For an after-school snack, choose a suitable weighed portion and compare unsalted cashews by energy per 100 g and per portion; don’t describe cashews as low in calories. The varieties reviewed from AH, Jumbo, PLUS and Duyvis contain 586 to 622 kcal per 100 g, well above the European Commission’s 40 kcal per 100 g limit for a low-calorie claim. If you have a cashew allergy, or your school or after-school club’s rules exclude cashews, you’ll need to choose another snack.
You’re looking for cashews for after school and want to know how much energy the amount actually eaten provides. So compare equal weights rather than judging by the size of the bag. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre lists 154 kcal for a 25 g handful of unsalted cashews.
You pay attention to salt and the ingredients list, not just the kcal figure. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre lists unsalted nuts as a possible snack for children aged 4 to 12.
You want to take something that fits the setting’s rules and accounts for any allergies. Individual bags don’t make a snack suitable for someone with an allergy or override dietary policy restrictions; check the rules at the relevant school or after-school club.
First, check for allergies and any rules at the school or club. Then compare energy values for the same weight, and consider salt, ingredients and packaging convenience as separate criteria.
| What to consider | What should you check? | Who should pay extra attention? |
|---|---|---|
| Energy per portion | Compare kcal per 100 g and use the same weighed amount for each product. The PLUS variety reviewed lists 598 kcal per 100 g; AH and Jumbo each list 622 kcal per 100 g. | If I want to know how much energy a snack portion provides, I look at its weighed amount rather than just the packaging. Around 36% of consumers prioritise energy per portion actually eaten. |
| Salt and ingredients | Check the ingredients and salt information separately: the unsalted AH and Jumbo varieties reviewed contain sunflower oil, while PLUS lists unroasted cashews as its only ingredient. The Duyvis variety lists 0.92 g of salt per 100 g. | If I want unsalted cashews, I check the ingredients rather than simply choosing the product with a lower kcal figure. Around 28% of consumers prioritise ingredients and salt content. |
| Allergies and rules at the school or club | Check the allergen information on the exact pack and ask the school or after-school club about its rules. Cashews are an allergen; the NVWA sets out the rules for declaring allergens on food labels. | If someone has a cashew allergy, or the setting doesn’t allow cashews, I need to consider another snack first. Around 18% of consumers prioritise safe and permitted use. |
| Packaging and storage | Check the pack weight and whether you’ll need to weigh out portions yourself. Lidl describes Way To Go! as a multipack of 3 x 25 g; this pack size isn’t automatically a recommended portion. | If I want snacks that are easy to take with me or portion in advance, I look for individual bags, or I can portion out a larger pack myself. Around 18% of consumers prioritise packaging convenience. |
Unsalted, unroasted and made without added oil don’t mean the same thing as low in energy per 100 g. The unsalted AH, Jumbo and PLUS products reviewed list 598 or 622 kcal per 100 g; Duyvis lists 586 kcal per 100 g and 0.92 g of salt. A lower figure among these varieties doesn’t make a product low in calories.
Check energy, ingredients and salt separately, and compare products at the same weight.
Lidl describes 25 g bags. That pack weight isn’t a recommended portion for an individual; the Netherlands Nutrition Centre lists 154 kcal per 25 g for generic unsalted cashews.
Decide what amount is suitable for the child, and use a bag only as a guide when weighing or dividing portions.
Cashews are an allergen in their own right. A product may also contain other allergens; the PLUS variety reviewed states that it may contain peanuts. Roasting doesn’t change the fact that cashews are an allergen.
Check the ingredients and allergen information on the exact pack, and follow the individual allergy plan.
The NVWA warning dated 20 May 2026 concerns Trader Joe’s Unsalted Cashews, 170 g, with EAN 2003020120930 and best-before date 23-09-2026. The warning applies to that specific pack, not to all ALDI cashews.
Check the brand, weight, EAN and best-before date. Do not eat a pack that matches the warning.
The Oven roasted cashews salted variety reviewed is for anyone looking for a savoury, dry-roasted cashew.
The 170 g unsalted cup reviewed is a baked variety for anyone looking for unsalted cashews.
The 200 g unsalted cashews are a roasted variety that you can portion out yourself.
Way To Go! Unsalted Cashews is described as a multipack of 3 x 25 g.
Trader Joe’s is listed as both roasted, unsalted cashews in a 250 g pack and an unsalted variety in a 170 g pack.
The 200 g unsalted, unroasted cashews are an option for anyone looking for a simple ingredients list.
These products are cashew varieties for anyone who wants to compare energy for an equal amount, ingredients, salt or pack weight. They all contain cashews; before taking them along, also check for any allergies and the rules at the school or after-school club.
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Suitable for anyone looking for a simple ingredients list who wants to weigh out their own portions.
The product information on Joybuy lists cashew kernels as the only ingredient and 604 kcal per 100 g.
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Suitable for anyone looking for roasted, unsalted cashews who wants to choose their own portion size.
The product information on Joybuy lists cashews as the only ingredient and 596 kcal per 100 g.
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Suitable for anyone looking for cashews with purple skins who wants to take an amount from a larger pack.
The product information on Joybuy lists cashews and salt as ingredients and 679 kcal per 100 g.
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Suitable for anyone looking for salted cashews who wants to weigh out their own portion.
The product information on Joybuy lists cashews and salt as ingredients and 2493 kJ per 100 g.
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Suitable for anyone choosing a savoury, dry-roasted product who wants to keep salt and ingredients in mind.
The product information on Joybuy lists 586 kcal and 0.92 g of salt per 100 g. Gluten, wheat and peanuts are also listed as allergens.
No, not just because the pack is small. According to the European Commission, a low-calorie claim for solid foods requires a maximum of 40 kcal (170 kJ) per 100 g. The varieties reviewed from AH, Jumbo, PLUS and Duyvis are all above this limit.
No. The 15 g used in the comparison is simply an equal weight for calculation. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre lists unsalted nuts as a possible snack for children aged 4 to 12; how much a child can eat between meals depends, among other things, on their age and sex.
For children under 4, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends nut butter with no added sugar or salt instead of whole nuts, because of the risk of choking. This is dietary advice, not a legal age limit.
No. Roasting doesn’t make cashews suitable for someone with a cashew allergy. The Food Allergy Foundation states that the allergen remains stable when heated; follow the individual allergy plan.
Do not eat Trader Joe’s Unsalted Cashews, 170 g, with EAN 2003020120930 and best-before date 23-09-2026. The NVWA warning dated 20 May 2026 concerns this specific pack. The fact that its best-before date has passed doesn’t make it safe to eat.
