The cashew is a tree nut commonly found on snack trays. It is rich in nutrients, cholesterol-free and high in protein. With 393 calories per 1/2-cup serving, cashews are an energy-dense snack that provide valuable nutrients, as well as 2 grams of dietary fiber. They can help you stay full longer and lower your urge to snack on less nutritious foods between meals.
Protein
Vegans and vegetarians can benefit from the large amount of protein in cashews. According to the Institute of Medicine, 10 to 35 percent of your total caloric intake should come from protein. If you take in 1,500 calories per day, protein should constitute 150 to 525 of those calories. Each gram of protein has 4 calories, so you would need approximately 38 to 131 grams of protein per day. A 1/2-cup serving of roasted cashews has approximately 10 grams of protein.
Vitamin K and B Vitamins
A half-cup of cashews provides one-fourth of the vitamin K you need each day. Vitamin K helps ensure that your blood can clot properly and may play a role in keeping your bones strong. It also gives you one-eighth of your recommended daily intake for vitamin B-6, a nutrient that helps your body metabolize carbohydrates, protein and fat. Cashews provide 12 percent of yours daily requirement for folate, a B-complex vitamin that helps prevent birth defects in unborn infants.
Minerals
Snacking on cashews can help keep your bones and teeth strong, your nervous system and muscles healthy and your circulation optimal. A half-cup serving of roasted cashews gives you half the phosphorus, zinc and magnesium you need each day, as well as one-fourth your recommended daily intake for iron. It also provides about 6 percent of calcium and potassium you need daily.
Healthy Fat
Although a 1/2-cup of roasted cashews has 32 grams of fat, less than 20 percent of its lipid makeup is from saturated fat. The rest is from monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, which may help reduce your risk of developing high LDL cholesterol and heart disease. Fat helps your body absorb fat-soluble nutrients from the food you eat, so having cashews with leafy greens or sweet potatoes can help maximize your body's absorption of vitamins A, D, K and E.
