Distinguishing Nuts from Legumes

We often include nuts and legumes in our diets, with nuts being more expensive and considered nutrient-rich. Nuts are a type of dry fruit with a meaty interior encased in a woody shell, while legumes are plants in the Fabaceae family. The fruits of these plants are called legume pods, but are sometimes mistakenly referred to as dry fruits like nuts. There are several differences between nuts and legumes, aside from their nutritional content.

Key Takeaways

• Nuts are encased in hard, woody shells and typically contain one or two seeds, while legumes have seed pods that split along the sides to reveal multiple seeds.
• Legume seeds are attached to the walls of the shell they are contained in, while nuts are not attached to the fruit walls.
• Nuts have a higher fat and oil content than legumes, but the protein content is similar in both.