Pistachio Calories & Nutrition Calculator

Raw pistachios contain 1,025mg potassium per 100g — 22% of the daily value and the highest potassium concentration among all commonly consumed nuts. Almonds follow at 733mg, peanuts at 705mg, cashews at 660mg, and walnuts at 441mg. Among common whole foods, only dried apricots (1,162mg) and beans (1,000–1,400mg) consistently exceed pistachios in potassium density ^[1][2].

Per 1-ounce serving (28g, ~49 kernels): 287mg potassium (6% DV). Per quarter-cup (31g): 318mg (7% DV). Potassium content is well-preserved during roasting: dry-roasted pistachios retain 1,007mg (98% of raw), making both raw and roasted forms potassium-efficient choices for food logging ^[1].

A single pistachio kernel weighs approximately 0.57g and contains about 5.8mg potassium. Counting 49 pistachios (1 oz) provides a convenient, accurate logging method. For those tracking potassium alongside sodium, the unsalted variants have a potassium-to-sodium ratio exceeding 1,000:1 — among the highest of any food ^[1][3].

Raw pistachios provide 20.16g protein and 10.6g fiber per 100g — one of only two common nuts (alongside almonds at 21.2g protein, 12.5g fiber) where both metrics exceed 20g protein and 10g fiber simultaneously. Peanuts have more protein (25.8g) but less fiber (8.5g), cashews have less of both (18.2g, 3.3g), and walnuts have lower protein (15.2g) with moderate fiber (6.7g). The pistachio-almond pair stands apart for dual protein-fiber density ^[1][2].

Per 1-ounce serving (28g): 5.64g protein + 2.97g fiber in just 157 kcal. The protein-plus-fiber combination makes pistachios one of the most macronutrient-balanced nuts per calorie. The fiber-to-calorie ratio is 1.9g per 100 kcal — higher than cashews (0.6g), walnuts (1.0g), and comparable to almonds (2.2g) ^[1][3].

Dry roasting preserves both protein (20.2 → 21.1g) and fiber (10.6 → 10.3g) with negligible changes. The protein in pistachios includes relatively high arginine (2.13g/100g), glutamic acid (4.13g/100g), and leucine (1.60g/100g). For food journaling, pistachios offer a favorable protein-fiber-calorie triple compared to most snack options.

Pistachios contain 2,903mcg lutein + zeaxanthin per 100g — a carotenoid concentration typically associated with green vegetables (spinach: 12,198mcg, kale: 39,550mcg) rather than nuts. No other commonly consumed nut has more than trace amounts: almonds have 1mcg, walnuts 9mcg, cashews 22mcg. The green color of pistachio kernels is directly caused by these carotenoid pigments ^[1][3].

Per 1-ounce serving (28g): approximately 813mcg lutein + zeaxanthin. While this doesn't approach leafy greens, it's a meaningful amount from a snack food — comparable to 1/3 cup of cooked broccoli (1,685mcg). Lutein and zeaxanthin are not part of standard macronutrient tracking but can be relevant for detailed micronutrient food journaling ^[1].

The lutein + zeaxanthin in pistachios is fat-soluble and benefits from co-consumption with the nut's own fat content. Interestingly, roasting does not significantly degrade these carotenoids — dry-roasted pistachios retain most of the green color and carotenoid content. This makes pistachios unique in the nut category for anyone tracking carotenoid-containing foods.

Pistachios have 45.32g total fat per 100g — less than almonds (49.9g), walnuts (65.2g), pecans (72.0g), and pine nuts (68.4g). Of this fat, 23.26g is monounsaturated (primarily oleic acid, 18:1), 13.74g polyunsaturated (primarily linoleic acid, 18:2), and 5.91g saturated. The unsaturated-to-saturated ratio is 6.3:1 ^[1][2].

Per 1-ounce serving (28g): 12.7g total fat — 6.5g monounsaturated, 3.8g polyunsaturated, 1.7g saturated. This is notably less fat per ounce than almonds (14.0g), cashews (12.3g is similar), or walnuts (18.3g). The relatively lower fat content contributes to pistachios' lower calorie density (560 vs. 654 for walnuts, 673 for pine nuts) ^[1].

The oleic acid percentage (~51% of total fat) places pistachios in the same oleic-dominant category as almonds (63%), cashews (61%), and hazelnuts (79%). Unlike walnuts (which are linoleic-dominant at 52%) or coconut (which is saturated-dominant at 82%), pistachios have a MUFA-forward profile.

At approximately 0.57g per kernel, one ounce (28g) contains about 49 pistachio kernels and provides 157 kcal. This is the highest kernel count per ounce among common nuts — almonds have ~23, cashews ~18, walnuts ~14 halves. The small individual kernel size means pistachios offer more pieces per calorie, which can help with portion awareness during snacking ^[1].

In-shell pistachios weigh approximately double their kernel weight: 1 oz total in-shell weight = ~14g edible kernel = 78 kcal. If you buy in-shell and log by total weight (including shells), divide by 2 for the edible portion. The shell-to-kernel ratio is roughly 50:50 by weight. Research at Cornell found that visible pistachio shells serve as a consumption cue — people ate 41% fewer calories when shells accumulated visibly ^[3][4].

For food journaling: raw kernels = 157 kcal/oz, roasted salted kernels = 160 kcal/oz (negligible difference), in-shell = 78 kcal per oz total weight. If buying pre-shelled, weigh the kernels directly. If eating from a bowl of in-shell pistachios, weigh the shells afterward and subtract from starting weight to estimate kernel consumption.