Calories in Sunflower Seed Butter

From crispy roasted sunflower seeds snacks to healthy and fresh vegetable salads, and from whole grain breads to various other baked food products, sunflower seeds are used in a varied form. One of the popular derivatives of sunflower seeds is sunflower seed butter, which is available in both salted as well as unsalted forms. Also called sunflower butter, its commercial version was produced in the late 80s. At that time, sunflower butter was popularized as an alternative to peanut butter and regular butter for people suffering from nut allergies and lactose intolerance. Sadly, the bitter-roasted (as it was cited by many consumers) taste and non-buttery greenish appearance of the earlier version of sunflower seed butter failed to impress many. However, the sunflower seed butter which is available today is a far better and an adjusted version of sunflower butter, that looks and tastes a lot like peanut butter. As the name suggests, sunflower seed butter is made from the oil which is got from sunflower seeds. As a result, it is a naturally rich source of various nutrients, vitamins and minerals. Since sunflower seeds itself are a bit high on calories, the calories in this butter might be a cause of concern for calorie conscious people.

Nutritional Information
Let's take a look at the nutritional information in this butter. Nutritional values that are given below are present in one tablespoon of unsalted butter. (These values are according to the USDA Nutritional Data Laboratory.)

Nutrition	Amount
Calories	99
Protein	2.76g
Total fats	8.83g
Carbohydrate	3.73g
Sugar	1.69g
Calcium	10mg
Iron	0.66mg
Phosphorus	107mg
Potassium	92mg
Sodium	0mg
Zinc	0.78mg
Selenium	16.7mcg

Calories
As you may have seen in the chart above, there is one thing that may stop you from consuming sunflower seed butter, which is its calorie count. It is important to understand that 100g of sunflower seeds contain around 590 calories, while, same amount of sunflower butter contains around 620 calories. 1 tablespoon of this butter contains 99 calories, while half a cup contains around 400 calories. It shows that the calorific value is pretty high and hence, you should consume in it only in moderation. Excessive consumption of high calorie condiments may lead to several health concerns like obesity and increased blood cholesterol levels. Apart from the calories, this butter is a rich source of various other nutrients.

As shown in the table above, it is a loaded with various nutrients. Apart from significant levels of protein, carbohydrates, calcium, phosphorous, selenium and sugar, sunflower butter also contains various vitamins like vitamin E, vitamin C, vitamin B complex, vitamin A, retinol, vitamin D, antioxidants like tocopherol, pantothenic acid; saturated and unsaturated fatty acids and amino acids. Owing to the presence of these rich nutrients, sunflower seed butter has plenty of health benefits. First of all, it provides healthy fats and as a result, it is beneficial for heart and the cardiovascular system. Regular yet limited consumption reduces the possibilities of cardiovascular diseases and heart attack. Many people who are allergic to peanuts and those who are suffering with lactose intolerance prefer consuming sunflower butter.

The calories are definitely on the higher side, but it is also important to note that they are still manageable as compared to the calorie count of many other types of butter. All in all, if you want to gain its benefits, always keep consumption of sunflower seed butter low.