How to Eat a Sunflower Seed Correctly

Sunflower seeds are one of the most iconic snacks of all time. They’re salty, nutty, you get to stuff dozens of seeds in your mouth at a time, and you get to launch the shell as far as you can spit it. They’re just fun. But if you’ve never had one before, it’s totally fair if you’re a little confused by what you’re supposed to do, exactly. Luckily, a private chef partnered with wikiHow to break down the best way to eat sunflower seeds. We’ve also included an overview of the different types of sunflower seeds and how to cook with them.

How do you eat a sunflower seed?

Private chef Jeff Woodward recommends putting a few sunflower seeds in your mouth and trying to separate each one individually. Here’s how to separate the seed from the shell:

Set a single seed in between your molars.
Slowly apply pressure until the shell cracks open.
Separate the shell from the seed with your tongue.
Spit the shell out in the garbage or an inconspicuous area.
Chew on the seed and repeat the process.

Section 1 of 4:

Eating Sunflower Seeds Correctly

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Get a bag of sunflower seeds. You can get a bag of seeds that have already been removed from their shells, but it's more fun to eat the seeds you have to do a little work to extract. Choose from a variety of flavors, like chipotle, pickle, or barbecue.^{[1]
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- If you’ve never tried non-flavored sunflower seeds, we recommend starting with those. They have a lovely nutty, earthy flavor; they’re super tasty!
Meet the wikiHow Expert

Chef Jeff Woodward is a private chef and the owner of The Rogue Chef in Branson, Missouri. He has over 20 years of experience in the restaurant industry.
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Place a sunflower seed in your mouth.^{[2]
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Expert Source

Chef Jeff Woodward
Private Chef

Expert Interview} Start with just one, so you can get the hang of the technique.
- If you’re indoors, you’ll need somewhere to spit the seeds out, just FYI. Grab an empty can or a paper plate if you’re in a pinch.
- If you’re outdoors, it’s fine to spit the seed out in an inconspicuous area. They’re biodegradable.
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It's easier to crack the seed in the side of your mouth than the front. Some people like to suck on the seed for a few seconds first, just to get the flavor.
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Place the seed between your teeth. Use your tongue to shift the seed around and get it in place. Position it either vertically or horizontally, depending on your preference. Either way, the outside edge of the shell should be making contact with your teeth.^{[3]
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- Use your molars (the chewing teeth on the sides of your mouth) to crack the shell. They have an indentation in the middle of each tooth that can hold individual sunflower seeds really easily.
- Don’t use your two front teeth for this. If you’re extremely unlucky, you could end up cracking a tooth or biting down in a really uncomfortable way.
The hull should give easily after a moment of pressure. Don't bite so hard you crush it, though! Just apply light pressure and slowly increase how hard you’re biting until the seed splits.
Reposition the cracked seed so that it sits on the front of your tongue.
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Separate the seed from the shell.^{[4]
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Expert Source

Chef Jeff Woodward
Private Chef

Expert Interview} Use your tongue and your teeth to pull them apart.The texture is the key here. The inner, edible seed will be smooth and small, while the shell will be bigger and rough.
- The shell may split in half or crack open, but remain connected in one piece.
- Alternatively, you can separate the seed with your fingers, says Chef Woodward. But he says it can be hard on your fingers.^{[5]
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  Chef Jeff Woodward
  Private Chef
  
  Expert Interview}
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Spit out the shell pieces. After practice, the shell will usually break open like a clam, therefore making this step less messy.
- Pucker your lips as you spit to get more distance on the seed. Part of the fun of eating sunflower seeds is that you get to try and launch the shell as far as you can.
Chew the seed fully, swallow, and enjoy! Pop another seed in when you’re ready.
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Try eating multiple seeds at a time.^{[6]
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Expert Source

Chef Jeff Woodward
Private Chef

Expert Interview} Once you get the basic mechanics down, you can start eating multiple seeds at a time. Toss 5-10 seeds in your mouth and move them all over to one cheek. Then, use your tongue to select one seed from the pack and move it over to your other cheek. Use the teeth on that side to split the shell, eat the seed, and repeat the process!
- You can gradually increase the amount of seeds as you improve your technique. Don’t start off with a ton of seeds as you’re learning, though.

Section 2 of 4:

Can you eat the shell of a sunflower seed?

