Are Sunflower Seeds Fattening

Sunflower seeds help fill you up.

Sunflower seeds help fill you up.

Sunflower seeds are raw or roasted and contain many nutrients. They also have a high amount of fat, which often leads people to veer away from them when they are trying to lose weight. This seems like a logical idea, but in truth, they are not fattening. What matters most is how you use them in your diet.

Calories in vs. Calories Out

Keeping your weight under control revolves around your caloric intake. Consuming more calories than you are capable of burning leads to weight gain. Creating a caloric deficit by eating less than your body needs causes weight loss. Sunflower seeds by themselves do not cause fat gain, provided you stay within your caloric means. This goes for all the foods you choose to eat. Overconsumption of sunflower seeds can cause you to gain fat. A single ounce of dried sunflower seeds has about 165 calories.

Filling Nutrients

Sunflower seeds have a high amount of protein and moderate amount of fiber. Each of these nutrients creates a full feeling in the stomach when consumed. This means you can satisfy your appetite on a small portion of seeds and not get fat. Fiber has additional benefits. The type in sunflower seeds is called insoluble. Insoluble fiber prevents constipation and reduces the chances of colon cancer. One ounce of sunflower seeds has 2 grams of fiber.

Glycemic Index

The glycemic index, or GI, is a ranking of how carb-containing foods raise blood-sugar levels. Sunflower seeds contain 6 grams of carbs per ounce. When blood-sugar levels rise quickly, the pancreas responds by releasing high amounts of insulin, which is a fat-storage hormone. Regular consumption of high GI foods has a tendency to promote weight gain. On the GI chart, a ranking of 0 to 55 is low, 56 to 69 is medium and 70 to 100 is high. Sunflower seeds come in at 35. Low GI foods also tend to digest at a slow pace, which can keep you feeling satisfied for an extended period of time. A 2-ounce serving of seeds in the morning or afternoon is a good snack option to curb your appetite.


Consuming sunflower seeds is less of a concern when you are physically active. If are sedentary and eat the seeds by the cupful, you run the risk of getting fat. If you exercise on a regular basis, you can likely eat sunflower seeds with no fear of weight gain. To safeguard yourself, work out most days of the week for a long duration and at a high intensity. This will give you the ability to eat even more seeds without gaining fat.

Additional Benefits

Beside the filling nutrients in sunflower seeds, they also come equipped with multiple vitamins and minerals. One ounce contains nearly 50 percent of the recommended daily value of vitamin E. This is an important fat-soluble vitamin that boosts immune function. Sunflower seeds also contain B vitamins, magnesium, manganese and copper. These minerals help with energy production, connective tissue formation and nerve function.

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