[tuatoru]

I'm saying that mosts nuts (almonds, walnuts, cashews, etc.) are not consumed purely for their calorific value. We have potatoes, grains, and vegetable oils for that.

Nuts are primarily used to add flavouring to a meal based on (say) rice, or as snacks rather than full meals.

[dragonwriter]

> I'm saying that mosts nuts (almonds, walnuts, cashews, etc.) are not consumed purely for their calorific value.

Most food isn’t consumed purely for its caloric value, but the calorie density of nuts means that they are often a major source of calories as consumed.

> Nuts are primarily used to add flavouring to a meal based on (say) rice

Arguably, preference for the flavor is a result of them being used for a long time to add additional fat and protein calories to a meal based on rice. They don’t have to be the major component to be significant that way, since rice has little protein and less fat and is far less calorie dense than nuts are.

> or as snacks rather than full meals.

Snacks tend to be eaten largely to fill a caloric demand (not necessarily need, as it can be in people habituated to surplus) and a nut-based snack may be a bigger calorie chunk than a “full meal” of less calorie dense foods the same person eats.