Does pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds have more protein?
Pumpkin seeds, at 30g per 100g versus 21g for sunflower seeds.
Pumpkin seeds vs Sunflower seeds: Which Has More Protein?
Pumpkin seeds wins on protein: 30g per 100g versus 21g, a gap of 9g. Calories and protein quality change the picture, so here is the full comparison.
Head to head, per 100g
| Food | Protein | Calories |
|---|---|---|
| 🎃 Pumpkin seeds | 30g | 559 |
| 🌻 Sunflower seeds | 21g | 584 |
Per 100g.
What the numbers mean
Pumpkin seeds delivers 30g of protein for 559 calories per 100g. Sunflower seeds delivers 21g for 584 calories. If you are counting calories as well as protein, pumpkin seeds is the leaner choice per 100g.
Protein quality: pumpkin seeds is a incomplete protein, sunflower seeds is a incomplete protein. Complete proteins carry all nine essential amino acids in useful amounts; incomplete ones are still valuable, they just want a complementary source across the day.
One of the highest-protein seeds. Cheap, high protein. Great snack.
Which should you choose?
- For maximum protein per 100g: pumpkin seeds (30g).
- For the fewest calories per 100g: pumpkin seeds.
- For everyday practicality, the better choice is the one you will actually eat regularly — the difference between 30g and 21g matters far less than consistency across the week.
- Mixing both across the week covers a wider spread of micronutrients than committing to one.
Add up your whole meal
Type what you ate in plain words and Protein Hunter returns protein and calories for the full plate.
Try the Protein CalculatorCommon questions
Which has fewer calories, pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds?
Pumpkin seeds — 559 calories per 100g versus 584.
Can I swap one for the other in a recipe?
Usually yes, but adjust the weight so the protein matches. To replace 100g of pumpkin seeds you need about 143g of sunflower seeds.
Keep reading
Protein in pumpkin seeds30g per 100g in full detail.Protein in sunflower seeds21g per 100g in full detail.Compare any two foodsSearch the full protein database.What is Protein Hunter?
Protein Hunter is a protein and nutrition app with a database of 232 foods — from a leaf of kale to a wagyu steak — plus AI tools that answer protein questions, count a whole meal, build recipes to a macro target, and track what you actually eat.
- Search any food
- Count a full meal
- Recipes to your macros
- Scan a plate or label
Why it's different: the numbers are calculated from a fixed ingredient database rather than guessed, and when a target is not physically achievable the app says so instead of inventing a figure.
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