How many calories are in peanuts?
Peanuts has 164 calories per 1 oz (28 g) — that's 587 calories per 100 g, roughly 8% of a 2,000-calorie day. Most of those calories come from fat.
USDA FoodData Central · dry-roasted, unsalted · FDC 173806
Calories by portion
| Portion | Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fat |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 oz (28 g) | 164 | 6.8 g | 6 g | 13.9 g |
| 100 g | 587 | 24.4 g | 21.3 g | 49.7 g |
| 1 oz (28 g) | 166 | 6.9 g | 6 g | 14.1 g |
Where the calories come from
Protein 15% Carbs 14% Fat 71%
Calories computed from USDA per-100 g data (FDC 173806, SR Legacy). dry-roasted, unsalted. The macro split uses general Atwater factors (protein and carbs ≈ 4 cal/g, fat ≈ 9 cal/g) and is approximate.
Peanuts are filling and genuinely nutritious — and they are calorie-dense, which is the number people underestimate. A standard 1 oz handful (28 g) carries about 164 calories, and 100 g comes in at a hefty 587 calories. A small handful is only about 8% of a 2,000-calorie day, but it’s small enough to grab on autopilot, and that’s exactly where the calories sneak up. The reason a modest scoop costs so much is sitting in the macro split — and for peanuts, that split leans hard one way.
Where the calories come from
Almost everything here is fat. Run peanuts through the standard Atwater factors (protein and carbs ≈ 4 cal/g, fat ≈ 9 cal/g) and roughly 76% of the calories are fat, with protein (~17%) and carbohydrate (~14%) splitting what’s left. With nearly 50 g of fat per 100 g, and fat carrying more than double the calories of protein or carbs gram for gram, the density is baked in. None of that makes the fat bad — it’s mostly the heart-healthy monounsaturated kind, and it comes packaged with about 6.8 g of protein and 2.4 g of fiber per ounce. But fat-forward means calorie-forward, which is what changes how you should reach for them.
Why portion control is the whole game
The discipline peanuts demand is portion control, not avoidance. A measured 1 oz handful is about 164 calories of genuinely good nutrition; the trouble starts when “a handful” quietly becomes three. Eat from the jar and you can clear 400–500 calories without registering a single one — the same density that makes a small serving satisfying makes a large one a calorie trap. The reliable move is to measure once: a small cupped handful is about right, and portioning into a bowl rather than grazing from the package keeps peanuts working as the smart, nutrient-dense snack they are. The other variable to watch is added oil and salt on roasted or flavored tins, though the salt is a sodium question, not a calorie one — dry-roasted unsalted is the cleanest pick. Walnuts run even denser at about 183 calories an ounce, so among nuts peanuts are far from the worst offender, but the portion is still what you control.
For the protein side of the picture — and why that per-100g protein number doesn’t make peanuts a protein source — see protein in peanuts.
Packaged nuts options, graded
Prefer something off the shelf? Here are the best-graded nuts in our catalog — each scored on our transparent Labelgrade. Check the calorie line on each label for your goal.
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Labelgrade 79/100 · 170 cal · 6 g protein
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many calories are in a 1 oz serving of peanuts?
About 164 calories in a 1 oz handful (28 g), based on 587 calories per 100 g (USDA FDC 173806). That's a small, grab-without-thinking portion carrying a meal-sized chunk of calories — which is exactly the catch with peanuts.
How many calories are in peanuts per 100 g or per ounce?
587 calories per 100 g, which works out to about 164 calories per ounce (28 g). Watch the per-100g figure: 100 g of peanuts is roughly 3.5 ounces and a big pile of nuts, far more than a normal snack — so anchor on the ~164-calorie ounce for the realistic number.
Where do the calories in peanuts come from?
Overwhelmingly fat. With nearly 50 g of fat per 100 g, about 76% of peanuts' calories are fat by the standard Atwater factors, with protein and carbohydrate splitting the rest. Fat carries 9 calories a gram versus 4 for protein and carbs, which is what makes peanuts so calorie-dense (USDA FDC 173806).
Why are peanuts so easy to overeat?
Because they're calorie-dense and effortless to graze on. A measured 1 oz handful is about 164 calories, but doubling it without noticing pushes you past 320 — a meal's worth of calories from a snack. The fix is to portion once into a bowl instead of eating from the bag or jar.
Are peanuts good for weight loss despite the calories?
They can be, in a measured portion. Peanuts are calorie-dense but genuinely filling — the fat, fiber, and protein combine to blunt hunger, so a planned 1 oz handful (~164 calories) can hold you between meals better than a lighter but less satisfying snack. The whole game is portion control, since the calories climb fast if a handful becomes three.
When was this data last verified?
2026-06-18, against USDA FoodData Central FDC 173806 (Peanuts, all types, dry-roasted, without salt; SR Legacy). We re-verify reference pages periodically and update when USDA revises its data.
Whole-food values are USDA reference data, not a Labelgrade (that score is for branded packaged products). See our methodology and the TDEE calculator to turn this into a daily target.