One handful of real food outweighs a whole bag of fried.

Seeds and dry fruits versus processed, fried snacks — measured nutrient by nutrient, not marketing claim by marketing claim. All figures approximate, per 100g, against standard daily values.

SEEDS & DRY FRUITS FRIED & PROCESSED SNACKS

29% Protein 13%

59% Magnesium 15%

40% Fiber 11%

~0% Sodium — lower is better 23%

% of daily value, per 100g. "Seeds & dry fruits" = average of pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and dried apricots (USDA FoodData Central). "Fried snacks" = plain potato chips (USDA reference). Sodium row is inverted — smaller bar is healthier. Worth flagging: chips also carry meaningful potassium (~36% DV) from the potato itself, so not every metric favors the seed side — see the full table below for the complete picture.

Item by item, not category by category

Averages hide as much as they reveal. Here is what each individual food actually contains per 100g, so the comparison holds up under scrutiny.

Pumpkin seeds

Kernels, dried

Calories446 kcal

Protein18.6g

Fiber18g (74% DV)

Magnesium~550mg (131% DV)

Zinc10mg (94% DV)

Sodium~7mg

Sunflower seeds

Kernels, dried

Calories584 kcal

Protein20.8g

Fiber8.6g (31% DV)

Vitamin E~23mg (153% DV)

Magnesium~129mg (31% DV)

Sodium~9mg

Dried apricots

Sulfured, unsoaked

Calories241 kcal

Protein3.4g

Fiber7.3g (26% DV)

Potassium1,160mg (25% DV)

Iron2.7mg (15% DV)

Sodium~9mg

Potato chips

Plain, salted

Calories536 kcal

Protein6.6g

Fiber3g (11% DV)

Sodium~527mg (23% DV)

Potassium1,275mg (36% DV)

Magnesium65mg (15% DV)

Bhujia / namkeen

Deep-fried besan snack, average of common brands

Calories~540–580 kcal

Protein~12–18g

Fat~30–44g

Fiber~1–3g

Sodium~820–850mg (36% DV)

Vitamins/mineralsnot significant

Pick any two, compare directly

All values per 100g, from USDA FoodData Central where available. Bars grow outward from the centre — longer means more of that nutrient.