Pumpkin seeds?

[BreakingFree]

What are pumpkin seeds? Are they carbs? I don't think they're protein. I ask b/c I eat nuts and occasionally other seeds for protein and wondered where pumpkin seeds fit in.

Thanks!

[Meg]

I looked them up on our handy dandy 3FC nutrition database and would call them a fat and protein. A 1 oz serving of roasted pumpkin seeds has 146 calories, 12g of fat, 4g of carbs and 9g of protein. 73% of the calories are from fat. The ratios look a lot like peanut butter's, so maybe count pumpkin seeds the same way you count PB?

[BreakingFree]

Meg -

Thanks for the info and the link to the database! Wow, I never would have thought pumpkin seeds contained fat. I mean, pumpkin is a vegetable (or is it a fruit? I'll look it up! ) so I wouldn't have guessed the seeds would be "fatty." Glad I asked!

[nelie]

One way to think about it is that in Superfoods RX, he mentions that seeds and nuts contain everything that is needed to start new life. New life needs protein and fat

[Glory87]

Originally Posted by BreakingFree

I mean, pumpkin is a vegetable (or is it a fruit? I'll look it up! ) so I wouldn't have guessed the seeds would be "fatty." Glad I asked!

Don't let the fat content put you off of nuts/seeds, they are absolutely wonderful for you. I try to eat at least 1 serving of nuts/seeds everyday for the health benefits, especially the healthy fat content. Just figuring out what a true portion of nuts/seeds looked like was key for me (because they are so delicious, they are easy to overeat) - 1/4 cup or about a handful.

[BreakingFree]

I've been eating nuts regularly for several years and, yes, they are high in "good" fat. I haven't really been eating seeds, though, so this info is helpful.

Thanks, everyone!