Chestnut vs. Pecan
Nutrition comparison of Chestnut and Pecan
Ever wonder how your favorite foods stack up against each other in terms of nutrition?
We compared the nutritional contents of
chestnut
versus
pecan
(100g each)
below using 2020 USDA and NIH data[1].
For a quick recap of significant nutrients and differences in chestnut and pecan:
- Both pecan and chestnut are high in calories, dietary fiber and potassium.
- Chestnut is an excellent source of Vitamin C.
- Pecan has 63% less sugar than chestnut.
- Pecan has more thiamin, however, chestnut contains more Vitamin B6 and folate.
- Pecan is a great source of iron and protein.
- Pecan is an excellent source of calcium.
USDA sources for nutritional information: Chestnut (Nuts, chestnuts, european, roasted) and Pecan (Nuts, pecans) . Have a correction or suggestions? Shoot us an email.
Calories and Carbs
calories
Both pecan and chestnut are high in calories. Pecan has 182% more calories than chestnut - pecan has 691 calories per 100 grams and chestnut has 245 calories.
For macronutrient ratios, chestnut is much heavier in carbs, much lighter in fat and similar to pecan for protein. Chestnut has a macronutrient ratio of 5:87:8 and for pecan, 5:7:88 for protein, carbohydrates and fat from calories.
Macro Ratios from Calories:
| Chestnut | Pecan | |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 5% | 5% |
| Carbohydrates | 87% | 7% |
| Fat | 8% | 88% |
| Alcohol | ~ | ~ |
carbohydrates
Chestnut is high in carbohydrates and pecan has 74% less carbohydrates than chestnut - pecan has 13.9g of total carbs per 100 grams and chestnut has 53g of carbohydrates.
dietary fiber
Both pecan and chestnut are high in dietary fiber. Pecan has 88% more dietary fiber than chestnut - pecan has 9.6g of dietary fiber per 100 grams and chestnut has 5.1g of dietary fiber.
sugar
Pecan has 63% less sugar than chestnut - pecan has 4g of sugar per 100 grams and chestnut has 10.6g of sugar.
Protein
protein
Pecan is a great source of protein and it has 189% more protein than chestnut - pecan has 9.2g of protein per 100 grams and chestnut has 3.2g of protein.
Fat
saturated fat
Pecan is high in saturated fat and chestnut has 93% less saturated fat than pecan - pecan has 6.2g of saturated fat per 100 grams and chestnut has 0.41g of saturated fat.
Vitamins
Vitamin C
Chestnut is an excellent source of Vitamin C and it has 22 times more Vitamin C than pecan - pecan has 1.1mg of Vitamin C per 100 grams and chestnut has 26mg of Vitamin C.
Vitamin A
Pecan and chestnut contain similar amounts of Vitamin A - pecan has 3ug of Vitamin A per 100 grams and chestnut has 1ug of Vitamin A.
Vitamin E
Pecan and chestnut contain similar amounts of Vitamin E - pecan has 1.4mg of Vitamin E per 100 grams and chestnut has 0.5mg of Vitamin E.
Vitamin K
Pecan and chestnut contain similar amounts of Vitamin K - pecan has 3.5ug of Vitamin K per 100 grams and chestnut has 7.8ug of Vitamin K.
The B Vitamins
Pecan has more thiamin, however, chestnut contains more Vitamin B6 and folate. Both chestnut and pecan contain significant amounts of riboflavin, niacin and pantothenic acid.
| Chestnut | Pecan | |
|---|---|---|
| Thiamin | 0.243 MG | 0.66 MG |
| Riboflavin | 0.175 MG | 0.13 MG |
| Niacin | 1.342 MG | 1.167 MG |
| Pantothenic acid | 0.554 MG | 0.863 MG |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.497 MG | 0.21 MG |
| Folate | 70 UG | 22 UG |
Minerals
calcium
Pecan is an excellent source of calcium and it has 141% more calcium than chestnut - pecan has 70mg of calcium per 100 grams and chestnut has 29mg of calcium.
iron
Pecan is a great source of iron and it has 178% more iron than chestnut - pecan has 2.5mg of iron per 100 grams and chestnut has 0.91mg of iron.
potassium
Both pecan and chestnut are high in potassium. Chestnut has 44% more potassium than pecan - pecan has 410mg of potassium per 100 grams and chestnut has 592mg 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 chestnut and pecan contain small amounts of lutein + zeaxanthin.
| Chestnut | Pecan | |
|---|---|---|
| beta-carotene | 14 UG | 29 UG |
| lutein + zeaxanthin | 13 UG | 17 UG |
Omega-3 and Omega-6
omega 3s
For omega-3 fatty acids, pecan has more alpha linoleic acid (ALA) than chestnut per 100 grams.
| Chestnut | Pecan | |
|---|---|---|
| alpha linoleic acid | 0.093 G | 0.986 G |
| Total | 0.093 G | 0.986 G |
omega 6s
Comparing omega-6 fatty acids, pecan has more linoleic acid than chestnut per 100 grams.
| Chestnut | Pecan | |
|---|---|---|
| linoleic acid | 0.776 G | 20.628 G |
| other omega 6 | ~ | 0.069 G |
| Total | 0.776 G | 20.697 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.
Chestnut g
()
|
Daily Values (%) |
Pecan 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 pecan or chestnut contain more calories in 100 grams?Both pecan and chestnut are high in calories. Pecan has 180% more calories than chestnut - pecan has 691 calories in 100g and chestnut has 245 calories.
Does pecan or chestnut have more carbohydrates?
By weight, chestnut is high in carbohydrates and pecan has 70% fewer carbohydrates than chestnut - pecan has 13.9g of carbs for 100g and chestnut has 53g of carbohydrates.
Does pecan or chestnut contain more calcium?
Pecan is a rich source of calcium and it has 140% more calcium than chestnut - pecan has 70mg of calcium in 100 grams and chestnut has 29mg of calcium.
Does pecan or chestnut contain more potassium?
Both pecan and chestnut are high in potassium. Chestnut has 40% more potassium than pecan - pecan has 410mg of potassium in 100 grams and chestnut has 592mg of potassium.