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Nutritional Value of Sesame Seeds

Sesame seeds play an important role in many foods. They add texture to Asian dishes, breads and bagels. While sesame seeds are small, they still have nutritional facts to consider.

  1. Benefits

    • One ounce of sesame seeds is high in calcium (28 percent daily value), iron (23 percent daily value) and dietary fiber (16 percent daily value).

    Potential

    • Sesame seeds can be a significant source of protein, if used in abundance. One ounce of sesame seeds has 5g of protein. This is nearly 10 percent of your daily value.

    Considerations

    • One ounce of sesame seeds has 13g of fat. Those who are watching their fat intake should use sesame seeds sparingly.

    History

    • Sesame seeds have been used for their crunch and for their oil since 1600 B.C. According to World's Healthiest Foods (WHF), sesame seed oil is known for being "exceptionally resistant to rancidity," a key factor for heavy usage in history.

    Uses

    • Sesame seeds are used in Asian dishes, with the purpose of adding a flavor that WHF describes as nutty. They note that sesame seeds are the main ingredient in tahini.

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