How to Understand Almond Oil Nutrition

Almond oil can substitute for olive oil in cooking.

The almond tree, or Prunus amygdalus, is a small deciduous tree which consists of two primary varieties. It's native to the Middle East, although growers commercially cultivate the almond tree throughout the world. The dulcis variety of the almond tree produces sweet almonds, which you can eat raw. The amara variety produces bitter almonds, which is the most common source of almond oil. Bitter almonds are dangerous to eat raw, because they contain high amounts of prussic acid.

Things You'll Need

• Nutrition label for almond oil

Instructions

1. Study the general properties of almond oil. The oil in the almond kernel is known scientifically as Oleum amygdalae. Almond oil has a nutty flavor with a slight odor, and can substitute for olive oil in cooking. It's also a popular massage oil, as many practitioners consider it an effective emollient.

2. Determine the serving information for almond oil. The United States Department of Agriculture has specific nutritional information on almond oil. The serving size for this information is one tbsp., or about 1/2 fl. oz., of almond oil. Almond oil is a natural product, so this nutritional data doesn't depend on the brand.

3. Observe the caloric content of almond oil. A serving of almond oil contains 120 calories. This is about 6 percent of the daily calorie requirement, assuming a diet of 2,000 calories per day. These calories all come from fat, as almond oil doesn't contain any carbohydrates or protein.

4. Examine the fat content of almond oil. Almond oil provides 13.6 g of fat per serving, which consists of 12.5 g of unsaturated fat and 1.1 g of saturated fat. This represents 20.4 percent of the daily value for fat and 5.5 percent of the daily value for saturated fat. Almond oil doesn't contain any cholesterol or trans fat.

5. Inspect the vitamin and mineral content of almond oil. A serving of almond oil has 5.33 mg of vitamin E in the form of alpha-tocopherol, which is about 36 percent of the daily value for vitamin E. It also has 1 mcg of vitamin K, which is less than 1 percent of the daily value for vitamin K. Almond oil contains no minerals.

References

• New World Encyclopedia: Almond
• United States Department of Agriculture: Almond Oil
• Institute of Medicine: Daily Reference Intakes