Sunflower Seeds Are A Good Snack
Many children and teenagers eat seeds all the time. As we grow we lose that habit, but it can be a healthy alternative to snack between meals.
Eating sunflower seeds is a habit that for many people refers back to childhood.
And, as with so many other things from that time in life, it can be helpful to bring it back by making a few small changes.
Because sunflower seeds are an excellent snack and a highly recommended ingredient for salads and other dishes. We refer, of course, to natural pipes, without added salt.
The pipes are the gift of the spectacular sunflower flowers, whose center is filled with seeds adorned with gray, greenish, black and white stripes.
They have a nutty flavor and a firm texture that are really addictive.
Taking a moderate amount of sunflower seeds is enough to enrich many recipes with considerable doses of vitamins and minerals.
The nutrients found in the most important proportions in these seeds are vitamin E, vitamin B1, selenium and magnesium:
Vitamin E –10 grams of pipes already provide 25% of the recommended daily dose– and selenium are powerful antioxidants that protect cells against the attack of free radicals produced by the metabolism itself or arriving from outside the body through polluting agents. They also help prevent cardiovascular diseases, symptoms of inflammation and some types of cancer.
The magnesium, meanwhile, is essential for healthy bones, muscles and nerve cells.
Finally, vitamin B1 is necessary for the good condition of the heart and nervous system.
Why are sunflower seeds good?
In addition to all these benefits, pipes effectively calm hunger – sometimes with a point of nervousness – that appears between meals, so they allow keeping calorie intake under control, despite the fact that it is a food rich in acids fatty.
As we know, fats are also necessary, but you have to consume them properly. Nuts are always, in adequate quantities, optimal sources.
In the case of sunflower, it is much better to consume the seeds than the refined oil that is used for frying, for example.
The seeds are rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids of the omega-6 type, among which is linoleic, essential for the health of the skin and hair, among other positive effects.
However, you should not abuse the sources of omega-6 – not even the nice sunflower seeds – as you have to balance your intake with other foods rich in omega-3, such as walnuts and oils of flax, hemp and soy.
How to enjoy sunflower seeds?
- A suitable dose for a person is the one that fits in the hollow of the palm of the hand.
- When buying peeled pipes you have to check that they do not have a yellowish color, as they could be rancid. They are then kept in the fridge.
- They can be added to breakfast cereals and salads.
