sunflower seed a good substitute?

crazycheermonkey

i have a habit of eating when im bored. i like to get sunflower seeds and eat those when i want something to munch on. i can make on bag last from a few days to a week. is this a good substitute for most things or is there something just as cheap that i could eat instead when i get in these moods?

idahogirl71

The worst thing about sunflower seeds is the sodium content. Sodium makes you retain water which will inevitably show a gain on the scale. But they are better than chips. A better substitute would be pretzel sticks or baby carrots. And both are fairly inexpensive.

crosshand

I also eat sunflower seeds about 3to4 times a week, Dont no how many caleries though

crazycheermonkey

pretzel sticks sound wonderful.
i couldnt to the baby carrot thing bc i would want ranch with them haha
thanks for the tip! :]

SweetCharity

They're ok, but are higher in fat. And yes, it's good fat - but still. You shouldn't be eating because you're bored. You eat when you're hungry. Does the eating fix your boredom? As a distraction, I usually try to drink a glass of water (you can flavor with lemon, mint and or cucumber) OR my go to is to chew a piece of gum. But needlessly taking in calories because of boredom and not hunger is a bad habit to get into.

Robin1117

Hi--i eat sunflower seeds every day, and they are really good for you. The good fat, the protein, etc. You can get them unsalted or "lightly salted" to keep sodium in line. But, you really need to watch quantity. Like any seed (pumpkin, sunflower, flax) or nuts (almonds, cashews, etc), you don't get much in the way of quantity for the calories. I tend to have them in the afternoon for a snack but keep it limited to 1/2 ounce--not very much, and that's around 80-90 calories. An ounce is about 170-180 calories.I also sprinkle them on yogurt, and put them in granola, but again, I really limit the quantities.

Some other comments addressed eating when bored--yeah, I agree--you don't want to eat when bored. You can probably find something else to do then, drink water, tea, coffee, or maybe exercise instead?? Eating when your body needs the fuel seems like a better option.

Oh, one other thing about sunflower seeds--since I have started eating more of them my nails, never having grown in my life, started to grow and are now really strong.

1234lbsgone

Sunflower seeds are super good for you. They don't have to be high in sodium. You don't have to bu them salted. And if they are in the shell, thats a really good snack because you have to work for your food... ya know. If you are doing this when you are bored, but can make a bag last a week, I'd say thats not anything to be too woried about. If you are eating a Big Mac because you are bored, then that might be a little worrisome. Just sayin...

crazycheermonkey

alrighty :] thank you :]]