{"id":31061,"date":"2025-07-29T12:34:10","date_gmt":"2025-07-29T12:34:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/31061\/"},"modified":"2025-07-29T12:34:10","modified_gmt":"2025-07-29T12:34:10","slug":"sunflower-seeds-have-more-protein-than-hotdogs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/31061\/","title":{"rendered":"Sunflower Seeds Have More Protein Than Hotdogs?"},"content":{"rendered":"

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After writing about how almonds have more protein<\/a> than some kinds of steak and lentils have more protein<\/a> than hamburger, I noticed another plant food and animal food pairing: sunflower seeds and hotdogs. I think most people may expect it would be the beef frankfurter that has more protein \u2014 and a lot more.\u00a0
Looking at the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food DataCentral website, one can easily see which one actually has more protein. According to the page for roasted salted sunflower seeds<\/a>, the amount of protein for a 100 gram portion is 21 grams. (One hundred grams is about 3.5 ounces.) They have 358 milligrams of magnesium, a significant electrolyte, and 689 milligrams of potassium, another significant electrolyte. The sunflower seeds also have about 5 milligrams of iron. Fiber, an essential nutrient for human health, is present to the tune of about 10 milligrams. Additionally, the sunflower seeds have at least an adequate amount of Vitamin E.<\/p>\n

How much protein does the same size portion of beef frankfurter have? It\u2019s beef, so it must have a lot of protein, right? Nope, the beef frankfurter<\/a> portion has 11.7 grams of protein, while the sunflower seeds have 21 grams, which is almost twice as much. A pork frankfurter<\/a> has about 10 grams of protein.<\/p>\n

The beef frankfurter has less iron, with just a little over 1 milligram. It also has far less magnesium and less potassium. What about fiber? There isn\u2019t any.\u00a0<\/p>\n

How important is fiber? Let\u2019s see what the American Cancer Society says:<\/a> \u201cA high-fiber diet means you eat foods that are high or rich in dietary fiber. Dietary fiber has long been linked to a lower risk of certain types of cancer, including colorectal cancer. Because of this, many people who have not been diagnosed with cancer follow a high-fiber diet to try to prevent getting cancer. And some people living with cancer might choose high-fiber foods to help prevent other cancers from starting. Fiber can also promote heart health and can help a person maintain or lose body weight by helping to control cholesterol and blood sugar levels.\u201d<\/p>\n

Some online critics or trolls might try to claim the sunflower seeds are too expensive. They actually cost less than the beef frankfurters. I have a one-pound bag of roasted and salted sunflower seeds and it cost $3 with tax. For the same amount of beef frankfurters, a quick online scan showed the starting price is about $6 and ranges up to twice that or more for certain brands.<\/p>\n

Another incorrect criticism of sunflower seeds is that they do not have complete protein. They actually do contain<\/a> all 9 essential amino acids and other amino acids as well.<\/p>\n

CleanTechnica is not primarily a nutrition and food website, so the above information might not seem to fit. However, this is about sustainability and climate change impacts. Plant-based foods<\/a>, such as sunflower seeds, are low-carbon or the lowest-carbon foods. Beef is the highest carbon<\/a> or one of the highest carbon foods. Our human food choices do matter for climate change and climate change impacts. They also contribute to other environmental problems caused by animal agriculture.<\/p>\n

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