Sunflower Seeds
About Sunflower Seeds
Sunflower seeds, plain. The kernels (with the black-and-white striped shell removed) of the common sunflower. Eaten as a snack, sprinkled on salads, used in baking or pressed for sunflower oil.
Sunflower seeds are an outstanding source of:
- Vitamin E: one 30g handful covers more than a day's reference intake.
- Magnesium, selenium, copper, zinc and manganese.
- Thiamin (B1) and folate (B9).
They are calorie-dense (around 580 kcal per 100g) and high in unsaturated fat, so portions of 25 to 30g are typical.
Micronutrients (per 100g, raw)
| Nutrient | Amount | % adult reference intake |
|---|---|---|
| Minerals | ||
| Iron | 6.4 mg | 43% |
| Calcium | 110 mg | 16% |
| Magnesium | 390 mg | 130% |
| Potassium | 710 mg | 20% |
| Sodium | 3 mg | 0% |
| Chloride | N (present, not quantified) | . |
| Phosphorus | 640 mg | 116% |
| Zinc | 5.1 mg | 54% |
| Copper | 2.27 mg | 189% |
| Manganese | 2.2 mg | 157% |
| Iodine | N (present, not quantified) | . |
| Selenium | 49 ug | 65% |
| Vitamins | ||
| Vitamin A | 3 ug | 0% |
| Vitamin C | 0 mg | 0% |
| Vitamin D | 0 ug | 0% |
| Vitamin E | 37.8 mg | 944% |
| Vitamin K | not measured | . |
| Vitamin B1 (thiamin) | 1.6 mg | 160% |
| Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) | 0.19 mg | 15% |
| Vitamin B3 (niacin) | 9.1 mg | 54% |
| Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) | N (present, not quantified) | . |
| Vitamin B6 | N (present, not quantified) | . |
| Vitamin B7 (biotin) | N (present, not quantified) | . |
| Vitamin B9 (folate) | N (present, not quantified) | . |
| Vitamin B12 | 0 ug | 0% |
Source: CoFID 2021 (McCance and Widdowson, UK), code 14-845 (matched record: "Sunflower seeds"). N = present but not quantified; Tr = trace; not measured = no value in the source.
What this food is a source of
High in by content (per 100g): Vitamin E (944%), Copper (189%), Vitamin B1 (thiamin) (160%), Manganese (157%), Magnesium (130%), Phosphorus (116%), Selenium (65%), Zinc (54%), Vitamin B3 (niacin) (54%), Iron (43%).
A source of by content (per 100g): Potassium (20%), Calcium (16%).
These figures are the amount in the food. How much the body absorbs can vary, see each nutrient's entry for detail.