Smoked almonds can be eaten by the handful as a special treat or used more sparingly as a tasty garnish on crackers spread with cream cheese or other toppings. You don't have to feel guilty for indulging in this snack from time to time because nuts are included in the portion of the food pyramid devoted to protein.
Serving Size
The serving size for smoked almonds is 20 nuts. This amount is comparable to one large handful.
Calories and Fat
One serving of smoked almonds has 121 calories and 11 g of fat. While many people intentionally avoid nuts because of their high fat content, there is no cholesterol in smoked almonds and none of the fats are saturated fats. Taken together with other nutritional data, these numbers suggest that enjoying a fistful of nuts on occasion will not undermine your efforts to maintain a healthy weight.
Protein
One serving of smoked almonds provides 6 g of protein. The U.S. Department of Agriculture suggests that adults consume 0.8 g of protein for every kg of body weight. Doing all the necessary conversions, these numbers mean that one serving of smoked almonds satisfies 13 percent of the daily protein requirement of a 130-lb. woman.
Vitamins and Minerals
While smoked almonds have no vitamin A or vitamin C, one serving does satisfy 8 percent of the recommended daily allowance of calcium and 6 percent of the recommended iron needed in a 2,000-calorie diet. Although they may be high in fat, smoked almonds are far from empty calories.
Sodium
One downside to smoked almonds is their high sodium content. The 120 mg of sodium found in a serving of smoked almonds may seem like a fairly modest amount, especially in comparison to other high sodium snacks. However, the American Heart Association recommends that everyone limit their sodium consumption to 1,500 mg per day. One serving of smoked almonds is 8 percent of this suggested limit.
