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Seeds are very rich in all the vitamins, minerals, healthy fats, and proteins needed a plant to emerge (if the seed weren’t eaten!) While these nutrients are all contained in nuts and seeds, you may have wondered which have the best nutrient profiles – and another important question, which is more sustainable?
Because seeds have to fight off diseases in order to survive and produce a plant, their seed coats contain protective plant phenols. When eaten these potent antioxidants may help retard the growth of certain cancers and help decrease inflammation.
Here are some high-fiber seeds. These seeds also contain at least 10 percent of the Daily Value for other important nutrients (per 1-ounce):
Some seeds are surprisingly high in protein. Pumpkin, hemp, and watermelon seeds all have more protein than most nuts including almonds (6g per ounce) and (the legume) peanuts, plus they are chock-full of good nutrition.
These high-protein seeds also have at least 10 percent of the Daily Value of other nutrients (per 1 ounce):
Nuts are generally richer in healthy fats than most seed. Nuts contain healthful monounsaturated fats as well as polyunsaturated fats. Some nuts like walnuts even contain healthful omega-3 fats. In fact, nuts usually contain around 50 percent fat by (edible) weight, which is the richest source of fat in our diet after cooking oils. These healthy oils, along with fat-soluble antioxidants including vitamin E may be why eating nuts is so strongly associated with heart health and decreased inflammation in the body.
These nuts stand out as super-stars for healthy fats – both monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fat – along with at least 10 percent of the Daily Value of other important nutrients:
While you may have heard that some nuts (we’re looking at you pistachios and almonds) are very water-intensive crops, several strides in sustainability have been made. California almond growers have reduced the amount of water needed to grow each almond by 33 percent in the past two decades. And pistachio farms in California now plant trees which yield 30 percent more nuts, using the same amount of water as trees did three decades ago.
That said, when you compare overall water usage, seeds such as pumpkin seeds, watermelon seeds, and sunflower seeds generally use substantially less water than tree nuts. One study found that pumpkins and watermelons grow using only about 2 percent of the water used by nuts. Peanuts use about a third of the water used to grow cashews, and cashews are one of the lowest-water-usage nuts. As this 2021 study shows, eating healthy crop foods such as fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds takes a lot more water than most of us realize.
Another consideration is where nuts and seeds grow. Shipping from overseas can cost more transportation resources than US-grown nuts and seeds. California has become the largest producer of almonds and walnuts. And even American hazelnuts, which are actually native to the Midwest, but have long imported, are now being grown with zero water after the established planting. Many seeds are also grown domestically. Sunflower seeds are grown in North and South Dakota. Pumpkin seeds are grown in Illinois. And flaxseed is are grown in Minnesota. Bottom line, research where your nuts and seeds are grown which is often on the package of most nuts.
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