Plant-based foods › Pumpkin seeds
Pumpkin seeds on a plant-based diet
Pumpkin seeds are one of the best plant sources of iron and zinc, with protein and selenium alongside. A daily handful, or a scatter over meals, quietly shores up several of the minerals plant-based diets watch.
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Few plant foods pack this much iron and zinc into so small a serving, and pumpkin seeds add protein and selenium too. They are a genuinely efficient way to cover several at-risk minerals at once.
How to get the most from it
Toast them for flavour and scatter over porridge, salads, soups and stews, or blitz into a seed butter. A vitamin C-rich element in the same meal helps you absorb their iron.
Pumpkin seeds nutrition
| Nutrient | Per 2 tbsp (30g) | % of RNI |
|---|---|---|
| Iron | 2.65mg | 30% |
| Zinc | 2.34mg | 33% |
| Selenium | 2.82µg | 5% |
| Protein | 9.07g | 20% |
Per-serving figures from the Plentish dataset (source: USDA FoodData Central). % of RNI uses the adult UK reference intake.
Note: Soaking or toasting can improve mineral absorption.
What it covers on your watch-list
Recipes with Pumpkin seeds
- Pumpkin seed porridge
- Apricot and seed flapjack (Plus)
- Seedy banana porridge
- Berry and seed yoghurt bowl
- Rainbow buddha bowl (Plus)
- Roasted squash and quinoa salad (Plus)
- Date, seed and tahini flapjack (Plus)
Common questions
Are pumpkin seeds good for zinc?
Yes, they are one of the richest plant zinc sources, and they bring iron, protein and selenium too. Soaking or toasting can help with absorption.
How many pumpkin seeds should I eat a day?
There is no fixed rule; a small daily handful scattered over meals is a practical way to top up iron and zinc without overdoing calories.