Cashews vs. Bittersweet Chocolate

Nutrition comparison of Cashews and Bittersweet Chocolate


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

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

For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in cashews and bittersweet chocolate:

  • Both bittersweet chocolate and cashews are high in calories, dietary fiber, iron, potassium, protein and saturated fat.
  • Bittersweet chocolate has 5.4 times less sugar than cashew.
  • Bittersweet chocolate is an excellent source of calcium.
  • Cashew has more thiamin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6.
Detailed nutritional comparison of cashews and bittersweet chocolate 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 Bittersweet Chocolate (Baking chocolate, unsweetened, squares) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.


Image of Cashews src
Image of Bittersweet Chocolate src

Calories and Carbs

calories

Both bittersweet chocolate and cashews are high in calories. Bittersweet chocolate has 16% more calories than cashew - bittersweet chocolate has 642 calories per 100 grams and cashew has 553 calories.

For macronutrient ratios, cashews is heavier in protein, lighter in fat and similar to bittersweet chocolate for carbs. Cashews has a macronutrient ratio of 13:21:67 and for bittersweet chocolate, 9:18:73 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.

Macro Ratios from Calories:

Cashews Bittersweet Chocolate
Protein 13% 9%
Carbohydrates 21% 18%
Fat 67% 73%
Alcohol ~ ~

carbohydrates

Bittersweet chocolate and cashews contain similar amounts of carbs - bittersweet chocolate has 28.4g of total carbs per 100 grams and cashew has 30.2g of carbohydrates.

dietary fiber

Both bittersweet chocolate and cashews are high in dietary fiber. Bittersweet chocolate has 403% more dietary fiber than cashew - bittersweet chocolate has 16.6g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and cashew has 3.3g of dietary fiber.

sugar

Bittersweet chocolate has 5.4 times less sugar than cashew - bittersweet chocolate has 0.91g of sugar per 100 grams and cashew has 5.9g of sugar.

Protein

protein

Both bittersweet chocolate and cashews are high in protein. Cashew has 27% more protein than bittersweet chocolate - bittersweet chocolate has 14.3g of protein per 100 grams and cashew has 18.2g of protein.

Fat

saturated fat

Both bittersweet chocolate and cashews are high in saturated fat. Bittersweet chocolate has 315% more saturated fat than cashew - bittersweet chocolate has 32.3g of saturated fat per 100 grams and cashew has 7.8g of saturated fat.

cholesterol

Both bittersweet chocolate and cashews are low in cholesterol - bittersweet chocolate has 2mg of cholesterol per 100 grams and cashew does not contain significant amounts.

Vitamins

Vitamin C

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

Vitamin E

Bittersweet chocolate and cashews contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - bittersweet chocolate has 0.4mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and cashew has 0.9mg of Vitamin E.

Vitamin K

Cashew has 252% more Vitamin K than bittersweet chocolate - bittersweet chocolate has 9.7ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and cashew has 34.1ug of Vitamin K.

The B Vitamins

Cashew has more thiamin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B6. Both cashews and bittersweet chocolate contain significant amounts of riboflavin, niacin and folate.

Cashews Bittersweet Chocolate
Thiamin 0.423 MG 0.147 MG
Riboflavin 0.058 MG 0.1 MG
Niacin 1.062 MG 1.355 MG
Pantothenic acid 0.864 MG 0.168 MG
Vitamin B6 0.417 MG 0.027 MG
Folate 25 UG 28 UG

Minerals

calcium

Bittersweet chocolate is an excellent source of calcium and it has 173% more calcium than cashew - bittersweet chocolate has 101mg of calcium per 100 grams and cashew has 37mg of calcium.

iron

Both bittersweet chocolate and cashews are high in iron. Bittersweet chocolate has 160% more iron than cashew - bittersweet chocolate has 17.4mg of iron per 100 grams and cashew has 6.7mg of iron.

potassium

Both bittersweet chocolate and cashews are high in potassium. Bittersweet chocolate has 26% more potassium than cashew - bittersweet chocolate has 830mg of potassium per 100 grams and cashew has 660mg of potassium.

Antioxidants and Phytonutrients

carotenoids

Carotenoids are micronutrients commonly found in plants and some animal products. An example is beta-carotene, the notable carotenoid which is a popular source of Vitamin A.[4][5]

For specific types of carotenoids, both cashews and bittersweet chocolate contain significant amounts of lutein + zeaxanthin.

Cashews Bittersweet Chocolate
lutein + zeaxanthin 22 UG 38 UG

Omega-3 and Omega-6

omega 3s

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

Cashews Bittersweet Chocolate
alpha linoleic acid 0.062 G 0.117 G
Total 0.062 G 0.117 G

omega 6s

Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, cashew has more linoleic acid than bittersweet chocolate per 100 grams.

Cashews Bittersweet Chocolate
other omega 6 0.266 G 0.553 G
linoleic acid 7.782 G 1.435 G
Total 8.048 G 1.988 G



Customize your serving size


The comparison below is by common portions, e.g. cups, packages. You can also see a more concrete comparison by weight at equal weight (by grams) comparison.

Note: The specific food items compared are: Cashews (Nuts, cashew nuts, raw) and Bittersweet Chocolate (Baking chocolate, unsweetened, squares) .

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G Water G
G Starch G
G Alcohol G


FAQ

Does bittersweet chocolate or cashews contain more calories in 100 grams?
Both bittersweet chocolate and cashews are high in calories. Bittersweet chocolate has 20% more calories than cashew - bittersweet chocolate has 642 calories in 100g and cashew has 553 calories.

Does bittersweet chocolate or cashews contain more calcium?
Bittersweet chocolate is a rich source of calcium and it has 170% more calcium than cashew - bittersweet chocolate has 101mg of calcium in 100 grams and cashew has 37mg of calcium.

Does bittersweet chocolate or cashews contain more iron?
Both bittersweet chocolate and cashews are high in iron. Bittersweet chocolate has 160% more iron than cashew - bittersweet chocolate has 17.4mg of iron in 100 grams and cashew has 6.7mg of iron.

Does bittersweet chocolate or cashews contain more potassium?
Both bittersweet chocolate and cashews are high in potassium. Bittersweet chocolate has 30% more potassium than cashew - bittersweet chocolate has 830mg of potassium in 100 grams and cashew has 660mg of potassium.