How common is it to eat sunflower seeds in the US? And do you eat them with the shell on?

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Popular-Local8354@reddit

They’re pretty common snack, especially at sports games.

They’re usually salted and roasted. You pop them in, chew, and then spit out the shell.

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StormFallen9@reddit

When I was a kid I skipped the spit part and went straight to swallow. Kinda scratchy going down and also kinda scratchy coming out

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Minimum-Syrup7420@reddit

Market it as a feature and charge more. New sunflower seeds with all new and improved self scratching bung hole power!

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Ralph--Hinkley@reddit

Need your colon thoroughly scraped clean? Have I got the snack for you!

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HuntsWithRocks@reddit

Have you ever imagined a massive sword fight taking place in your asshole? Well, wait no longer!?! Sunflower shells are your ticket to ride!

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SabresBills69@reddit

it’s common in baseball because it replicates tobacco spitting

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jek39@reddit

it's common in baseball because they banned chewing tobacco

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SabresBills69@reddit

it was done for kids mimicking chewing tobacco on the field with spitting out shells. Big lrpeague chew played on thus as well

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jek39@reddit

Reggie Jackson started the trend in 1968. This was a fun read on the topic https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/53234/when-did-baseball-players-start-chewing-sunflower-seeds

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osbornje1012@reddit

Staple at summer elite travel baseball games. However, continuing the habit wasn’t very popular at our younger daughter’s fall soccer games.

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krept0007@reddit

You forgot the part where you eat the seed

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Old-guy64@reddit

When I eat them, I get them in a jar, already shelled.

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No_Engineering_718@reddit

Very common. They come with the shell on and seasoned usually and then you crack the open in your mouth and sour the shell out.

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WVildandWVonderful@reddit

If you buy them without the shell, like to put on a salad, they are sold as sunflower kernels.

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Positive-Draft3801@reddit

Its sooo good, similar flavor to pine nuts.

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WVildandWVonderful@reddit

That reminds me: You can use them in pesto.

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Adventurous-Time5287@reddit

i like to use them in place of sesame seeds for sauce recipes that call for whole ones because they’re stupid difficult to find where i live.

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bikibird@reddit

Make a salad of sliced grapes and sunflower seeds. It’s surprisingly good,

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i buy big bags of shell-less ones for salads and some other food toppings. big bags that still have the shell are way more common though. you ever go somewhere here that has a salad bar tho you’ll likely see shell-less sunflower seeds.

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mostlygray@reddit

I used to eat them all the time. I ate them so much I put a notch in one of my front teeth from splitting the shells. I ended up quitting eating them after I had to pay way too much to fix the tooth.

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juliabk@reddit

I get shelled ones. Love them!

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Smart_Engine_3331@reddit

I don't know anyone that does regularly, but ive heard some people do.

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United-Code2344@reddit

Mother of two boys here who taught their mom to shell the seeds in my mouth then spit them out. They were so proud!!😂😂

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PuzzledKumquat@reddit

I love ranch sunflower seeds. I suck the flavor off the shell and then remove it and eat the seed.

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GovernorGeneralPraji@reddit

Very. You can buy them with the shells already removed or with the shells still on. If you eat them with the shells still on, you either crack them with your fingers or with your teeth and discard them. You can buy them in different flavors.

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Sloth_grl@reddit

My daughter loves the ranch flavor because its ranch

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Apprehensive_Use3641@reddit

I used to be only David's BBQ, but I found their cinnamon churro flavour recently and they're quite good. Tried a couple of other brand's cinnamon varieties and David's was definitely the best.

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HyperJen_OG@reddit

Your daughter has very good taste. Also, the ranch dill is soooo good!

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WVildandWVonderful@reddit

Americans love the ranch. Cowpokes at heart

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Pineapplebites100@reddit

I used to eat flavored sunflower seeds all the time as a kid. Of late i've returned to eating them and they are still delicious.

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Most-Silver-4365@reddit

I eat them when traveling long distance 5+ hours, as eating them is great a breaking monotony and staves off drowsiness. I eat the shelled version but discard the empty shells.

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TheStusha@reddit

I think of sporting events or fishing/camping when I think of shell-on sunflower seeds. I use them lots in baking and trail mix and almost always add a handful to my lunch at salad- but those I purchase shelled.

