There are 174 milligrams of calcium in a cup of sunflower seeds. The calcium to phosphorus ratio makes the calcium readily available for the building of strong bones. Sunflower seeds are a strong source of B vitamins, especially thiamin and niacin which protects the health of the brain, skin and digestive tract. Growing sunflowers is a fun hobby for kids. They will grow up to 8 feet tall, crowned with a huge flower, filled with developing seeds.
Some growers place screens on the flower to protect the seeds from birds.
Sunflower seeds are an excellent addition to any salad. They can be added to breads, cooked vegetables and are delicious sprinkled over fruit desserts. Until recently they were difficult to find, but have become more plentiful due to government effort. The U. S. Department of Agriculture combined the flavor of a good tasting pumpkin seed with the genetics of a shell-less seed variety, resulting in a gourmet pumpkin seed that does not have to be dehulled. Pumpkin seed oil is dark green with a full bodied butter-like nutty flavor.