Nuts, seeds and grains
Almonds on a GLP-1: protein, portions and how to actually eat it
About 21 g of protein per 100 g (3.5 oz), raw or roasted, for around 580 calories. A small handful, about 30 g (1.1 oz), gives roughly 6 g of protein for 174 calories.
To reach 30 g of protein from almonds alone you would need about 143 g (5.0 oz). On a small appetite that is often more than one sitting allows, which is why we pair it rather than chase the whole target from one food.
How almonds sits on a GLP-1
Almonds are about 21 g of protein per 100 g (3.5 oz), which sounds impressive until you notice that the same 100 g is 580 calories and that a realistic handful is 30 g (1 oz), giving 6 g of protein. On a GLP-1 they are a snack, not a stop, and the dry crunch takes chewing and water that a small appetite does not always have. Their value is that they need no fridge and no preparation, and that a few of them make a bowl of yoghurt more satisfying.
When your appetite is small
Keep a small jar in your bag and count a handful as 6 g, not more. The better move is to put them into something that already carries protein: a tablespoon of flaked almonds on Greek yoghurt or porridge adds crunch and 3 g without turning the bowl into a chewing job.
Three ways to prepare it
Flaked over yoghurt or porridge
Toasted flaked almonds on a protein pot or a bowl of porridge. A few grams of protein and the crunch that makes soft food less monotonous.
Roasted with salt and smoked paprika
Ten minutes at 180C, about 355F, with salt and paprika. Salted roasted almonds taste of something when raw ones do not, which matters when your palate has flattened.
Almond meal in a small protein pancake
Almond meal, an egg and a scoop of protein powder make two small pancakes at about 12 g each, and the meal keeps them moist.
What to eat it with
Yoghurt, oats, dark chocolate, dried apricots, or a piece of cheese. Almonds with a glass of milk is a better afternoon snack than almonds alone, because the milk brings the protein and the drink.
How it compares
| Food | Protein per 100 g | Energy per 100 g | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Almonds | about 21 g | 580 kcal | this page |
| Peanuts | about 25 g | 570 kcal | See the page |
| Pistachios | about 20 g | 560 kcal | See the page |
| Almond butter | about 21 g | 610 kcal | See the page |
All figures are typical values for the food as eaten, raw or roasted, not laboratory figures for a particular brand.
Australian, US and UK names
Almonds in all three countries. Almond meal in Australia is almond flour in the US and ground almonds in the UK, and blanched, flaked and slivered almonds are sold in all three. Activated almonds, soaked and dried, are an Australian health food shop staple with the same protein.
Questions people ask
How many almonds do I need for 30 g of protein?
About 143 g (5 oz), which is roughly 120 almonds and 830 calories. That is not a plan for anyone, least of all on a small appetite. A handful is 6 g; put it beside a real protein.
Your number comes first
Knowing what is in a food only helps once you know how much you are aiming for. The target is 1.2 to 1.6 g of protein per kg of your goal weight, not your current weight, which for most people is 90 to 140 g a day.
Work out your protein targetMore on eating well when your appetite is small: high protein foods for a small appetite, how much protein on a GLP-1, and every food we have written up. The whole system in five documents is the Keep Muscle Kit, A$47 / US$29 / £23.
EverStrong provides nutrition and strength coaching and education. It is not medical advice and does not replace your prescribing doctor.