Compare nuts & seeds

Research · Nuts & seeds

What our research found about nuts & seeds

Nuts and seeds are among the shortest labels in the store: the nut, perhaps oil for roasting, and salt. Harvard’s Nutrition Source summarizes the research linking regular nut intake to better heart health. “Dry roasted” means no added oil in roasting, while “oil roasted” lists the oil. Flavored and glazed nuts add sugar, honey and seasonings. Seeds such as chia, flax, hemp and pumpkin are sold whole, ground or as superfood blends.

Raw almonds sold in the U.S. are typically pasteurized, so “raw” on the package does not mean untreated. Serving sizes are about an ounce, and nuts are calorie-dense, so compare price per ounce and check the allergen statement for tree nuts, peanuts and sesame.

Products

213 brands

Full labels recorded

733% of the shelf

Maker says organic

4maker’s claim

List an added sweetener

2of 7 labels

List a seed oil

0of 7 labels

Typical label length

2ingredients (median)

Counts use complete, current ingredient labels only. Records without a published label stay unknown and are never counted as clean.

What to compare

• Roasting and oil. Dry roasted versus oil roasted; the list names any oil.
• Added sugar and flavors. Glazed and seasoned nuts add sugars and flavors.
• Allergens. Tree nuts, peanuts and sesame are major allergens.
• Price per ounce. Bulk bags vary widely in unit price.

References

1. Nuts for the heart Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
2. Food allergies and allergen labeling U.S. Food and Drug Administration
3. Dietary Guidelines for Americans U.S. Department of Agriculture and HHS
4. Organic labeling and what the USDA Organic seal means USDA Agricultural Marketing Service