As Americans try to reform their diets into healthier ones, nuts pricing and costs is becoming more important among those in the food business. Research shows that nuts, as part of a healthy diet, significantly lower the risk of heart disease, are a great source of protein and are high in fiber, phytonutrients and antioxidants. In addition, nuts are high in omega-3, which lowers LDL cholesterol and is good for mental health. No wonder your customers want you to carry a great selection of nuts!

Nuts come in many varieties, including macadamia nuts, pine nuts, almonds and hazelnuts. Wholesale nuts may also be purchased with or without shells, whole, sliced or ground, and raw, roasted, blanched or flavored. But no matter what type of nuts your customers crave, it's easy to price out what you need. Consider:

1. What type of raw or treated commercial nuts do you need?

2. Do you want mixed products from nut suppliers?

3. How will you display snacking nuts for your customers?

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Determine what raw snack nuts you need

The cost of raw nuts varies according to variety, but for quality nuts, expect to pay between $1 and $3 a pound for almonds in their shells, or $4 to $6 a pound for almonds without their shells. Raw cashews run about $5 to $7 a pound without shells and hazelnuts (filberts) are around $2 to $4 a pound with shells and $6 to $8 without shells.

I recommend: NutsOnline offers a nice range of gourmet nuts in raw form. BulkNuts4You.com carries raw nuts in many forms, including whole, sliced and in ground meal.

Decide what treated nuts you want from a gourmet nut manufacturer

Nuts that have been roasted, flavored or blanched naturally cost a bit more. Roasted or smoked almonds are about $6 to $8 a pound, while blanched whole almonds are $5 to $7 a pound wholesale. Roasted or smoked cashews run around $6 to $8 a pound.

I recommend: Red Flower has a great selection of gourmet wholesale nuts in raw, roasted, blanched and smoked form. Highland Hills Farms offers roasted and flavored nuts in many varieties.

Choose mixed snacking nuts

A classic mix of nuts in shells (including walnuts, hazelnuts and almonds) runs about $2 to $4 wholesale. A shelled mix, salted and perhaps roasted costs about $8 to $10 a pound. Raw, shelled mixed nuts are available for $6 to $8.

I recommend: Nutsite.com offers bulk mixed nuts in shells, while Almond Brothers sells tasty roasted mixed without shells. New Urban Farms offers raw mixed nuts.

Select great displays for your gourmet nuts

There are a number of easy ways to display bulk nuts for your customers. Food dispensing machines make it easy for customers to pour nuts into bags, and they run between $20 (for a 1-gallon containers) to $200 (for a 12-gallon container). Three gallon bins with scoops are about $50 to $60 wholesale, while 12-gallon bins are $200 to $300.

I recommend: Food-Display.us.com carries a nice selection of dispensing machines and bins in many sizes, including single and multiple food dispensers. Displays2Go offers a similar collection of bins and dispensing machines.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Nuts--particularly unshelled nuts--go rancid quickly and should be stored in a cool location.

Commercial nuts are an integral part of many retailers, restaurants and manufacturing operations. Every grocery store stocks nuts, often in both packaged and bulk quantities. Restaurants need them for salads, desserts and many other dishes. Manufacturers from peanut butter to candy require nuts to stay in business.

Although peanuts account for half of the snack nuts market, gourmet nuts, mixed nuts, cashews, walnuts, almonds, pistachios and macadamia nuts are also worth stocking. Planters dominates the snack nuts market, which has boomed in recent years with the increasingly popular low-carb diets. Snacking nuts come in a wide variety of seasonings and sweet coatings.

Some nut suppliers specialize in one type of nut, such as peanuts, but most offer many nut varieties. Whether you need nuts on a large or small scale, consider these variables when buying wholesale nuts:

1. Shelled or unshelled.

2. Raw or roasted.

3. Whole, chopped or sliced.

4. Organically-grown nuts.

5. Convenience of packaging.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Reduce costs by buying bulk nuts

Look into buying raw or roasted nuts by the pound for your grocery store, restaurant or manufacturing operation. Bulk nuts are sold with and without the shell.

I recommend: Caromac sells mostly raw nut varieties in 1-lb. to 50-lb. cartons. Order raw, shelled Georgia peanuts from PeaNutTree.com. Start with a 2-lb. bag to sample the quality and then order up to a 40-lb. case. Buy 5-lb. and 25-lb. bags of shelled nuts from Western Mixers, Inc. This supplier has a whole, sliced, slivered and chopped almonds.

Buy packaged products from a nut wholesaler

There are many nut wholesalers that sell packaged nuts, both baking and snack varieties, for retailers. Start with peanuts, walnuts, pecans, almonds, cashews and macadamia nuts. Expand into the less popular pistachios, hazelnuts and Brazils if there's a demand for them.

