For a late-night nut snack, decide on a small portion and compare its labelled calories; plain or unsalted does not necessarily mean lower in calories. Ocado lists M&S natural cashews at 145 kcal per 25 g and KP unsalted peanuts at 186 kcal per 30 g. Those serving sizes differ, so check salt and added ingredients separately rather than treating the figures as a ranking of nut types.
If you want something crunchy late at night, compare calories for the amount you will actually serve. Ocado lists M&S natural cashews at 145 kcal per 25 g and KP unsalted peanuts at 186 kcal per 30 g; neither figure describes an open-ended handful.
Salt varies by product and preparation. Tesco lists 0.10 g salt per 25 g of its roasted and salted almonds, while Ocado lists less than 0.01 g per 30 g of KP unsalted peanuts. Compare the serving sizes as well as the salt figures.
Read the current pack for allergens, precautionary statements and any age-related warnings. The Food Standards Agency distinguishes tree nuts, including almonds and cashews, from peanuts, which are legumes.
Choose the amount you plan to eat first. Then compare energy, salt and ingredients on that basis, alongside any household safety needs.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Portion and calories | Check the stated serving size and its calories. Use the per-100-g figure to compare products on the same weight basis, then measure the portion you intend to eat. | I want to know how much I am serving before I start eating, rather than taking repeated handfuls from a larger pack. |
| Salt | Compare salt for the portion you will eat, especially across plain, salted and flavoured products. Check calories separately: unsalted describes salt, not energy. | A savoury snack appeals to me, but I want to see its salt figure before choosing a flavour. |
| Coatings and sugars | Read the ingredients and sugars per serving. Ocado lists sugar, honey and glucose syrup in KP honey-roast peanuts, with 4.2 g sugars per 30 g. | If I choose honey-roasted nuts, I want to know what the coating adds compared with a plain product. |
| Allergens and age suitability | Check the current pack’s named allergens, precautionary statements and any choking warning. Do not treat a peanut label as interchangeable with a tree-nut label. | Someone in my household may need an allergen check, or I may be choosing a snack for a young child. |
Calories for a labelled serving do not describe a larger bowl. Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust gives examples of around 80–92 kcal for small, counted portions of several nuts and notes that values are averages.
Decide on a counted or weighed portion before eating, and check the pack for the amount in your chosen product.
Salt and energy are separate figures. Ocado lists KP unsalted peanuts at less than 0.01 g salt and 186 kcal per 30 g.
Choose unsalted when salt is your concern; compare calories and serving size independently.
Ocado’s KP honey-roast peanut listing includes sugar, honey and glucose syrup. Flavour names alone do not tell you the sugars or salt in a serving.
Compare the ingredient list and per-serving nutrition with a plain option before deciding.
The Food Standards Agency identifies peanuts and tree nuts as distinct allergen categories. Precautionary statements and age-related warnings also need checking on the particular pack.
Read the current label for the person who will eat the snack, including any warnings about whole nuts and young children.
M&S provides examples of both natural cashews and roasted and salted pistachios. Compare the particular pack rather than applying one product’s figures to the brand.
Tesco’s almond products illustrate why preparation and salt need separate checks, even when the stated calories per portion match.
KP peanut variants offer different salt and ingredient profiles. Peanuts are legumes rather than tree nuts, as the Food Standards Agency explains.
These options include chestnut kernels, unsalted peanuts and cashews for a late-night snack. Chestnut products should be compared by their own nutrition labels rather than treated as equivalent to the peanut and cashew examples above; portion size and preparation still matter.
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For a late-night chestnut snack, decide how much of the 50 g pack to serve and check its energy per portion on the label. Check the pack’s allergen and age-suitability information for the intended eater.
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An unsalted roasted peanut option if salt is the deciding factor. Portion from the 250 g pack and check its own calorie and allergen information; unsalted does not establish a lower calorie count.
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For a cashew snack, measure a serving from the 250 g pack before comparing its labelled calories and salt with other products. Read the current allergen and precautionary statements.
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The 400 g chestnut pack calls for a deliberate serving if you are choosing a modest late-night snack. Compare its labelled energy for that amount, and check ingredients and allergen information on the pack.
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If considering cashews from this 500 g pack, check whether the ingredients include seasoning and compare the labelled salt and calories for your chosen portion. Serve that portion separately rather than judging it by pack size.
A small, measured portion can have fewer calories than a large bowl, but the amount matters. Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust gives approximate examples of 12 almonds at 80 kcal and 12 cashews at 90 kcal; it advises checking labels for exact values.
Among these specific examples, Ocado lists M&S natural cashews at 145 kcal per 25 g, while Tesco lists its roasted and salted almonds at 158 kcal per 25 g and Ocado lists KP unsalted peanuts at 186 kcal per 30 g. Because the peanut serving is larger, these figures do not establish which nut type has the fewest calories at an equal weight.
No: unsalted refers to salt, not calories. Ocado lists KP unsalted peanuts at less than 0.01 g salt and 186 kcal per 30 g, so check both figures and the serving size.
Check the ingredients, sugars and calories for the portion you plan to eat. Ocado lists sugar, honey and glucose syrup in KP honey-roast peanuts, with 4.2 g sugars per 30 g; compare the exact pack with a plain option rather than judging it by its flavour name.
Read the current pack’s ingredient and precautionary statements for the person who will eat it. The Food Standards Agency distinguishes tree nuts such as almonds and cashews from peanuts, which are legumes; also check any age-suitability or choking warning on the product.