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vanbrima@reddit

I buy them without shells and put them in salads, pasta, cottage cheese, yogurt and other things too. I pr eat them at least 3 times a week

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Parking_Champion_740@reddit

Pretty common, people usually spit the shell out

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vermilion-chartreuse@reddit

I will say I am an American and this is not normal for me 🤷 probably haven't eaten sunflower seeds with the shells since I was a child.

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jakerooni@reddit

I ate them with the shell on when I was young, but spit the shell. Now that I am an adult and just want sustenance, I put the hulled seeds on salad, toss a handful or two in my mouth when I need a snack, or mix them in with various bread/baked goods. Love them!

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Turdle_Vic@reddit

My dad used to eat them all the time. I can hear him snacking on them right now, if I think about it

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tasukiko@reddit

I don't see many people eating them but they were huge in my family but we also never had chips. I think we we're/are probably the odd man out.

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iloveyourforeskin@reddit

I eat the shells.

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Redjeepkev@reddit

Very common

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Yeahboyeah@reddit

"Ace Ventura"

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ShesGotaChicken2Ride@reddit

I love them and I eat with the shell on. In fact, now that you mention it, imma’ go get some right now.

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KiraDog0828@reddit

I buy them already shelled. I can’t imagine myself going through the hassle of shelling them.

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Warm_Shower_2892@reddit

When I was 8, I was riding on a golf cart with my dad. He was a groundskeeper. I saw him pour a bunch of sunflower seeds into his mouth and he asked me if I wanted some. I said sure. He put them all in one cheek. I chewed them up having no idea what the result would be. It was horrible. He then taught me how to put the seeds in one cheek, take one seed out at a time, crack it open on the other side of your mouth and spit the shell out. I mastered it that same day as I sat on the golf cart for hours waiting for him to be done working. Looking back now, it satisfied an oral fixation for him as he was trying to quit smoking.

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fairyboyjstar@reddit

I prefer them without the shell, preferably raw. They're nice in trail mix and stuff. My mouth is annoyingly sensitive and all the salt and poky bits with the shells starts to hurt.

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Prestigious-Name-323@reddit

There is a whole section of different flavors of sunflower seeds at the gas station a mile from me.

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Welder_Subject@reddit

When I was young I would regularly crack the shells to eat them, now they are my favorite to add to salads.

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AssSpelunkingAtheist@reddit

I buy a bag of shelled seeds to add to salads or just grab a handful for a snack.

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tomveiltomveil@reddit

You don't swallow the shell -- or if you do, your intestine will punish you.

Eating sunflower seeds with the shell still on is, as the band System Of A Down put it, "a pastime activity." It's something you do if you're going to be outdoors for a long period in a place where it's socially acceptable to be constantly spitting out seed shells. By far the most common place to see this is on a baseball field.

But you'll also see people spitting shells while farming or hiking; some truckers will keep a spit cup next to their drink while they're driving, but they know that's a bit gross. Spitting shells in most other places is rude. Spitting shells indoors is utterly unacceptable.

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dingbatdummy@reddit

Whoever tf is spitting them while hiking needs to knock it off immediately. Folks need to remember “leave no trace”.

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rynosaur94@reddit

I'm pretty sure the shells are the definition of biodegradable. If anything it's adding nutrients to the soil.

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Hey-Bud-Lets-Party@reddit

Like my camp counselor told me when I was six, pick up your orange peel so every other hiker doesn’t have to see your trash.

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LoFiFozzy@reddit

I think it's less about the environmental impact and more about not wanting to see spit-out shells all over the trail. Not like it's some huge grossness or anything, but it irks me a little too.

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dingbatdummy@reddit

Agreed. I think it’s unsightly and disrespectful to the land. The point is to be good stewards of space we’re visiting. Seed shells are not native to forests, etc., and there’s no reason to make a mess because someone didn’t feel like packing in and packing out literally everything — including their spit garbage.

When I go deep into nature, it’s to escape all signs of humans, not be surrounded by more of our garbage, biodegradable or not.

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sadrice@reddit

While true, in my experience they take an obnoxiously long time to break down while being extremely visible in the process.

