Are the seeds in watermelon of any nutritional value, other than fiber? I am tired of picking them out, so have started eating them.

 Yum, watermelon seeds. Actually they are eaten in parts of the world. In Nigeria, the seeds of certain types of watermelon are made into soup. They are eaten in China, as well, although the outer skin is removed by rubbing or scorching it off. In our book, either method requires more effort than simply spitting the seeds out.

However, for the merely lazy, eating watermelon seeds is a mixed blessing on the nutritional front. An ounce of dried watermelon seed kernels contains about 3 grams of zinc (or 25 percent of the Recommended Dietary Allowance for a woman under 50), and 2 grams of iron (or 14 percent of the RDA). On the minus side, it also contains 158 calories and more than 13 grams of fat. And there are quite a few dried watermelon seeds in an ounce.

Unless you chew them, however, the seeds are quite likely to pass right through your digestive system rather than being broken down and absorbed — so the nutritional loss/gain is a wash.

Submit your question
to Ochef