I Ate Pumpkin Seeds Every Day for a Week—Here's What Happened

Beth Ann Mayer

Thu, October 31, 2024 at 10:15 AM UTC

6 min read

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Since having children, my husband and I have developed a few Halloween traditions: Family Halloween costumes (OK, that one started pre-kids and included my dog), somehow managing to have at least one of us attend the numerous school parades and parties that occur during the workday (please tell me why), and carving a pumpkin and roasting the seeds.

Part of the pumpkin tradition involves my husband endlessly complaining that I make him roast the seeds. It's all fun and games. However, when my Parade editor offered me a chance to write about eating pumpkin seeds every day for a week, it gave me an easy leg-up in the annual back-and-forth. Now, I was getting paid to do it.

Was it worth it? Read on.

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Pumpkin Seed Nutrition

While often associated with Halloween, pumpkin seeds are available in grocery stores year-round (and purchasing them there doesn't involve digging hands into pumpkin pulp if you're averse to all things slimy). According to the USDA, an ounce of unshelled pumpkin seeds contains:

163 calories
14 grams of total fat
2.4 grams of saturated fat
4 grams of carbohydrates
2 grams of dietary fiber
Less than a gram of total sugar (none added)
9 grams of protein
0 milligrams of cholesterol
5 milligrams of sodium
2 milligrams of iron
156 milligrams of magnesium
2 milligrams of zinc

Importantly, these are unsalted pumpkin seeds. Many recipes call for salt, including the one my husband uses, so you'll want to be mindful of sodium. The American Heart Association recommends limiting daily sodium intake to 2,300 milligrams (ideally 1,500 milligrams) to lower your risk of high blood pressure.

What Happened When I Ate Pumpkin Seeds Daily for a Whole Week

1. They helped fill me up (but not by themselves)

The first day of this "grand experiment" was a rather busy one in the Mayer household with various Halloween things. Since I had read about the protein and fiber in pumpkin seeds, I figured they'd make a great standalone snack. I grabbed a handful. However, I was still hungry 20 minutes later and reached for an apple. Eating an apple certainly isn't a bad thing—quite the opposite, it made my spaced-out snack well-balanced. However, it's good to understand what foods fill you up by themselves and which ones need an assist from something else. I find that intentionally mapping out my snacks and pairing the right foods prevents me from feeling hangry later.

2. I got thirsty

I also quickly noticed that I felt thirsty immediately after eating pumpkin seeds. The salt likely doesn't help, but it turns out pumpkin seeds can have a diuretic effect. Luckily, I drink about a gallon of water each day.

3. I was sleepy

When looking pumpkin seed nutrition up for this article, Google actually predicted I was really looking up, "Do pumpkin seeds make you tired?" I wasn't, but perhaps the search engine juggernaut was onto something (spooky)!

That said, I was feeling a bit sluggish. It could be that baseball has been keeping me up well past my 10 p.m. bedtime (go Yankees!), the aforementioned Halloween history or ... perhaps it's the pumpkin seeds.

Research shows that pumpkin seeds contain tryptophan, which, as anyone who has eaten a Thanksgiving turkey knows, can make you sleepy. Pumpkin seeds are also a good source of magnesium, the star ingredient in the "sleepy-girl mocktail" recipes TikTok continues to embrace. While not everything you see on TikTok is true, some research has found magnesium might aid in sleep.

4. I was bloated

On the third day, I tossed some pumpkin seeds in a stir fry. While I enjoyed the added crunch of the pumpkin seeds, I felt somewhat bloated later. Again, the salt probably didn't help here.

An ounce of pumpkin seeds has two grams of fiber, a nice amount but not enough to make them a high-fiber food. That said, combining them with about two cups of vegetables, plus a whole wheat English muffin and an apple, was a bit much for my gut. The next day, I noticed the same thing when I put the same amount on top of a salad loaded with Romaine lettuce, chickpeas and a sliced apple (and whole wheat toast on the side).

5. I learned about my body

The next day, I learned my lesson, opting for a smaller portion of pumpkin seeds (a tablespoon) with an apple and string cheese for a snack. I chased it with a cup of water. It beautifully bridged the gap from breakfast to lunch, reducing my hangriness and excess snacking. I didn't feel bloated, tired or thirsty. In this case, water, which can help move fiber through the gut, was probably clutch. (It also helped with the hydration factor.)

I stuck to this strategy on subsequent days and had the same experience.

Key Takeaways From My Week of Consuming Pumpkin Seeds

I am not a registered dietitian, and your body may react differently than mine did to pumpkin seeds. With that in mind, based on my case study of one, here's what I'd suggest considering before making pumpkin seeds a part of your daily diet.

Eat pumpkin seeds slowly

Eating pumpkin seeds slowly will help you pay attention to how your body feels, from fullness cues to thirst and bloating. You can stop if you're satisfied or not feeling great.

Watch the salt

Recipes can include added salt that can add to bloating, thirst and heart disease risk if consistently consumed in excess.

Eat pumpkin seeds in moderation

Pumpkin seeds can make you feel thirsty and bloated, so be mindful of how much your body can take at once, especially if you're combining with other fiber-filled foods.

Drink up

Since pumpkin seeds can have a diuretic effect, sipping water between bites is important.

Prepare to feel sleepy

Pumpkin seeds have magnesium and tryptophan, which can contribute to drowsiness. They may not be the best snack if you stayed up too late binge-watching Netflix or rooting for your favorite sports team the night before, but could make an excellent bedtime snack.

While many of my side effects from eating pumpkin seeds, like bloating, sound negative, I enjoyed the experiment. I also love the taste and tradition of eating them each October and November and plan to continue, but I'll probably keep them as a once-a-year snack.

Up Next:

Sources:

Pumpkin seeds, unsalted. FoodData Central.
Shaking the Salt Habit to Lower High Blood Pressure. American Heart Association.
Nutritional Value, Phytochemical Potential, and Therapeutic Benefits of Pumpkin (Cucurbita sp.). Phytochemical and Nutritional Analyses of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants.
The Role of Magnesium in Sleep Health: a Systematic Review of Available Literature. Biological Trace Element Research. Biological Trace Element Research.

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