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Darmok47@reddit

Yeah, even birds don't eat the shells.

I put out sunflower seeds for the finches and I'm always astounded at how many shells I find on the ground. They love that stuff.

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MsPooka@reddit

I only buy them shelled and put them in my homemade granola bars.

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flamespond@reddit

I used to get bags of seeds without the shells and just gorge myself on them

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JoePNW2@reddit

I buy the shelled, salted, roasted sunflower seeds at Trader Joe's. They're a tasty snack and add-on to salads.

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Ok-Flight-1504@reddit

Very common to eat at baseball games, but I never see anyone eating them anywhere else.

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DerthOFdata@reddit

Considering they are native to the plains of North America pretty common.

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CatPurrsonNo1@reddit

Ugh, my fiancé’s ex used to make a helluva mess with sunflower seeds! We almost always bought them with the shells already removed. They’re yummy, and very nutty tasting.

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GreenBeanTM@reddit

I’m confused at everyone saying with the shells on. I’ve definitely seen that before but every time I ever had sunflower seeds as a kid we got them pre-shelled, sometimes we even got candy coated ones.

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saltnshadow@reddit

TIL that I eat sunflower seeds wrong. I suck the seasoning off the shell, take it back out with my fingers, crack it between my teeth to get the seed out, then throw the shell away.

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Rokmonkey_@reddit

Usually when in road trips or something. And yes with the shells on. Chomp, spit out the shell.

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FLOHTX@reddit

Sounds messy as hell in a confined space.

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mt_beer@reddit

That's what a cup or bottle is for.

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SenseNo635@reddit

Or a dugout floor

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Drew707@reddit

I prefer the ump's shoes.

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Vast-Combination4046@reddit

I prefer pistachios. Not messy

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RemonterLeTemps@reddit

Well, the ones in the shells are messy, but the shelled kind are not. I love the flavored ones (dill and chili especially)

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JonMatrix@reddit

Ever sat in a baseball dugout?

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FLOHTX@reddit

No but I used to operate heavy equipment. The operator before me always left shells all over the cab. Disgusting.

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rationalsarcasm@reddit

well that guy's a dick lol

You're supposed to spit them into a cup or bottle lol

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macthecomedian@reddit

No, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night.

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gator_mckluskie@reddit

that’s why you have a spitter

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BananaCat43@reddit

It is my go to for road trips. Can confirm zero mess.

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Imaginary_Ladder_917@reddit

It’s a good way to help you stay awake. It requires a bit of concentration to work the kernel out of the shell.

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TacoRedneck@reddit

They are great for staying awake on the road. Keeps your mind moving trying to open the shell with your teeth.

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Tinkerfan57912@reddit

I have’t seen them being sold in hers. I haven’t had them since middle school

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OK_Stop_Already@reddit

Pretty common. I don't eat the shell and I don't know people who do. I'm sure they exist, but i worry about getting like an impacted gut or something from it.

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L_knight316@reddit

I swear, the ground at the little league baseball complex I went to as a kid was more sunflower seed shell than concrete or dirt sometimes.

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HeyPurityItsMeAgain@reddit

You shell them. Very common. I grow them, but I leave the seeds for the birds.

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Altril2010@reddit

Sitting in the bath with a purloined sack of sunflower seeds from my baseball player kid. They 100% have shells on them. We moms swap flavors during practices and games.

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kritter4life@reddit

Baseball games they are a must. Hell it might be illegal to not eat them at a game.

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dadsgoingtoprison@reddit

If you go to any baseball field or fields in the US you will find sunflower seeds. You suck on them with the shells on and learn to remove the shells wth your teeth. Then you spit the shells out. It’s nicer when you have a cup to spit your shells into rather than just spitting them on the ground but not everyone does that.

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Traditional_Trust418@reddit

My dad and brother buy them for road trips

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fl0pi3@reddit

I dont eat them, havent tried im years and dont personally know anyone who does. So probably a regional thing

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Astute_Primate@reddit

Some people can "crack and spit" (shelling the seed in your mouth and spitting out the shell) like Audrey Horne tying a cherry stem in her mouth in Twin Peaks. I never developed that skill. I eat them pre-shelled

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RatonhnhaketonK@reddit

I think most people I know eat sunflower seeds. We crack them, eat the seed, and spit the shell

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RemonterLeTemps@reddit

I didn't eat them when I was younger, because I thought it was rude to spit the shells out. But now they come shelled, which makes them not only easy to snack on, but to use as an ingredient in salads, etc. They're delicious and healthy, because of their plant-based protein, fiber, and good fats.

