Pistachios may not be as popular as other nuts. But they can still be an excellent choice for a quick, healthy snack.
To enjoy those benefits, you should compare the available pistachio brands. That way, you can make sure you get the nutrients you need.
What Are the Best Pistachio Brands?
Wonderful is by far the best pistachio brand. Other brands to try include 365, Setton Farms, Fiddyment Farms, and Heart of the Desert. Kirkland and Food to Live are a couple of other brands you may want to try.
Be sure to consider where you can buy pistachios and what brands are on sale. You can also look into the packaging and other factors.
Best Pistachio Brands
You can find tons of pistachio brands if you’re willing to shop around enough. The exact selection may vary from one store to the next. Some brands are also easier to find online than in stores.
Before you go shopping for pistachios, consider the following brands. Then, you can learn if one of them has the nuts you prefer.
Wonderful
Wonderful Pistachios are probably the most famous brand. Even people who don’t like pistachios will most likely recognize the packaging. They use different colors to signify if the nuts are roasted and salted and if they have shells or not.
You can easily find black and green packages of pistachios. There’s also a blue package for sea salt pistachios and other colors for special varieties. Wonderful is almost always available in stores and online.
The variety means there’s always something new to try. So if you don’t like the standard pistachios they sell, you can try different flavors. You may eventually find one type that you like to eat.
365
The Whole Foods Market brand 365 is another fantastic option. They’re not as famous as Wonderful, and you may not be able to find as many varieties. But these nuts are tasty, and they have to meet Whole Foods’ strict standards.
Of course, you’ll have to shop at Whole Foods to access this brand. However, you can also order them through Amazon, which owns Whole Foods. You could get a delivery in a couple of hours if you have Amazon Primes.
Setton Farms
Setton Farms also sells some excellent pistachios you can snack on. The brand is kosher, gluten-free, and vegan. That makes the nuts an excellent choice if you don’t know what someone’s dietary restrictions are.
They do add a bit of salt, which can add some flavor to the nuts. Also, this brand is certified by the Food Safety Program from the American Heart Association. They grow the nuts in California, so you can support an American business.
Fiddyment Farms
Fiddyment Farms is another relatively small brand that sells pistachios. The nuts are gluten-free and non-GMO. Farmers grow the nuts in California and then add a bit of salt before packaging them for sale.
This brand focuses on small batches to make sure the nuts are the best possible quality. The nuts are a bit more expensive per ounce compared to other companies. However, they’re gourmet, and the small batches and American farms can improve the overall quality of the nuts.
Heart of the Desert
Heart of the Desert sells green chile-flavored pistachios, which is pretty unique. The nuts come in their shells, so you do need to open them yourself. It’s unclear how the flavor gets into the nuts and if it’s super flavorful when you eat the pistachios.
Either way, the brand is an excellent alternative to others. Depending on where you shop, you may be able to find other flavors as well. Then, you can choose the flavor you like the best when you’re looking for a healthy snack.
Kirkland
Kirkland Signature pistachios are available for sale at your local Costco as well as online from retailers like Amazon. Since they’re the Costco brand, you can buy the pistachios in bulk, so you could save money overall, especially if you eat the nuts a lot.
Of course, this brand isn’t the best if you’re looking to try pistachios. You may want to buy a smaller package in case you don’t like how they taste. But once you decide you want to eat the nuts regularly, buying them in bulk is an excellent option.
Food to Live
Food to Live sells pistachio halves that you can eat on top of a salad. You can also eat them as a snack on their own if you prefer. The nice thing about this brand is that you don’t have to worry about opening the pistachio shells.
However, they’re more expensive per ounce than a lot of competitors. If you don’t have a problem preparing the nuts, you may want something cheaper. But if you’re frequently on the go, you can get this package of pistachios.
We Got Nuts
We Got Nuts offers Turkish Antep Pistachios, which is pretty unique. If you’re not a huge fan of California varieties, you can try this brand. They’re kosher, so you can eat them when following a kosher diet.
This brand also sells other nuts, and you can combine them to make your own snack mix. Or you can stick to just the pistachios if you prefer. Of course, they do have to import the nuts, which can drive up the price, and they may not be quite as fresh as domestic brands.
How to Choose the Best Pistachios?
As you compare some of the best pistachio brands, you have a lot to keep in mind. You may choose the first brand you find, which is usually going to be the Wonderful brand.
But maybe you don’t like their pistachios. Or you may want to see what else is out there if you get tired of the Wonderful nut varieties.
Either way, here are a few things to think about when choosing your next pack of pistachios.
Shells or No Shells
First, you should know if a brand or variety of pistachio will come with or without the shells. Nuts without the shells can be more convenient to eat on the go. You don’t have to break open the shells or worry about disposing of them.
However, nuts with the shells may be a bit cheaper. If you’re tight on cash, it can be worth going with something more affordable. You can always open all of the shells at home and pack some of the pistachios for a snack while you’re out and about.
Quantity
Another thing to think about is how many nuts you’ll get. If you’ve never had pistachios, you may want to get a smaller package so that you can try them. On the off chance you don’t like the nuts, you won’t waste a ton of the nuts or a lot of money.
Maybe you know you like pistachios, in which case you may want to buy them in bulk. That way, you can stock up and keep from having to buy more every week. You can also save money overall when you buy anything in bulk.
Salted or Not
You can find many pistachio brands that sell salted nuts. But some also sell unsalted nuts, which can be good if you’re trying to watch your sodium intake. Salt isn’t a bad thing, and you do need some each day.
However, too much of it can lead to health problems. If your doctor has recommended that you lower your sodium, look for unsalted options. Then, you can still enjoy the nuts and their health benefits without eating too much salt.
Availability
Of course, you have to find the best pistachio brands before you can buy them. You may want to view the nut selection at your local grocery store. Wonderful is available in a lot of stores, so you can expect to at least have that as an option.
Other brands may not be available everywhere, though. For example, you have to go to Whole Foods to buy the 365 brand. Kirkland is also rare since it’s the store brand that Costco sells, but you can find some of those more unique brands online.
Price Per Ounce
Another thing to keep in mind is how much the pistachios cost per ounce. A large package may seem expensive, but it could cost only a few cents per ounce. Some brands cost more than a dollar per ounce.
Reviewing the price by the quantity can help you find the cheapest option. In many cases, buying nuts in bulk can be cheaper in the long run. You can usually make the nuts last for a while, so you don’t have to eat them all at once. That means you could save a bit of money each time you buy a new bag of nuts.
Final Thoughts
You can find tons of pistachio brands, but some are better than others. The most common brand is Wonderful, but you can also find store brands, like 365 and Kirkland. Be sure to try a few brands to decide which you like the best.