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No, the shells aren’t edible. Do not eat the shells. You should be fine if you accidentally swallow one, but making this a habit will be unpleasant. They’re not particularly easy for people to digest. The sharp edges of the shell can scratch the esophagus, and eating a lot of shells has been known to cause constipation and even painful intestinal blockages.^{[7]
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- A single shell is unlikely to do anything, so don’t worry too much if you accidentally ate just one.

Section 3 of 4:

Types of Sunflower Seeds

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Shelled These are the most common type of sunflower seed when you spot them in the snack aisle. The shell enhances the earthy flavors of the nut, and it’s a lot of fun to split the shell in your mouth and spit it out.
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Unshelled If you’re using the seeds as an ingredient in a recipe, you likely want to buy unshelled seeds. This way, you don’t have to sit there and remove all of the shells individually. Some people like to just eat the seeds too, although they tend to be a bit less flavorful than their shelled counterparts.
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Raw Raw seeds are really just meant for seed-recipe enthusiasts who want to roast the seeds on their own. You can totally eat raw sunflower seeds, and a lot of healthy snackers prefer them to the roasted, salted variety, but they’re not the most popular version of the snack.
- A lot of people consider the unroasted seeds to be softer and more buttery than their salty, roasted counterparts.
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Roasted Most sunflower seed snacks are roasted. Unless you’re picking the seeds up in the nut aisle or at a health food store, they’re probably pre-roasted. The roasting process gives the seeds their iconic crunchy profile, and it brings out a lot of the saltier, earthier flavors.
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Unsalted Unsalted seeds are healthier for you, and they’re a great option if you absolutely love sunflower seeds but you’re trying to minimize your sodium intake.
- Almost all pre-roasted sunflower snacks are salted unless the label says otherwise.

Section 4 of 4:

Incorporating Sunflower Seeds in Your Meals

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Sunflower seeds are a healthy way to add texture to a dish. Unsalted, raw seeds are generally best for anything you’re going to bake or saute, while unsalted roasted seeds work best as a garnish. You’ll typically want to avoid using salted seeds for culinary purposes, unless you really want to turn the sodium up. Sunflower seeds are very healthy, and they’re packed with vitamins and minerals, so try cooking with them sometime!^{[8]
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Go to source} You might try sunflower seeds in:
- Homemade granola. Try making your own granola mixture with sunflower seeds, almonds, pecans, cashews, coconut flakes, and whatever other seeds you enjoy!
- Oatmeal. Sunflower seeds add a welcome crunchy texture and earthy flavor to the more savory flavors of oatmeal.
- Avocado toast. The seeds are just a great topping for avocado toast, which benefits from a little crunch.
- Salads. Sunflower seeds also feel right at home in a salad, alongside chia seeds.
- Pasta sauce. Sunflower seeds work really well in pesto recipes, but they can also help soften up a red or white sauce’s acidity.
- Baked goods. The nutty profile works quite well in croissants, muffins, rolls, and pastries.

Community Q&A

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Question

Is it hygienically healthy to put shelled seeds in the mouth? We don't know how they were stored previously.

Community Answer

If you take the seeds out of an undamaged bag, they come from a factory, meaning they have to submit to food hygiene laws. If the seeds are open or from a bowl, your mileage may vary. If one is pedantic, the question of whether food is safe could be asked of any food that was not 100% created yourself from production to table.

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What is a normal serving size of sunflower seeds?

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According to the nutrition label on a bag of David's sunflower seeds, a serving is 1/4 cup, or 30 g of kernels (the edible interior bits).

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What does eating sunflower seeds do?

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It's just a healthy snack that some people like.

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Tips

Make sure you don't pinch your tongue when opening the seed in your mouth.

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If you want to shoot some seeds inside spit them into a cup or a container. However, be courteous and avoid annoying others with spitting sounds.

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Don't be discouraged if you don't get it the first time. Keep at it, practice makes perfect.

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The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.

Try not to eat the shells, to protect your digestive track. If you eat a few, it's not a big deal. But if you don't spit the shells out, then make sure you chew them up very well, because it could hurt going down and going out!
Young kids shouldn't eat sunflower seeds with shells, as they can easily choke on the shell or might not realize they're not supposed to eat the shells. Only give small children unshelled seeds.

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Warnings

Prolonged sessions of eating seeds may cause soreness to your tongue, due to the amount of salt on the seeds.

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Excessive consumption of sunflower seeds can cause laxative effects due to high fiber content.

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Consult your health care provider to ensure that you can consume 110mg of sodium (amount in a typical serving of commercial Sunflower Seeds) with each meal. Check the Nutrition Facts label on your sunflower seeds package.^{[9]
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