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c4ctus@reddit

Yes. Grab a handful, put em between my cheek and gum, split the seed casing with my teeth, spit out the casing, eat the seeds.

It was a habit I picked up when I worked with a lot of people who used Skoal. Just wanted to fit in without giving myself mouth cancer.

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Nai_Calus@reddit

They're available almost everywhere in convenience stores and supermarkets. How much people eat them varies.

They can be sold without shells and that's my preferred method, but they're sold with too. The shells are not eaten, you pop them open and take the kernel out.

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ksusha_lav@reddit (OP)

Do you use your hands to pop them open? Or do you do that in your mouth with your teeth? Sorry if that might sound like a really stupid question lol, but I'm genuinely interested.

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Positive-Draft3801@reddit

I just want you to know, sunflower seeds are a thing in the US, but its nothing compared to how popular they are in the middle east and Eastern Europe.

Sunflower seeds in the US are mostly eaten by baseball players, farmers and people trying to smoke less. American sunflower seeds are super salty, because we only eat a few at one time.

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HyperJen_OG@reddit

Says you! I would eat them until I had a salt burn on my tongue as a kid. As an adult, I've learned to portion them out to about a third of a cup at a time (and drink some water) to avoid that and I still will grab a second (or third) serving and get that salt burn anyway hahaha!

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Phoenix_Court@reddit

Right? I don't buy them often anymore because not only do I give myself salt burns but I eat so many at once I get sick.

You know those big baseball bats they used to sell them in? That would last me, at max, 3 days. Probably not even that long.

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Positive-Draft3801@reddit

Go to the middle eastern market. They will have reasonably salted sunflower seeds you can eat an entire pound of at once. Those guys are not playing about their sunflower seeds.

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Phoenix_Court@reddit

Not a bad idea but the heavy salt is part of what I love about sunflower seeds. Also, I eat so many I make myself sick, the last thing I need to do is to eat even more lol!

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ZinniasAndBeans@reddit

I crack the shell between my teeth while holding the seed in two fingers, extract the seed, and drop the shell in a bowl. The shell stays dry. However, I think that isn’t the normal way.

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flabebebebe@reddit

Most people just chew them in their mouths but I like to use my hands. I'll hold a seed but bite into the base to pinch it and it pops open; the kernal falls right in.

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DearGabbyAbby@reddit

In the beginning, as you’re “learning to eat” them, you use your fingers to crack them open. Eventually, you’ll place one in your mouth to enjoy the taste of them (original salt, ranch, bbq, etc… flavor), then using your tongue you place the sunflower diagonally between your upper and lower teeth and crack it open, swallow the seed and spit out the two halves of the shell. After a while, you can place a few in your mouth, crack them individually, swallow the seed and spit out the shell all while “cheeking” the other seeds in your mouth.

To be polite and not leave a mess, you spit your shells in a paper cup to be thrown away when you’re done eating

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DivaJanelle@reddit

I’ll pop 5-6 in my mouth at once. Crack the shell , tongue out the seed, get that under my tongue on the other side, spit the shell into my empty soda bottle. When I have all the seeds, then I chew and swallow

It actually a good workout for facial muscles.

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Eubank31@reddit

Sunflower seeds are very popular among baseball players (amateur and professional alike, when I was a kid I would chew sunflower seeds at games because that's what everyone else did)

You throw a bunch in your mouth before you go out onto the field, store them in your cheek, then one at a time you open up the shell with your teeth, spit out the shell, and eat the seed inside. Rinse and repeat until you've made your way through all of them

It's just something to do during the downtime of a game, I imagine it replaced chewing tobacco as that used to be very popular for baseball players

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Gliese_667_Cc@reddit

You do it in your mouth. You put a bunch of them in your mouth, store them in your cheek like a chipmunk and crack them open one by one.

