Sunflower Seeds & Calories

Native Americans cultivated the sunflower plant in North America, with different tribes using the plant's seeds to do everything from stimulate the appetite to treat ailments. Sunflower seeds remain popular today, both for their flavor and for their nutritional value. Although calorically dense, sunflower seeds are loaded with important nutrients, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Calories and Fats

A 1/4-cup serving of the David brand of roasted and salted sunflower seeds with shells removed weighs 30 grams and contains 190 calories, 130 of them from fat. Of 15 g of total fat, 1.5 g comes from saturated fat, 0 g from trans fat, 8 g from polyunsaturated fat and 4 g from monounsaturated fat. Not only are the seeds loaded with beneficial oils, they have no cholesterol.

Carbohydrates, Fiber and Protein

The calories in sunflower seeds come mainly from fat and protein rather than carbohydrate. One 1/4-cup serving of roasted, salted, shelled sunflower seeds contains 5 g of total carbohydrate, of which 4 g is dietary fiber--16 percent of your recommended daily value of this nutrient. Sugars account for less than 1 g. Another 9 g of the sunflower seeds is protein, according to the David Sunflower Seeds packaging.

Vitamins

Sunflower seeds are a notable source of vitamin E, with 40 percent of the recommended daily value of this nutrient in each 1/4-cup serving of roasted, salted sunflower seeds. These seeds also have 10 percent of your recommended daily value of niacin and 20 percent of folic acid.

Minerals

A 1/4-cup serving of David roasted, salted, shelled sunflower seeds gives you 30 percent of your recommended daily value of magnesium, 25 percent of phosphorus, 10 percent of zinc, 8 percent of iron and 2 percent of calcium. Raw sunflower seeds contain almost no sodium, but roasted, salted sunflower seeds contain about 6 percent of sodium in each serving, according to the World's Healthiest Foods website and David packaging.

Uses

Many people snack on plain sunflower seeds, cracking the shell open with their teeth, then spitting out everything but the seed. As long as you don't go overboard, eating far more than one serving, sunflower seeds make a healthy snack. People also sprinkle shelled sunflower seeds on salads, soups, stir-fries and other dishes to enhance their nutritional value.