The sunflower plant, botanical name Helianthus annuus, is a member of the daisy family. This beautiful flower produces the sunflower seed that provide a convenient, delicious and nutritious snack for people of all ages. With the 2005 U.S. Dietary Guidelines recommending American eat fewer calories, sunflower seeds provide a nutrient-rich food source that can help you meet your nutrient needs while staying within the specified calorie range, according to the National Sunflower Association.
What is a Calorie?
A calorie describes the amount of energy required to increase the temperature of 1 liter of water by 1 degree Celcius. That may sound like it has nothing to do with food intake, but in basic terms, a calorie is a unit for measuring energy.
Recommended Calorie Intake
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005 provides estimated values for the number of calories necessary for specific age groups within each gender to maintain an energy balance for three different activity levels. Males in general should consume more calories than females, as their greater average muscle mass burns more calories at the same activity levels. An average adult female between the ages of 19 to 50 should consume between 1800 to 2400 calories, depending on their activity level. An average male in this age range, however, should consume 2200 to 3000 calories, depending on activity level.
Sunflower Seed Calories
Sunflower seeds are available raw, roasted, salted or unsalted. Once harvested, manufacturers sell the seeds as either in-shell seeds, in which the hull remains intact, or as kernels after machines have removed their hulls. One ounce of raw, unsalted sunflower seed kernels contains 160 calories, according to the National Sunflower Association.
Calories from Fat
Although one ounce of seeds contains 160 calories, they fit well into the dietary guidelines because the calories come from healthful fats. Saturated fats can increase blood cholesterol levels. Of the 14 g of fat in sunflower seeds, which contribute 129 of the 160 calories, saturated fat accounts for only 2 g, according to the National Sunflower Association. Polyunsaturated fats and monounsaturated fats actually help to lower cholesterol levels, which explains why the American Heart Association recommends that most of your fat intake consist of these kinds of fat. Sunflower seeds provide 9 g of polyunsaturated fats and 3 g of monounsaturated fat.
Nutrients
Eating the 160 calories in one ounce of sunflower seeds is nutritionally worth it. These little seeds deliver a powerful punch of nutrients including protein, fiber, calcium, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, vitamin E, zinc and vitamin B6. Because so many Americans fail to get the recommended amounts of many of these nutrients, eating unsalted sunflower seeds increases nutrient levels with relatively few calories.
References
- National Sunflower Association: Nutritional Power of Sunflower Seeds
- Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005: Adequate Nutrients within Caloric Needs
- National Sunflower Association: Confection Kernel Nutrient Composition
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: A Calorie is a Calorie, or Is It?
- American Heart Association: Know Your Fats
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