In short: 100 g of sunflower seeds contains 584 calories, 21 g of protein, 20 g of carbohydrate and 51 g of fat. A cup, with hulls, edible yield (46 g) portion has about 269 calories and 9.6 g of protein.
Below are the full values per 100 g and per typical portion, taken from the USDA FoodData Central figure for this exact food, followed by what those numbers mean in practice.
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | Per cup, with hulls, edible yield |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 584 kcal | 269 kcal |
| Protein | 21 g | 9.6 g |
| Total fat | 51 g | 24 g |
| Saturated fat | 4.5 g | 2 g |
| Monounsaturated fat | 19 g | 8.5 g |
| Polyunsaturated fat | 23 g | 11 g |
| Carbohydrate | 20 g | 9.2 g |
| Dietary fiber | 8.6 g | 4 g |
| Total sugars | 2.6 g | 1.2 g |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | 0 mg |
| Sodium | 9 mg | 4.1 mg |
It is a high-protein food, at 21 g of protein per 100 g.
The fiber content is high at 8.6 g per 100 g, which is 31% of the 28 g daily value adults are asked to aim for.
It is low in sodium, at 9 mg per 100 g.
The standout micronutrient is vitamin E, at 234% of the daily value per 100 g — vitamin E is an antioxidant.
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | Per cup, with hulls, edible yield |
|---|---|---|
| Potassium | 645 mg | 297 mg |
| Calcium | 78 mg | 36 mg |
| Iron | 5.2 mg | 2.4 mg |
| Magnesium | 325 mg | 150 mg |
| Zinc | 5 mg | 2.3 mg |
| Selenium | 53 µg | 24 µg |
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | Per cup, with hulls, edible yield |
|---|---|---|
| Vitamin A | 3 µg | 1.4 µg |
| Vitamin C | 1.4 mg | 0.64 mg |
| Vitamin D | 0 µg | 0 µg |
| Vitamin E | 35 mg | 16 mg |
| Vitamin K | 0 µg | 0 µg |
| Thiamin | 1.5 mg | 0.68 mg |
| Riboflavin | 0.35 mg | 0.16 mg |
| Niacin | 8.3 mg | 3.8 mg |
| Vitamin B-6 | 1.3 mg | 0.62 mg |
| Vitamin B-12 | 0 µg | 0 µg |
| Folate | 227 µg | 104 µg |
| Choline | 55 mg | 25 mg |
How it compares with similar foods
Protein per calorie is the measure that matters when the goal is to hit a protein target without overshooting total energy. By protein per 100 calories it ranks 66th out of 109 foods in this reference. Within nuts, seeds and oils, the highest are:
| Food | Protein | Calories |
|---|---|---|
| Pumpkin Seeds | 30 g | 574 kcal |
| Peanuts | 26 g | 567 kcal |
| Peanut Butter | 22 g | 598 kcal |
How to use these numbers
Percentages of daily value are calculated from the FDA Daily Values used on US nutrition labels, which assume a 2,000 calorie diet; your own targets may be higher or lower. If you want the values for your own body weight and activity level rather than a reference diet, the protein and macro calculator turns a calorie and protein target into numbers you can use.
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Source
All values come from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy), food ID 170562, published under CC0 1.0 as public domain data. Values are per 100 g of the food as described: Seeds, sunflower seed kernels, dried.