Compared with many other nuts and veggies, almonds seem particularly wasteful, requiring a whole gallon of water per nut.

But what about the foods we eat that aren't nuts or vegetables?

I'm talking about meat.

Red meat, in particular. From raising the cows to washing and processing the meat, burgers and steaks require far more water per ounce than a handful of nuts do.

This chart, from a presentation made by University of California Davis professor Blaine Davis, makes the difference pretty clear:

UC Davis/Blaine Hanson