Cashews vs. Spirulina
Nutrition comparison of Cashews and Spirulina
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
cashews
versus
spirulina
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in cashews and spirulina:
- Both cashews and spirulina are high in calories, dietary fiber, iron, potassium and protein.
- Cashew has more lutein + zeaxanthin than spirulina, however, spirulina contains more beta-carotene than cashew.
- Spirulina has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid and folate.
- Spirulina has signficantly more Vitamin C than cashew.
- Spirulina is an excellent source of calcium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Cashews (Nuts, cashew nuts, raw) and Spirulina (Seaweed, spirulina, dried) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both cashews and spirulina are high in calories. Cashew has 91% more calories than spirulina - cashew has 553 calories per 100 grams and spirulina has 290 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, cashews is much lighter in protein, lighter in carbs and much heavier in fat compared to spirulina per calorie. Cashews has a macronutrient ratio of 13:21:67 and for spirulina, 59:25:17 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Cashews | Spirulina | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 13% | 59% |
| Carbohydrates | 21% | 25% |
| Fat | 67% | 17% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Cashew is high in carbohydrates and spirulina has 21% less carbohydrates than cashew - cashew has 30.2g of total carbs per 100 grams and spirulina has 23.9g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both cashews and spirulina are high in dietary fiber. Cashew is very similar to cashew for dietary fiber - cashew has 3.3g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and spirulina has 3.6g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Cashews and spirulina contain similar amounts of sugar - cashew has 5.9g of sugar per 100 grams and spirulina has 3.1g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Both cashews and spirulina are high in protein. Spirulina has 215% more protein than cashew - cashew has 18.2g of protein per 100 grams and spirulina has 57.5g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Cashew is high in saturated fat and spirulina has 66% less saturated fat than cashew - cashew has 7.8g of saturated fat per 100 grams and spirulina has 2.7g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Spirulina has signficantly more Vitamin C than cashew - cashew has 0.5mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and spirulina has 10.1mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Spirulina has more Vitamin A than cashew - spirulina has 29ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and cashew does not contain significant amounts.
Vitamin E
Spirulina has 456% more Vitamin E than cashew - cashew has 0.9mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and spirulina has 5mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Cashews and spirulina contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - cashew has 34.1ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and spirulina has 25.5ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Spirulina has more thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid and folate. Both cashews and spirulina contain significant amounts of Vitamin B6.
| Cashews | Spirulina | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.423 MG | 2.38 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.058 MG | 3.67 MG |
| Niacin | 1.062 MG | 12.82 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.864 MG | 3.48 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.417 MG | 0.364 MG |
| Folate | 25 UG | 94 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Spirulina is an excellent source of calcium and it has 224% more calcium than cashew - cashew has 37mg of calcium per 100 grams and spirulina has 120mg of calcium.
iron
Both cashews and spirulina are high in iron. Spirulina has 327% more iron than cashew - cashew has 6.7mg of iron per 100 grams and spirulina has 28.5mg of iron.
potassium
Both cashews and spirulina are high in potassium. Spirulina has 107% more potassium than cashew - cashew has 660mg of potassium per 100 grams and spirulina has 1363mg 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, cashew has more lutein + zeaxanthin than spirulina per 100 grams, however, spirulina contains more beta-carotene than cashew per 100 grams.
| Cashews | Spirulina | |
|---|---|---|
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 22 UG | ~ |
| beta-carotene | ~ | 342 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, spirulina has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than cashew per 100 grams.
| Cashews | Spirulina | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.062 G | 0.823 G |
| Total | 0.062 G | 0.823 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, cashew has more linoleic acid than spirulina per 100 grams.
| Cashews | Spirulina | |
|---|---|---|
| other omega 6 | 0.266 G | ~ |
| linoleic acid | 7.782 G | 1.254 G |
| Total | 8.048 G | 1.254 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.
Cashews g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Spirulina g
()
|
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KCAL % |
|
5% | calories | 5% |
|
KCAL % | |
| G % |
|
5% | carbohydrates | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
|
5% | dietary fiber | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G | 5% | sugar | 5% | G | |||
| G % |
|
5% | total fat | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G % |
|
5% | saturated fat | 5% |
|
G % | |
| G | 5% | monounsaturated fat | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | polyunsaturated fat | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | trans fat | 5% | G | |||
| MG | 5% | cholesterol | 5% | MG | |||
| MG % |
|
5% | sodium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| 5% | Vitamins and Minerals | 5% | |||||
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin A | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin C | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| IU % |
|
5% | Vitamin D | 5% |
|
IU % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | calcium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | iron | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | magnesium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | potassium | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | thiamin (Vit B1) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | riboflavin (Vit B2) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | niacin (Vit B3) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin B6 | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | pantothenic acid (Vit B5) | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | folate (Vit B9) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin B12 | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | Vitamin E | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | Vitamin K | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| G % |
|
5% | protein | 5% |
|
G % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | biotin (Vit B7) | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | choline | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | chlorine | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | chromium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | copper | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | fluoride | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | iodine | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | manganese | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | molybdenum | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | phosphorus | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| UG % |
|
5% | selenium | 5% |
|
UG % | |
| MG % |
|
5% | zinc | 5% |
|
MG % | |
| G | 5% | Water | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Starch | 5% | G | |||
| G | 5% | Alcohol | 5% | G | |||
FAQ
Does cashews or spirulina contain more calories in 100 grams?Both cashews and spirulina are high in calories. Cashew has 90% more calories than spirulina - cashew has 553 calories in 100g and spirulina has 290 calories.
Is cashews or spirulina better for protein?
Both cashews and spirulina are high in protein. Spirulina has 220% more protein than cashew - cashew has 18.2g of protein per 100 grams and spirulina has 57.5g of protein.
Does cashews or spirulina contain more calcium?
Spirulina is a rich source of calcium and it has 220% more calcium than cashew - cashew has 37mg of calcium in 100 grams and spirulina has 120mg of calcium.
Does cashews or spirulina contain more iron?
Both cashews and spirulina are high in iron. Spirulina has 330% more iron than cashew - cashew has 6.7mg of iron in 100 grams and spirulina has 28.5mg of iron.
Does cashews or spirulina contain more potassium?
Both cashews and spirulina are high in potassium. Spirulina has 110% more potassium than cashew - cashew has 660mg of potassium in 100 grams and spirulina has 1363mg of potassium.