[Article updated on 19/09/2023]
Chestnuts, or chestnuts, are the fruit of the chestnut tree (Castanea sativa), a tree native to the Mediterranean. Edible chestnuts can be eaten raw or after cooking. They are characterized by numerous nutritional and medicinal values. It is not without reason that they have been appreciated since Antiquity. You can taste cooked chestnuts while walking the streets of Italy and France. Let’s see how many calories chestnuts contain.
Before reading on
I’m not an expert in this field, but I am passionate about nutrition and health.
The articles you’ll find on my site are the result of in-depth research that I’d like to share with you. However, I would like to stress that I am not a health professional and that my advice should in no way replace that of a qualified physician. I’m here to guide you, but it’s important that you consult a professional for specific questions or medical concerns. Your well-being is important. So be sure to consult the appropriate experts and take the best possible care of yourself.
How many calories are in chestnuts?
100 grams of fresh chestnuts provide 196 calories. 100g of roasted chestnuts equals 213 kcals. 100 grams of boiled chestnuts provide 130 calories. 100 grams of dried chestnuts provide 369 calories. A handful of chestnuts (70 g) contains approximately 149 calories (kcal).
To visualize what it actually is, keep in mind that the amount of calories in a handful of chestnuts (70 g) is similar to the amount of calories in, for example, 2.5 apples, 1.5 glasses of Cola, 1.5 slices of cheese, 1 slice of bread, 1 glass of milk or 7.5 teaspoons of sugar.
To burn this amount of calories (149 kcal), for example, you need to cycle for at least 21 minutes, swim for 18 minutes or run for 15 minutes.
Chestnut calories come from 5% protein, 86% carbohydrates and 10% fat.
Number of carbohydrates, lipids and proteins in a chestnut
Edible chestnuts contain 2.42g of protein per 100g. A handful of chestnuts (70 g) contains around 1.7 g of protein. Edible chestnuts contain 45.54g of carbohydrates per 100g. A handful of chestnuts (70 g) contains approximately 31.9 g of carbohydrates. Edible chestnuts contain 8.1 g of fiber per 100 g. A handful of chestnuts (70 g) contains approximately 5.7 g of fiber. This corresponds to approximately 19% of an adult’s daily needs. The fats contained in chestnuts are mainly polyunsaturated fatty acids (mainly omega-6).
Chestnut nutritional value table
| Nutrients | Chestnut: content per 100 grams |
| Carbohydrates | 45.54g |
| -with sugar | 10.32 |
| -of which starch | 19.45g |
| -including dietary fiber | 8.1g |
| Proteins | 2.42g |
| Lipids | 1.4g |
| -including cholesterol | 0mg |
| -of which saturates | 0.2g |
| Potassium | 715 mg |
| Sodium | 27 mg |
| Water | 13.8 |
| Alcohol | 0g |
How much does the average chestnut weigh?
A chestnut weighs about 5 grams and contains 10.65 calories
Vitamin and mineral content of chestnuts
100 grams of edible chestnuts contain around 40 mg of vitamin C, which covers almost 50% of the daily requirement. Vitamin C strengthens the body’s immunity and participates in the synthesis of collagen, a compound responsible for the good condition of connective tissue.
Chestnuts are rich in vitamin B9 (50 µg/100 g), a vitamin which is involved in the body’s hematopoietic processes. It notably prevents anemia. Vitamin B9, commonly known as folic acid, is especially important in pregnant women or those planning to become pregnant because it reduces the risk of fetal malformations.
Edible chestnuts are a source of B vitamins and mainly vitamin B6. This group of vitamins is responsible for the proper functioning of the nervous and immune systems.
The mineral content, particularly copper and manganese, is particularly noteworthy. 100 grams of chestnuts cover 50% of the RDA for copper and almost 20% of the RDA for manganese. Chestnuts are also rich in potassium, magnesium, zinc, phosphorus and iron.
Chestnuts contain a large amount of antioxidants, which protect the body against free radicals and oxidative stress.
Do chestnuts make you gain weight?
The fear that chestnuts make you gain weight is well founded, since they are quite caloric fruits. Roasted chestnuts contain on average around 213 kcals per 100 g. Compared to other fruits, however, the sugars they contain are mostly complex.
Eating chestnuts can eliminate the feeling of hunger more effectively than another fruit. We could therefore say that chestnuts not only do not make you gain weight, but they help us lose weight because they can more effectively replace a snack. In addition, thanks to their fiber content, they provide a feeling of satiety and help our intestines.
The portion to take without fear of weight gain varies from 40 to 60 g per day (approximately 5/6 chestnuts). The best times of the day to enjoy chestnuts are those that we dedicate to snacks, in order to stock up on energy and satisfy our appetite until the next meal. Even at breakfast, they will provide us with important nutrients to better face the day
The health benefits of chestnuts
The beneficial properties of chestnuts for our health are numerous and all result from the activity of the micronutrients they contain. Chestnuts are nutritious and energetic. They have anti-inflammatory and prebiotic activities, and promote the reduction of bad cholesterol.
Thanks to the abundance of dietary fiber, they are useful for preserving or restoring intestinal regularity. Chestnuts, thanks to their richness in minerals, are a useful food in cases of asthenia. They are excellent during convalescence after the flu, in children and the elderly.