatings | Read the ingredients and salt per serving. Tesco Groceries lists less than 0.01g salt per 30g of Tesco Almonds; ASDA Groceries lists 0.36g per 30g of KP Original Salted Peanuts. | If I prefer less salt, I need to look beyond the calorie figure. In a Food Standards Agency Northern Ireland and Ipsos survey conducted from September to November 2022, 42% of participants said they would be more likely to buy food reduced in salt than its regular version; this was not a nut-specific question. |
| Allergens | Check named allergens and precautionary statements on the current pack, including warnings about peanuts, other nuts or sesame. The Food Standards Agency explains that ‘may contain’ statements communicate possible unintentional allergen presence. | I need to know whether everyone sharing the snack can have this exact product, not just whether its name mentions a familiar nut. |
| Texture and format | Consider whether you want whole crunchy nuts, chopped pieces or softer chestnuts. If you choose a larger pack, put the amount you intend to eat in a bowl before playing. | For a game where I want to keep one hand free, the shape and texture matter as well as the portion. |
The British Heart Foundation puts a 30g handful at around 180–225 kcal. Eating from an open sharing bag makes it harder to tell how many servings you have had.
Put your chosen portion in a bowl before gaming and compare the label’s calories for that amount.
ASDA Groceries lists 185 kcal and 0.36g salt per 30g of KP Original Salted Peanuts. Tesco Groceries lists 191 kcal but less than 0.01g salt per 30g of Tesco Almonds. The lower-calorie figure in this pair does not identify the lower-salt snack.
Compare both figures on the same serving basis, then choose according to which difference matters for your snack.
A pack can carry warnings about allergens beyond its main ingredient. Tesco Almonds, for example, may contain sesame, peanuts and other nuts; M&S says its Nut Collection is unsuitable for people with nut, peanut or sesame allergies.
Read the ingredients and precautionary statements on the exact current pack before sharing it.
These named products illustrate why serving size, salt and allergen checks can change a choice; a figure for one product should not be applied to every product from its brand.
Tesco Almonds 200G is a plain whole-almond example for comparing a measured portion with a salted snack.
KP Original Salted Peanuts offers a salted option; KP also lists a 5 × 30g multipack format.
M&S Nut Collection is a 75g mix of almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews and hazelnuts.
ASDA Whole Almonds comes in a 250g pack, which can be divided into smaller snack portions.
These options include almonds, chopped mixed nuts, flavoured pecans and two chestnut formats. Choose by the texture you want, then check the exact pack and portion rather than treating every nut or chestnut product as equivalent.
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Consider these if you would enjoy softer chestnuts rather than crunchy almonds or peanuts. Check the energy label and decide whether the 50 g pack matches the portion you want during a session.
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A mixed-nut option if you want variety. Put a portion aside from the 125g pack before playing, and consider whether chopped pieces suit the way you snack. Check the exact pack for energy and allergens.
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Whole chestnuts provide a softer alternative to roasted nuts. Set aside the amount you intend to eat from the 180g pack, then use its label to check energy for that portion and any allergen warnings.
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For someone who wants almonds rather than a mixed or flavoured snack, the main gaming-session decision is how much to take from this 500g pack. Measure a portion before playing and check the pack’s energy and allergen information.
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This maple syrup and lime variant is a flavoured pecan choice rather than a plain-nut one. Compare its ingredients, energy and salt on the label with any plain option you are considering, and decide how much of the 70g pack to serve.
Do not assume they are. The British Heart Foundation says a 30g handful of nuts can contain around 180–225 kcal, depending on the variety. Check the calories for the particular product and the amount you intend to eat.
Put a planned portion in a bowl and put the packet away before you start. The British Nutrition Foundation also suggests portioning snacks such as nuts into a bowl or choosing smaller multipack bags; check the weight of an individual bag rather than assuming it is one serving.
Start by comparing the exact packs for energy per serving, salt and ingredients. The British Heart Foundation advises choosing whole, plain nuts and avoiding salted nuts when reducing salt; a flavour description alone cannot tell you how the nutrition figures compare.
No. Check the exact pack’s ingredients and precautionary allergen statements before serving it. Tesco Almonds may contain peanuts, while M&S states that its Nut Collection is unsuitable for people with peanut, nut or sesame allergies.