Snacks & chocolate · Glycemic index
Do cashews spike blood sugar?
Not much. Cashews have a low GI of 25, and a 28 g serving (1 oz, a small handful) has a low glycemic load of 2. Cashews have a very low GI, and an ounce contains little available carbohydrate, so their glycemic load is tiny.
Key numbers
- Glycemic index
- 25
- Low GI
- Glycemic load
- 2
- Low GL
- Available carbs
- 8 g
- 0.9 g fiber
- Serving
- 1 oz, a small handful
- 28 g · dry-roasted
GI vs GL for cashews
The glycemic index (GI) compares how fast the carbohydrate in a food raises blood sugar against pure glucose (100), using a fixed amount of carbohydrate. The glycemic load (GL) adds the other half of the story â how much carbohydrate a normal serving actually contains: GI Ă available carbs Ă· 100. For cashews: 25 Ă 8 g Ă· 100 â 2.
That figure is an average reported in the 2008 international GI tables (âCashew nuts, mean of five foods: 25 ± 1â). A salted cashew product tested 22 in the 2021 tables, in line with the average.
Eating a different amount? Work out the glycemic load of your portion.
How to eat cashews with less of a spike
- Swap chips or crackers for an ounce of unsalted cashews.
- Add a few to stir-fries, salads or yogurt for crunch.
- Eat a few with fruit such as an apple; meals with fat are converted into blood sugar more slowly.
Other low-GI choices
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Frequently asked questions
What is the glycemic index of cashews?
Cashews have a glycemic index of 25, which is low. That figure is an average reported in the 2008 international GI tables (âCashew nuts, mean of five foods: 25 ± 1â). A 28 g serving (1 oz, a small handful) contains about 8 g of available carbohydrate, giving a glycemic load of 2 (low).
Is cashews good for prediabetes?
Cashews and other nuts are a good snack for prediabetes because they barely raise blood sugar. They are calorie-dense, so an ounce is a sensible portion.
Do nuts raise blood sugar?
Very little. Cashews averaged a GI of 25 across five products in the 2008 tables, and an ounce of cashews contains well under 10 g of available carbohydrate.
Sources
GI values come from the international GI tables; carbohydrate and fiber per serving are calculated from USDA FoodData Central.
- Atkinson FS, Foster-Powell K, Brand-Miller JC. International tables of glycemic index and glycemic load values: 2008 â online appendix, Table A1
- USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 170571: Nuts, cashew nuts, dry roasted, without salt added
- Atkinson FS, Brand-Miller JC, Foster-Powell K, Buyken AE, Goletzke J. International tables of glycemic index and glycemic load values 2021: a systematic review. Am J Clin Nutr. 2021;114(5):1625â1632, Supplemental Table 1
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, The Nutrition Source â Carbohydrates and Blood Sugar
Data last checked .