Toasted, or roasted, nuts, and raw nuts are healthy foods with similar nutritional content, and a balanced 2,000-calorie diet includes at least 4 oz. per week of nuts, seeds or soy products, according to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. For the most health benefits, eat them in moderation as part of an overall balanced diet.
Nutritional Overview
Toasted nuts have a lower concentration of water than raw nuts, so they are slightly higher in calories. For example, toasted cashews have per ounce, and raw cashews have 157 calories per oz. The calorie content of other toasted or raw nuts, such as almonds, pistachios, hazelnuts and pecans, varies from about 160 to 204 calories per oz. Nuts are cholesterol-free, and they provide phystosterols, which are cholesterol-lowering nutrients in plants, according to the Linus Pauling Institute Micronutrient Information Center.
Fat
Toasted and raw nuts have about 13 g, in pistachios, to 21 g, in macadamia nuts, of total fat per oz., and the fat content varies by less than 1 g between toasted and raw nuts. Nuts only have about 3 to 4 g saturated fat, which may increase your risk for heart disease because they raise your cholesterol levels, and most of the fat in nuts is from heart-healthy unsaturated fats. Some, such as roasted or dry almonds and cashews, are higher in monounsaturated fats, and others, such as pine nuts, are higher in polyunsaturated fats.
Protein and Carbohydrates
Protein is a filling nutrient that decreases your hunger, and the amount of protein in nuts ranges from about 2 g per oz., in pecans, to 6 g, in almonds. The protein and carbohydrate content does not vary much between toasted and raw nuts. Toasted and raw nuts have about 8 to 9 g total carbohydrates, with almost no sugars. Some kinds of nuts, such as almonds, pistachio nuts and brazil nuts, have more than 2 g cholesterol-lowering dietary fiber.
Vitamins and Minerals
Nuts provide vitamin E, an antioxidant, and folate, an essential vitamin for lowering dangerous homocysteine levels in your blood to reduce your risk for heart disease. Potassium and magnesium are other vitamins and minerals that help explain why eating nuts may benefit your heart health, according to the Linus Pauling Institute Micronutrient Information Center. Nuts are naturally low in sodium, but toasted nuts may have salt added to them. To limit your intake, choose low-sodium or no salt-added roasted nuts.
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