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Boxing food rankings

The best nuts and seeds for boxers

All 41 nuts and seeds from the official UK food dataset, ranked by all-round score. Peanuts, Poppy seeds, Nuts lead the group. Open the full explorer to rank them for making weight, bulking or maximum protein instead.All 41 nuts and seeds, ranked by Super Score (%Protein per kcal x Nutrient Density x estimated Satiety, each normalised 0 to 100). Switch goals in the explorer to re-rank for cutting, bulking or maximum protein.

Nuts and seeds are calorie-dense, nutritious and useful in small amounts, but they are a poor choice for making weight, and no single nut or seed is a boxing superfood.

The protein per calorie scores in this group are modest because most of the calories in nuts come from fat rather than protein. Peanuts lead the group partly because they have more protein than most tree nuts and partly because their fat profile (mostly unsaturated) is healthier than many snack alternatives. Pumpkin seeds and mixed nuts also score reasonably well on nutrient density, delivering magnesium, zinc and vitamin E alongside their calories.

Where nuts earn their place in a boxer's diet is as a calorie-dense snack between meals during hard training blocks, when eating enough total calories is a genuine challenge. A small handful of mixed nuts or a tablespoon of nut butter alongside a meal adds calories, fat-soluble vitamins and healthy fats without requiring much volume. They are also useful post-training when a full meal is not practical.

The caveat is straightforward: portion size matters more in this group than in almost any other. A large handful of cashews or peanuts is 200 or more calories, which is easy to lose track of. During a cut, nuts are worth limiting or removing from the diet because the calorie density works against you. During a bulk they are a useful tool. Know which phase you are in and adjust accordingly.

#	Food	All-Round score	% Protein/kcal	Nutrients	Fullness
1	Peanutskernel only, plain, unsalted	8.2	18%	73	43
2	Poppy seeds	7.0	16%	65	47
3	Nutsmixed	6.8	17%	72	41
4	Peanutsdry roasted	5.2	17%	52	40
5	Melon seeds	5.1	20%	45	40
6	Sunflower seeds	5.0	14%	70	37
7	Almondswhole kernels	4.9	15%	67	33
8	Almondsflaked and ground	4.7	14%	64	37
9	Peanutsroasted and salted	4.6	16%	51	39
10	Almondstoasted	4.3	15%	66	32
11	Tahini paste	4.3	12%	71	35
12	Sesame seeds	4.2	12%	70	35
13	Pumpkin seeds	4.2	17%	41	41
14	Sunflower seedstoasted	4.1	14%	60	35
15	Peanut buttersmooth	3.8	15%	49	36
16	Peanuts and raisins	3.6	14%	47	39
17	Cashew nutskernel only, roasted and salted	3.4	14%	53	33
18	Cashew nutskernel only, plain	3.2	12%	55	33
19	Quinoaraw	3.0	18%	29	40
20	Hazelnutskernel only	2.1	9%	60	29
21	Peanutsraisins and chocolate chips	2.1	11%	38	35
22	Pistachio nutskernel only, roasted and salted	1.9	12%	35	33
23	Breadnut seedsdried	1.8	11%	37	33
24	Brazil nutskernel only	1.7	8%	55	25
25	Walnutskernel only	1.5	9%	49	25
26	Pine nutskernel only	1.5	8%	55	23
27	Marzipanhomemade	1.3	9%	31	34
28	Trail mix	0.9	8%	23	33
29	Pecan nutskernel only	0.7	5%	45	21
30	Chestnutsdried	0.6	5%	23	36
31	Barcelona nutsKernel only	0.5	7%	22	22
32	Chestnutskernel only, raw	0.5	5%	13	53
33	Betel nuts	0.4	6%	13	32
34	Marzipanwhite and yellow, retail	0.3	6%	12	30
35	Coconutdesiccated	0.3	4%	19	27
36	Macadamia nutssalted	0.2	4%	24	17
37	Coconutflesh only, fresh	0.2	4%	7	46
38	Tigernuts	0.2	4%	7	36
39	Coconut milk	0.1	4%	2	69
40	Coconut milkreduced fat, retail	0.0	4%	0	66

40 of 41 nuts and seeds. Open the full interactive explorer to search and switch goals. Satiety is an estimate. It is modelled from the known drivers of fullness (protein, fibre, water, low energy density, low fat), not measured directly.

Common questions

What are the best nuts and seeds for boxers?

Peanuts (kernel only, plain, unsalted), Poppy seeds (), Nuts (mixed) score highest in this group on the all-round measure, which combines protein per calorie, nutrient density and estimated fullness.

How is the ranking worked out?

Each food is scored from the UK Government CoFID 2021 dataset and ranked by an all-round score. Switch goals in the full interactive explorer to re-rank for making weight, bulking or maximum protein.

General information for boxers, not medical or dietary advice. For a plan built around you, speak to a registered dietitian or your GP. Food data from the UK Government CoFID 2021 dataset, used under the Open Government Licence.

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