Are Watermelon Seeds Edible?

Who doesn’t love a chilled watermelon during summertime? It helps you stay hydrated, reduces muscle soreness, and has fiber, antioxidants, anti-inflammatory properties, minerals, and whatnot. But what about the watermelon seeds? You’re probably used to spitting out seeds as you imbibe on the watermelon’s flesh — seed-spitting competition, anybody?

Anyways, to answer your question, watermelon seeds are definitely edible but there are some nutritional and textural properties of these seeds you should be aware of. So without any further ado, let’s dig into the details!

Should You Eat Watermelon Seeds?

Soft white seeds

The soft white seeds in watermelon are negligible little seeds, and most of the time we slurp them up without even knowing. They’re also easily chewable. Keep in mind, however, that they’re premature seeds and hence, cannot be used to grow a watermelon plant.

Black watermelon seeds

Black watermelon seeds are full-grown, healthy seeds that may be eaten and can be used to grow watermelon plants too. They’re somewhat hard to chew so many of us spit them out while we’re eating a watermelon. But if you’re able to chew them, know that you’ll be taking in a healthy amount of nutrients (different from the watermelon itself) that we’ll be discussing next.

Nutrients and Benefits of Eating Watermelon Seeds

Watermelon seeds are rich in nutrients, here are some of their major consumption benefits and nutrients:

Magnesium

Magnesium is essential for maintaining muscle and nerve function, the body’s metabolic functions, and bone, immune, and heart health. According to NIH, the daily recommended intake of magnesium is 420mg.  Interestingly, a handful of watermelon seeds will give you 21mg of magnesium, making it 5% of the recommended daily value.

Iron

NIH recommends that adults get at least 18mg of iron in a day. A handful of watermelon seeds will give you about 1.6% of the daily value. Iron helps your body convert calories into energy and plays a major role in the development of hemoglobin.

Zinc

Zinc has a major role in our body’s development and recovery. It aids the body’s digestive and nervous system, helps with cell regrowth, is necessary for maintaining the sense of taste and smell, and more! About a handful of watermelon seeds will give you about 25% of the daily required dose of zinc.

It should be kept in mind here that watermelon seeds also have phytates that reduce the absorption of zinc and iron in the body.

Low calories

A handful of watermelon seeds only contain around 23 calories — far less than a pack of potato chips, making watermelon seeds an excellent snack!

Good fats

They’re a good source of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids, which are useful in lowering levels of bad cholesterol in the blood and protecting against strokes and heart attacks.

Is There a Way to Cook Watermelon Seeds?

These nutrient-dense seeds get even tastier and crispier to consume if you roast them. The ideal way to do that would be to place them in an oven at 325 degrees on a baking sheet. Let the seeds stay in there for 10-15 minutes, but remember to give them a nice stir midway.

If you like, you can add some olive oil, salt, and pepper, and sprinkle some cinnamon on them — you’ll have a healthier and better-tasting evening snack than your usual pack of fried potato chips!

Is There a Seedless Watermelon?

You may be able to get your hands on a seedless watermelon depending on where you are. These watermelons are grown with a “mule” technique of the plant kingdom. They usually cost more than your normal watermelons.

The Takeaway

Watermelon seeds are super rich in nutrients and help you take your recommended dose of magnesium, zinc, and iron, preventing you from bombarding your body with unnecessary supplements. They’re also a low-calorie snack. You may roast them and make them tastier and crispier.