I recommend: Foodservicedirect.com sells packaged nuts by the case from Planters, Diamond and lesser-known brands. You can also buy whole and chopped nuts for baking directly from Diamond Foods, Inc. Order packaged almonds by the case from Blue Diamond Growers, the largest tree nut manufacturer in the world.

Keep it natural with organic nuts

Whether you are making luscious nut-filled candy or incorporating nuts into your restaurant's signature dishes, organic nuts can help achieve a positive response from customers. Organic food retailers also need a steady supply of nut products from a reputable source.

I recommend: Diamond Organics, Inc. sells organic raw and roasted nuts by the pound. Find shelled and unshelled USDA-certified organic nuts at SunOrganic Farm. Organic nuts are completely free of salt and artificial colors.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  The expansion of gourmet nuts into a wide variety of sweet coatings and spicy seasonings are stealing the market share from traditional sweet and salty snacks. Look for some niche sales by stocking more than just chocolate coated nuts and honey roasted peanuts.

Knowing how to purchase commercial nuts can be very useful for those in the airline industries, for bar owners, for chefs, for snack companies and more, and having the knowledge about the different nuts types and styles can help you choose what will be best for your consumer.

Nuts come in many shapes, sizes and flavors. You have inexpensive simple nuts like peanuts that can served plain, salted or otherwise seasoned, or you can purchase gourmet nuts such as macadamia nuts, pine nuts, almonds and more. Other things to consider are how you purchase them. Are you buying them prepackaged in individual servings like what you would see on an airline? Are you purchasing your snack nuts in a can so that you can seal and reseal it every time you need to fill the bowls at the bar? Are you meeting with nut suppliers to find that perfect ingredient for your new restaurant?

To find out more about nuts types and styles:

1. Check out peanuts.

2. Look at gourmet nuts such as macadamia nuts and Brazil nuts.

3. Buy wholesale nuts for cooking and mixing needs.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Start with peanuts

Peanuts are widely known and come in a variety of types in their own right. From salted to unsalted, blanched and more, peanuts are sold for many uses and to many tastes.

I recommend: Purchase peanuts from The Nut Factory. Buy them roasted and salted, roasted and unsalted, dry roasted peanuts-roasted and salted, dry roasted peanuts-roasted and unsalted, raw blanched, left in their skin and more. Diamond Nuts of California sells the Spanish peanut for baking purposes.

Spice up your business with gourmet nuts

Purchase gourmet nuts to add to your mixed nuts, or use them as a secret ingredient. Whatever the reason, look at the wide array of nut options and try the samples before making a decision.

I recommend: Purchase bulk macadamia nuts from Oh! Nuts. They also have a wide variety of other nut products and snack items so be sure and check out their wide selection. Consider the salted roasted Brazil nuts from NutsOnline. Purchase them by the pound bag or by the pound cases.

Look for a nut wholesaler to help cut your costs

Purchase wholesale nuts for your mixing, baking or other mass purchase needs. Nuts add texture and flavor to many meals and snack items.

I recommend: Take a look at the bulk categories of shelled nuts from Western Mixers Produce and Nuts. These items are great for snack companies or for businesses that use nuts as main ingredients in their products. Purchase bulk cashews from Bulkfoods.com. They also have a wide variety of other nuts types and styles, so be sure and check out their large selection.

Nuts are an easy snack when a person is on the go. Grab a handful and you have a fast and healthy alternative to junk food. Expert knowledge of nut key terms will aid in answering customers' inquiries. This information also allows you to provide your customers with the best product available.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Aflatoxins

Aflatoxins are toxins from mold that can grow on food products, especially nuts. Aflatoxins are regulated in the production of the food.

I recommend: Browse the BBC site for information on aflatoxins and how they can effect your nut business.

Almonds

The almond is found inside the pit of the drupe fruit. Almonds are a common presence in the grocery aisle. Vendors need to know the difference between poisonous and edible almonds when making purchases for resale.

I recommend: Information on almonds can be found by at Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.

Pine nuts, pignolias, or pinon nuts

Pine nuts are the seed from inside a variety of pine tree. They are considered a delicacy because of their price and the effort it takes to harvest them. Pine nuts are also known as pignolias or pinon nuts.

I recommend: The RecipeZaar goes into further detail about the pine nut.

Raw nuts

Raw nuts are typically the dietary preference for consumers. A raw nut has not been processed with heat or additives and is considered best within a certain amount of time after harvesting.

I recommend: Find more information on raw nuts at Living and Raw Foods. For comparison information of raw versus processed nuts, go to WaiSays.

Phytonutrients

Phytonutrients are plant-derived nutrients that provide health benefits when the food is consumed.

I recommend: Find out more about phytonutrients and their benefits at Amazing Grass. Explore Antioxidant-Fruits.com for more information on phytonutrients in nuts.

Unsaturated fat

Many nuts contain unsaturated fat. Unsaturated fat is considered a healthy fat as it can lower cholesterol and benefit the heart.

I recommend: The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation has an informative health analysis of nuts.