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SnooPickles55@reddit

You toss them in, crack them with your teeth, spit the shell out and enjoy the seed. Spitting was part of experience even with contests to see who could spit the shells the farthest.

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Nai_Calus@reddit

Yes lol. The shells aren't that strong.

It's easier to do with your teeth, though, and the shells generally have the salt or flavoring on them, so giving it a quick crunch with your teeth gets the kernel out quickly and easily and you get the flavor more. It can be a little gross I guess but it's a very normal method of consumption.

Either way is very messy lol, hence my preference for already shelled ones.

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Phog_of_War@reddit

Both. Howevwr most people will keep the seeds in one cheek and crack the shells with their teeth, extract the seed with their teeth and tongue and then spit the shell.

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Capable_Suit_7335@reddit

Very common. We homestead and are growing a patch of sunflowers so we can harvest the seeds.

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MMARapFooty@reddit

Common especially baseball.

I eat them a couple times a year when I feel like it

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Offi95@reddit

When I played little league baseball they were a staple of summertime

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dpk794@reddit

Every little league field in the country certainly has some

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LanguageJazzlike7351@reddit

People are forgetting that there are sunflower seeds sprinkled in salads and sprinkles on the crust of so many breads.

Also since a lot of schools are peanut free sunflower seed butter is a great alternative to peanut butter.

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LanguageJazzlike7351@reddit

People are forgetting that there are sunflower seeds sprinkled in salads and sprinkles on the crust of so many breads.

Also since a lot of schools are peanut free sunflower seed butter is a great alternative to peanut butter.

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TillPsychological351@reddit

I always wondered... when you see people stuff a bunch in their mouth at once, then spit out the shells, are they just chewing with the shells on, or do they shell them individually between their teeth? If the latter, I can only manage this with one seed at a time in my mouth.

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Phoenix_Court@reddit

I stuff them all to one side. Then use my teeth on the other side to shell them. It's great because I suck all the flavor off the ones in waiting while eating the others.

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anonymouse278@reddit

Usually you cheek them and work on one at a time, spitting the shells out as you go.

If there are too many to comfortably hold in one cheek or you aren't used to doing this, it would probably be awkward. Like tying a cherry stem in a knot with your tongue, it gets easier with practice.

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Phoenix_Court@reddit

They're very common. I don't buy them often because I absolutely love them and I could eat so many in a day I would make myself sick (I speak from experience).

They're usually sold salted and with the shells on. You just bite the shell open, remove the kernal, and spit out the shell.

You can buy them pre-shelled but to me they don't taste the same. I think the pre-shelled ones are only good for putting on salads.

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exitparadise@reddit

Man this is one of those things where I feel like I'm living in an alternate universe.

I see them at stores, but I have never bought them and never eaten them, and I don't know a single person who does, AND I don't think I've ever noticed anyone eating them.

I might have some if they're in a 'mixed seeds and nuts' package, or have had unshelled sunflower seeds for salads, but never ever the ones with the shell still on.

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1Marmalade@reddit

I agree. Who are these people talking about it being a common snack?

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1Marmalade@reddit

Not very common. Maybe at a sports event? But, honestly, I can’t remember seeing anyone eating them in 20 years here.

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Loisgrand6@reddit

Try some

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milbur5477@reddit

A lot of construction workers use them for the salt

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LunarVolcano@reddit

I buy them without the shell but they’re common enough both ways

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ThingFuture9079@reddit

Very common. I just buy the ones with the shell off and then put it on a salad.

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macoafi@reddit

Aside from putting the kernels on or in bread dough, I haven’t had them in a long time.

As a kid, it was very normal for me to have a snack where I’d crack the shelled between my teeth and eat the kernel. I don’t have my dad’s skill with them. He can put a handful in his cheek, separate one out, crack it, separate the kernel, eat that, and spit the shell into an empty McDonald’s cup in his cup holder while he drives down the highway.

I’m sure he honed that skill at baseball games. He goes to dozens of games every year and runs one of the teams’ supporters clubs.

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venus_arises@reddit

Ukrainian by birth here, so yes, it's legally required of me to eat them. Shell off, watching some trashy movie with my husband, while my (Polish) dentist friend is moaning the damage to the teeth of shelling them.

