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Sunflower Seeds
Sunflower seeds are packed with good nutrition and can be eaten raw or roasted.
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Q. Is nutrition lost when nuts and seeds are roasted?

From Shereen Jegtvig,
Your Guide to Nutrition.
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I think roasted sunflower seeds taste so much better than raw. How much nutrition is lost when they are roasted? What about nuts, is it worth the nutrition to eat them raw?

Jamie - About.com User

A. Eating nuts and seeds is a delicious way to get some of your daily protein and healthy fats. Roasting nuts and seeds does reduce the antioxidant levels and healthy fats just slightly, but it doesn't turn nuts and seeds into unhealthy foods. For example, almonds will keep your cholesterol levels healthy whether you choose raw almonds or roasted almonds. Nuts and seeds are often roasted with salt, so if you need to watch your sodium, you need to keep that in mind. Whether they are roasted or raw, sunflower seeds are very nutritious and offer zinc, protein, folate, vitamin E and magnesium.

If you are looking for different ways to get nuts and seeds into your diet, try these:

  • Experiment with different types of nut butters and sunflower butters on whole grain breads or apple slices.
  • Sprinkle nuts and seeds on a healthy salad.
  • Sliced almonds taste great on fish or vegetable dishes.
  • Roast your own pumpkin seeds in the oven.
  • Coarsely grind some nuts or seeds and add one-fourth to one-half cup to your favorite whole grain bread recipe or bread machine mix.

Sources:

Amaral JS, Casal S, Seabra RM, Oliveira BP. "Effects of roasting on hazelnut lipids." J Agric Food Chem. 2006 Feb 22;54(4):1315-21.

Spiller GA, Miller A, Olivera K, Reynolds J, Miller B, Morse SJ, Dewell A, Farquhar JW. "Effects of plant-based diets high in raw or roasted almonds, or roasted almond butter on serum lipoproteins in humans." J Am Coll Nutr. 2003 Jun;22(3):195-200.

Updated: February 12, 2008
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