Nuts and seeds

Pistachios nutrition, where a spoonful counts.

On USDA figures, 1 oz (49 kernels) of pistachios works out at 159 calories and carries 5.7 g of protein. Specifically, this is the USDA record “Nuts, pistachio nuts, raw”. Preparation shifts it more than most tables admit, from 560 calories per 100 g at the low end to 572 at the top. Set the serving below and the panel works it out, with the full nutrient table following your choice.

By Alen Yaco · Updated 20 September 2026

Every value traces to USDA FoodData Central (170184, 170185); Daily Values follow the FDA label rules.

Pistachios calories by portion

1 oz (49 kernels) of pistachios supplies 159 calories, which scales to 560 per 100 g. Each serving listed underneath was weighed by USDA rather than estimated.

How much protein is in pistachios?

Protein in 1 oz (49 kernels) of pistachios comes to 5.7 g. Against the 50 g Daily Value, that covers 11 percent. Protein is a minor part of pistachios, at 14 percent of its calories. The case for eating it lies elsewhere.

The calorie breakdown runs 14 percent protein to 68 percent fat to 18 percent carbohydrate. Functionally, that is mostly a fat.

What cooking does to pistachios

Raw, pistachios is 560 calories per 100 g; roasted, it is 572. The extra 2 percent comes from water leaving, which concentrates everything that remains.

Every row below is the same 28 g of pistachios, so the only thing that differs is the method.

What to know before you buy pistachios

Look for shells that have split naturally at the seam. Closed shells contain immature kernels that are difficult to open. Raw kernels should show a vibrant green colour under their purple skins. Avoid yellowing kernels, which indicate age and staleness. Unshelled options stay fresh far longer than pre-shelled packages.

Toasting dry in a pan intensifies the buttery flavour, but watch them constantly. Their high oil content means they burn rapidly. The most frequent error is overheating, which turns the delicate green kernels grey and bitter. Blanching raw kernels briefly in hot water helps loosen the papery skins for clean, bright green pastes.

These kernels pair naturally with lamb and rice in Middle Eastern pilafs. In Italian confectionery, cooks grind them into paste for gelato or fold them into biscotti dough. They also contrast well with tart fruits like pomegranate and goat cheese in salads, adding both crunch and rich colour.

Pistachios: the full nutrient profile

The figures worth noticing in 1 oz (49 kernels) of pistachios are vitamin B6 (28 percent of the Daily Value), thiamin (21 percent of the Daily Value). The full list follows and tracks your selected portion.

At 11 g of fibre per 100 g, pistachios is one of the denser ordinary sources: a 100 g serving is 38 percent of a day.

Putting pistachios into a day of eating

If you eat 2,000 calories a day, 1 oz (49 kernels) of pistachios accounts for 8 percent of them, and for 11 percent of the 50 g protein benchmark. To replace 2,000 with your real number, use the TDEE calculator; to turn that into targets, the macro calculator.

Using pistachios: three recipes

From the Calorie Counter Team: three dishes built around pistachios, with per-serving nutrition calculated from the USDA data for every ingredient that goes in.

Lunch · Italian

Pistachio Pesto Pasta

A quick pasta dish using a thick sauce made from ground pistachios, fresh basil, and parmesan.

20 min · serves 2

871kcal

26gprotein

54gfat

72gcarbs

Ingredients

• dry spaghetti 160 g
• shelled pistachios 80 g
• fresh basil leaves 20 g
• garlic cloves 6 g
• parmesan cheese 40 g
• olive oil 60 g
• salt 3 g

Method

1. Boil the spaghetti in salted water for 10 minutes until tender.
2. Process the pistachios, basil, garlic, parmesan, salt, and olive oil in a food processor until a coarse paste forms.
3. Drain the pasta, reserving 50 millilitres of the cooking water.
4. Toss the warm pasta with the pistachio pesto and the reserved cooking water until coated.

Built from 7 USDA ingredient records. A cooked dish never matches its raw sum exactly, but it stays close.

Snack · British

Pistachio Oat Bars

Baked oat bars with chopped pistachios and dried cranberries, sweetened with honey.

35 min · serves 8

262kcal

5.1gprotein

15gfat

30gcarbs

Ingredients

• rolled oats 150 g
• shelled pistachios 100 g
• butter unsalted 80 g
• honey 80 g
• dried cranberries 50 g
• salt 2 g

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius and line a 20-centimetre square baking tin with greaseproof paper.
2. Melt the butter, honey, and salt in a saucepan over low heat.
3. Stir the oats, chopped pistachios, and dried cranberries into the melted butter mixture.
4. Press the mixture firmly into the lined tin and bake for 20 minutes until golden brown.
5. Allow the mixture to cool completely in the tin before slicing into eight bars.

Summed from 6 USDA records and divided by servings. Heat alters weight and a few nutrients, so read it as a close figure.

Dinner · French

Pistachio-Crusted Chicken

Pan-fried chicken breasts coated in finely chopped pistachios and flour.

25 min · serves 2

585kcal

47gprotein

35gfat

23gcarbs

Ingredients

• chicken breast 300 g
• shelled pistachios 80 g
• wheat flour 30 g
• large egg 50 g
• olive oil 20 g
• salt 4 g
• black pepper 2 g

Method

1. Slice each chicken breast horizontally to create two thin escalopes of equal thickness.
2. Finely chop the pistachios and place them on a flat plate.
3. Season the flour with salt and pepper on a second plate, and whisk the egg in a shallow bowl.
4. Coat each chicken piece in the flour, dip into the egg, and then press firmly into the chopped pistachios.
5. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat and cook the chicken for 4 minutes on each side.

Summed from 7 USDA records and divided by servings. Heat alters weight and a few nutrients, so read it as a close figure.

Calorie Counter Team, food critic

One meal, costed: pistachios

One way to build a meal around pistachios, costed from the same records. Substitute freely; the method carries over.

Nuts and seeds: where pistachios sits

Compared gram for gram, with the form of each food stated. Follow any link for that food’s full page.

Common questions on pistachios

What is the calorie count for 1 oz (49 kernels) of pistachios?

The USDA figure is 159 calories, or 560 per 100 g. It is taken from the record “Nuts, pistachio nuts, raw”, FDC 170184.

Is there much protein in pistachios?

Per 100 g, pistachios contains 20 g of protein. 1 oz (49 kernels) of pistachios therefore gives 5.7 g, which is 11 percent of a 50 g day.

Do the calories in pistachios change with how it is prepared?

Yes. At 28 g, raw is 159 calories and roasted is 162. The table above compares each preparation of pistachios covered on this page.

Is pistachios good for weight loss?

It can fit any calorie target; no single food decides the outcome. What matters here is that 1 oz (49 kernels) of pistachios costs 159 calories and returns 5.7 g of protein, so 14 percent of its energy is protein — so pair it with something that carries more protein.

How should you store raw pistachio kernels to keep them fresh?

Store them in an airtight container in the freezer. The high oil content makes them spoil quickly at room temperature. Cold storage preserves their bright green colour and sweet, nutty flavour for many months.

How do you open pistachios that have stubborn, barely cracked shells?

Use an empty shell as a wedge. Insert the edge of the discarded shell into the narrow split of the closed nut and twist. This clever leverage pops the shell apart without damaging your fingernails or teeth.

Sources

• Nuts, pistachio nuts, raw — USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 170184
• Nuts, pistachio nuts, dry roasted, without salt added — USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 170185
• Daily Values for nutrition labelling, 21 CFR 101.9