Sunflower seeds

carimiller7391

? for those who eat sunflower seeds... I made a list of all the foods (combined list from a few different post so not sure which one I saw this in)....of the foods people keep as staples for LCHF. Sunflower seeds came up a couple of times. ? is, do you get the seed kernels or the whole salted seed. I know we need extra sodium if doing keto or LCHF, but is the sodium from the whole seeds too much?? Thanks in advance!!!

wabmester

I keep both around (and buying them in bulk seems a lot cheaper than the name-brand packs). I usually have them without the shells, but I like having high-sodium food on hand if I ever feel symptoms of low sodium.

carimiller7391

Thanks @wabmester. Great idea.

Piscesmoon68

I just gave up sunflower seeds today for 2 reasons. First, the sodium. I'm on meds for high blood pressure and really shouldn't be taking in so much sodium. The MAIN reason though is that for me it promotes that constant munching that I have so many problems with. It starts with the sunflower seeds and before I know it, I'm on a cupboard raid! Much better for me if I steer clear, I think. For me they're a real addiction and I need to cut all addictions. Oh plus I'm counting calories as well as doing LC and last night I ate around 570 calories worth of them. Just not worth it to me anymore.

carimiller7391

Thanks for the honesty @Piscesmoon68. I like a few in salads to add some flavor and crunch. Never considered how quickly the calories could add up.

JessicaLCHF

carimiller7391 wrote: »

? for those who eat sunflower seeds... I made a list of all the foods (combined list from a few different post so not sure which one I saw this in)....of the foods people keep as staples for LCHF. Sunflower seeds came up a couple of times. ? is, do you get the seed kernels or the whole salted seed. I know we need extra sodium if doing keto or LCHF, but is the sodium from the whole seeds too much?? Thanks in advance!!!

I eat a pkg almost every night (shell on). I crack them in my teeth and a pkg takes a good hour to eat. I love that they make a great TV snack. The whole pkg is one net carb (4 g total, 3 g fiber). I like the salt and my blood pressure is terrific.

Something I found out recently is that they are one of the highest foods in selenium which is excellent for thyroid support (I have thyroid issues) so maybe that's why I've been craving them. I never ate them before three months ago, but now I literally eat one serving daily.

minties82

I don't eat them often but when I do, it's sold as bird food and they are in their shells. I don't think I have seen de-shelled sunflower seeds before. I used to steal the seeds off my grandmothers birds as a child, they weren't impressed.

KetoCutie

I'm like JessicaLCHF. Those are my go to "snack" if I am feeling snacky. They take forever to eat (I'll even take them to the movies so I am not tempted by popcorn) and because they are super salty, I don't find it easy to overdo.

MariahMichaels

@carimiller7391 Would you mind sharing your list?

JessicaLCHF

BetterBalancedMe2015 wrote: »

I'm like JessicaLCHF. Those are my go to "snack" if I am feeling snacky. They take forever to eat (I'll even take them to the movies so I am not tempted by popcorn) and because they are super salty, I don't find it easy to overdo.

Yep. And they are so addictive! It's prolly the salt.

Sabine_Stroehm

I love them. They are definitely one of m go to snacks.

carimiller7391

@MariahMichaels sorry for the late reply. Here's the list I got when asked for some options:

meat with visible fat and skin on
deli meats and cheese (if you are ok with processed foods)
almonds
sunflower seeds
pumpkin seeds
broccoli
lettuce
cukes
radishes
spinach
zuchini
cauliflower
squash
pickles
olives
strawberries
cream cheese
heavy whipping cream
bacon bacon and more bacon
almond flour
flaxseed
real butter
watercress
balsamic vinegar
olive oil
That's just the stuff I liked that I wrote down. Hope it helps!