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Mediocre-Ad332@reddit

Am I the only one who eats the shells?

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IcyPossibility925@reddit

I do sometimes but you gotta be careful or it can cause a blockage in your guts.

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More_Ship_190@reddit

Seeds. Toxic?

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WVildandWVonderful@reddit

No

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More_Ship_190@reddit

Prove it!

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WVildandWVonderful@reddit

No thank you

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Environmental-Gap380@reddit

Shelled they are common in salads and multigrain bread.

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jdeaux32@reddit

I feel like every American kid knew at least one person obsessed with cracking sunflower seeds during practice.

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theycallmethevault@reddit

My husband eats them all day, every day. And sometimes eats them with the shells on, which I can’t personally get on board with, but to each their own I guess. LOL

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CadillacDale@reddit

Extremely common I would say (although it does seem to be a less popular snack than it was a decade ago).

The traditional snacking method is toss a handful in your mouth, shell and all. Crack open a shell with your molars, eat the seed and spit the shell out.

You do find the occasional person that just chews up the shell and swallows them. These people give off serious serial killer energy in the same way as people who swallow medication without water or smoke cigarettes in the car with the windows rolled up.

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Loisgrand6@reddit

🤦🏻‍♀️

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dariamarie13@reddit

I love sunflower seeds, but I don’t eat the shells. From the US.

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musaXmachina@reddit

I love roasted kernels.

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Renny4400@reddit

Not only do Americans eat sunflower seeds but we also have sunflower butter, which is like peanut butter only it’s made entirely of sunflower seeds. Many schools now only offer sunflower butter and no peanut butter due to how severe peanut allergies can be for some people.

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ArkansasTravelier@reddit

I grew up eating them a lot, but we Americans eat a lot of different flavored ones over plain ones, I grew up liking pickle flavor and ranch flavor, a lot of people like BBQ flavor and black pepper as well.

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dontfookwitdachook@reddit

Eating seeds is a pastime activity.

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qu33nof5pad35@reddit

Very. Remove the shell. I don’t eat them though.

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damiansomething@reddit

No, you spit the shell out, but the shell is covered in salt or flavor so it does go into your mouth. Its more popular in the south and with baseball players. Most people get some ick from the spitting.

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dingbatdummy@reddit

I live on the west coast and it’s popular here too

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UncleRuckus92@reddit

Im in the NE and the only people ive seen do it regularly are my friends who played baseball growing up

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hpartsandcrafts@reddit

Just fyi: They've been a food source in North America longer than anywhere else. Eastern Agricultural Complex

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Subterranean44@reddit

Unshelled on salad is bomb.

They’re a common summer snack food particularly at sporting events

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give_me_goats@reddit

A lot of Americans eat them. You’re not supposed to eat the shell. I found out the excruciatingly painful, hard way.

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phylbert57@reddit

I do not often eat the shell. I hold the seed, crack it open and eat the kernel. The shell is in my fingers and then goes in a cup or the trash.

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somecow@reddit

Various flavors even. Not something everyone does, but yes. Some people do it as an alternative to smoking, some people just like them.

Shell is fine, get to spit the seeds out like a watermelon. Unshelled are good too, can even get some trail mix. Pumpkin seeds are also good (but not common except for after halloween), can eat the shells too. Except for pepitas (they’re pumpkin seeds), roasted, generous amount of salt, great for salads or just snacking. Peanuts are definitely a thing.

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xphiler4eva@reddit

Very common snack amongst FBI agents

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WVildandWVonderful@reddit

Haha I already sent them an X-Files clip

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QueenJamieMaePalmer@reddit

Good to quit smoking

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makerofshoes@reddit

Baseball players frequently switch to seeds from chewing tobacco, as a healthier alternative

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WVildandWVonderful@reddit

Very common. You can buy them at gas stations. Suck on the sunflower seeds in the shell, crack em open and throw out the shell, and eat the seed.

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makerofshoes@reddit

I live abroad and am always disappointed that we just have salted. No fun flavors 😔

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OtakuB3N@reddit

I eat 2-3 bags a week while on the job. Midnight shift, helps me stay alert constantly spitting shells. Always seasoned and with shell on. Dill pickle, Ranch, and sweet Thai chili are my go to flavors.

