Know how to eat sunflower to make your meals healthier
These days, seeds are in head-to-head competition with nuts as a healthy snacking option, and rightly so! As the benefits of different seeds came to light, people have tried to find ways to incorporate them into their diets. One such nutritious seed is the sunflower seed! Let’s take a look at how to include sunflower seeds in your diet.
Health Benefits of Sunflower Seeds
Sunflower seeds are highly nutritious and help fight free radicals and protect hair from environmental damage. Studies have shown that they also contain zinc and omega-3 fatty acids, which promote hair growth. The zinc content also helps in boosting immunity. Other health benefits of sunflower seeds include:
* They are rich in vitamin E, which helps during pregnancy and nourishes the skin
* Its vitamin B1, B3, B5 and B6 content helps lower cholesterol, increase brain function and build muscle
* Because it is a rich source of iron, it helps fight anemia
Even if they’re healthy, limit your intake to only about 30 grams per day as they’re high in calories and eating too many can lead to weight gain.
How do you eat sunflower seeds?
1. Trail mix
The best way to eat sunflower seeds is to add them to your trail mix. Trail mix is a snack mix made from a combination of granola, dried fruit, nuts and seeds. So prepare this mixture and keep it in a small container that you can take anywhere to chew on sunflower seeds anytime.
2. Oatmeal or granola
Another option is to simply sprinkle it over your morning bowl of cereal or oatmeal. Sunflower seeds make your breakfast even more filling and healthy. They are high in fiber, which helps keep you full for longer, thereby promoting weight loss.
3. With vegetables
If you are preparing gravy dishes at home, you can simply sprinkle some sunflower seeds on top as a garnish. Or you can have them with sautéed veggies. Just sauté the sunflower seeds along with some veggies like broccoli, beans, onions, etc. and you’ve got yourself a crunchy veggie snack!
4. Smoothies
You can mix sunflower seeds into your favorite smoothie. Take before exercise to fuel up, or in the morning to enjoy the benefits of sunflower seeds!
5. Lettuce
Adding sunflower seeds to your regular salad will make it crunchier and a lot healthier. Simply chop all the veggies and sprinkle on some sunflower seeds for a filling bowl of sunflower seed salad!