Sunflower Seeds Calories

Sunflower seeds are fruits of sunflower. These are widely eaten as a healthy in between meal snack, rather than as a part of a meal, although they are at times, part of some recipes too. These seeds can be sprouted and then added to salads to make for a great appetizer. With the world today becoming more and more health conscious, people want to know about sunflower seeds calories before munching on this delicious and harmless snack. So, are sunflower seeds healthy? Is this a better option as an evening snack compared to other refined and ready to eat products in the market? Before we go on to discuss all of these points, let us first take a look at the details on sunflower seeds nutrition facts.

Nutrition Facts

When you come to know about raw sunflower seeds nutrition facts, it will put to rest all your doubts regarding whether or not sunflower seeds are good for you. These seeds contain phytosterols, which are compounds that help to bring down the levels of cholesterol in the body. These seeds are also a good source of magnesium. Hence, they help to maintain the health of the heart and bones.

Sunflower seeds are said to be one of the best wholefood sources of vitamin E, as they provide up to 84% of the daily required intake of vitamin E, that too in only one ounce. Vitamin E is required in the body as it acts as an antioxidant and gets rid of any free radicals that may be present in the body. So, it helps to prevent aging and also keeps destruction of cells at bay. Besides these, they also help to contribute to daily content of carbohydrates and proteins. Given below is a table that recounts the basic nutrient amount that is present in 100 grams of sunflower seeds.

Nutrient	Calorie
Calories	585.3
Carbohydrates	15.0g
Protein	23.4g
Saturated fat	5.20g
Monounsaturated fat	9.46g
Polyunsaturated fat	32.74g

Calories

After reading the above given nutrition facts, if you're still wondering are sunflower seeds fattening, then let me tell you a little something about the calories in sunflower seeds. The calories vary depending on the amount of seeds ingested. As mentioned above, in 100 grams of sunflower seeds, there are about 585.3 kilocalories. The approximate kilocalories in one cup of edible sunflower seeds with hulls (which comes to about 46g by weight) is around 269. Calories in 1 tablespoon comes to around 55 calories. Sunflower seeds raw calories, when eaten in the form of hulled seeds is about 90 calories. So, speaking on the calorie front, are sunflower seeds good for you? The answer is a resounding yes!

Hence, as you can clearly see, the sunflower seeds calories are negligible. Furthermore, the above listed health benefits far outweigh the slight negatives associated with its calories. Also, the fats that are present in sunflower seeds are in the form of healthy fats, like linoleic acid. As sunflower seeds are also high in fiber, they actually aid in digestion and the passage of food. So, rather than sitting and counting calories, you should definitely include this as part of your meals and daily snacks. You can even try sprouting sunflower seeds and adding them to your salad to make it even more wholesome and nutritious. Easily available and coming with a truck load of benefits, sunflower seeds are definitely one of the most nutritious options for in between meal snacks today!