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makerofshoes@reddit

We normally eat them with the shell on. You should also be warned that sunflower seeds come with **lots** of different flavors in the US. When I travel abroad it’s either salted or non-salted. But in America you will find like 10 different flavors (dill, barbecue, chili, lemon, black pepper, ranch…etc.). We like variety

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Equivalent-Pin-4759@reddit

We sprinkle the kernels on salads.

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anonymouse278@reddit

In the shell they're good for a snack that takes a long time to eat and helps keep you awake while you shell them one at a time. You can bite them to crack them and then open the shell with your hands, but most people do it entirely with their mouth and spit out the shell.

While you could eat the shells, it's not going to be fun if you eat more than a few because that is a lot of seriously insoluble fiber all at once.

Pre-shelled, they're nice on salads or in trail mix. But the real appeal is in them being a snack that comes with a built-in activity.

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PeanutterButter101@reddit

Uncommon where I am. When I worked with the military quite a few guys snacked on sunflower seeds, and chewing tobacco, so I'm assuming it's regional.

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Roboticpoultry@reddit

I have a bag of shell on salted sunflower seeds in my pantry right now. I’ve also grown my own sunflowers in the past for seeds. The heads of sunflowers are also delicious when roasted

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weeniehutjunior1234@reddit

I only buy them without the shells.

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Hoopajoops@reddit

Well, the shell is on but most everybody gets rid of the shell.

And yes, I eat sunflower seeds especially when I'm driving long distances. Dill flavored Spitz sunflower seeds are my favorite

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Wixenstyx@reddit

They are a good snack with shells on, though the popularly available brands here are just LOADED with salt. Fortunately, a couple of brands (Chinook, Smackin', etc) have rolled out in recent years that are much better.

Sunbutter is also popular here as an alternative to peanut butter for those allergic to the latter.

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Appropriate-Food1757@reddit

You out bunch in your mouth then crack the shells one a time and spit it out.

Unless you’re a loser

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biggcb@reddit

Fairly common. I only eat them already shelled.

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esg4571@reddit

I buy them roasted and salted without shells. They're great on salads but also my daughter and I both like to just eat them as a snack.

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_badwithcomputer@reddit

Every little league dugout is currently overflowing right now with shells from Smackin' Dave's and Big's seeds.

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DoTheRightThing1953@reddit

I bought a bag of just sunflower kernels and I've been adding them to my morning cereal. Love them!

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dingbatdummy@reddit

Oh that sounds yummy!

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ColoradoWeasel@reddit

I’ve seen dugouts with tens of thousands of shells accumulated over the years. They’re just ignored. I swept and cleaned a dugout once while my kid practiced. The coach saw and said I stole the team’s lucky mojo. I dumped the shells back out.

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spookyeloquence@reddit

you crack them with your teeth, spit the shell into a cup or whatever and eat the seed, super common at baseball games and just sitting around watching stuff.

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GrimSpirit42@reddit

Pretty much ever day. I keep a few bags in my truck.

They are roasted and salted in the shell. Put a few in my mouth, chew the shells off, spit out the shells and enjoy the seed.

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Historical_Bath_9854@reddit

I assume common because they're everywhere. I eat them whole, but spit out the shell most of the time🤔 I think, it's been awhile.

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_fenwoods@reddit

I feel like I was addicted to these for a while. They’re so good.

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Grombrindal18@reddit

A Bulgarian friend once offered me some, thinking I had never had them* and was shocked when I took a handful and shoved them all into my cheek. Like “nonono that’s not how to eat them!” Then I started spitting the shells out one by one.

There’s definitely a lot of more common snacks, but we definitely have them. And anyone who played little league baseball has had a bunch.

*which is odd because she lived in the US for a bit.

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wieldymouse@reddit

I just had some earlier in the week. I used to put a handful with the shell on, let them sit in my mouth a bit, then crack the shell, and eat the seed but I just get shelled now to put in salads or pastas. I rarely eat them by themselves anymore.

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CB_Chuckles@reddit

Not as much as I used to. Cracking the shell was always part of the fun.

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albertnormandy@reddit

They're the quintessential ballpark snack, though I've never understood the appeal. I've always thought eating them in the shell was way too much work.

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SuperPomegranate7933@reddit

I buy them without shells & sprinkle them on my salads

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Blewisiv@reddit

I eat with shells. Just pop the whole thing in, chew and swallow.

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Fangsong_37@reddit

They're quite common. I used to eat them often in Little League baseball and in Boy Scouts. You'd pop the seed in your mouth, extract the seed, and spit out the shell. You can alternatively buy pre-shelled sunflower seeds as a road snack at many convenience stores.

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heyhomah@reddit

In the Midwest and I don't know many younger people who do. They're sold everywhere but I honestly never see people buying them so I'm surprised by the comments here!

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jldinatl@reddit

I love sunflower seeds but have no patience for the ones with shells.

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Bootmacher@reddit

They're somewhat common, and when a lot of people were quitting smoking, they used to be an alternative to get people over the compulsion to do something with their hands and mouth.

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Js987@reddit

They’re reasonably common. Sold at basically every convenience store. Pretty popular in the south and in certain sports (especially baseball) contexts. They’re typically sold roasted and salted (sometimes also flavored) and with the shells on, but you can get them without the shells, too. You spit the shells out, eating the shells can cause pretty insane constipation if you eat too many.

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Radiant_Drop_9344@reddit

You put some in your cheek and use your tongue to pull them out one at a time, split with your front teeth and scrape the seed out then spit the shell in a cup

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DivaJanelle@reddit

Best road trip snack. The process of cracking the shell in your mouth and spitting it into a bottle seriously can help you stay awake on an 8 or 10 hour drive.

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N_Huq@reddit

they're commonly available but not that many people i know especially like them. though seed cycling is becoming more popular for health conscious women (eating certain seeds for different phases of menstrual cycle, including sunflower seeds for luteal phase)

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BananaCat43@reddit

My favorite snack! I eat them a few times a week.

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donuttrackme@reddit

Pretty common. Most people eat with the shell if they're eating just sunflower seeds, but it's eaten without the shell too. Lots of people eat shelled sunflower seeds in salads and things like that.

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WVildandWVonderful@reddit

How to properly use sunflower seeds in the US

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Coidzor@reddit

I prefer them without the shell, but I see plenty of people buying them in both forms.

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river-running@reddit

I never get them with the shells on; too much trouble.

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Gliese_667_Cc@reddit

You don’t eat the shells

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ThroatFun478@reddit

I like shell off, both salted and unsalted. You can also get sunflower butter as a substitute for peanut butter if your kids goes to a nut free school. It's really quite delicious!

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stupidsexyf1anders@reddit

I like to eat the shells and all 🤷🏻‍♂️ the weird part though is that it feels like pooping out a cactus from the shell pieces.

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Ratatoskr_The_Wise@reddit

I’m in Chicago and sunflower seeds without the shell is the norm here, but if you search you can find some in the shell. It’s not common tho, we discourage spitting culture.

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acenkt@reddit

Depends who is asking, meaning we do consume it in baseball games etc, but not to the level of balkans/turkey/eastern european level. Those guys streamline it lol

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Such_Guide2828@reddit

Sunflower seeds are pretty ubiquitous. They’re in every grocery store. They pop up in trail mixes, salads, etc.

You can eat them with the shell on, but I think that’s more of a kid thing than an adult thing (outside of Fox Mulder).

They’re really quite tasty, but I do not eat them often because they’re pretty fat/calorie heavy and they get stale kind of quickly.

Sunflower seed butter (or sun butter) is fairly popular here because of peanut allergies (lots of schools ban peanut products and peanut butter sandwiches are a staple of kids’ lunches).

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plantbasedyogi@reddit

My husband once ate a whole bag of sunflower seeds, but he ate the shells too because that’s what he usually does when he has a handful. We almost had to bring him to the ER because he was SO compacted and couldn’t go to the bathroom. Thankfully a lot of miralax and prune juice helped, but he was in so so much pain. So be sure to spit out the shells!!

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wiarumas@reddit

During baseball games, camping, and fishing trips personally. So not too common but occasionally. Shell on, but you crack it open, eat the inside, and spit the shell.

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