Sesame Seeds

Overview

Sesame seeds provide calcium, healthy fats, and are the source of tahini, supporting bone health and carotenoid absorption when paired with vegetables. Practical pairings: carrots + tahini, kale + avocado, berries + yogurt/nuts. Sesame seeds are part of diverse seed intake and support fat-soluble vitamin absorption when used as tahini.

Key Nutritional Highlights

• Very high calcium and iron values per 100 g compared with many seeds and nuts.
• Tahini format makes sesame easy to integrate into savory meals at useful portions.
• Rich in unsaturated fats that can improve carotenoid and fat-soluble vitamin absorption in mixed meals.
• Protein is meaningful but lysine-limited, so pairings with legumes improve amino-acid balance.

Food Context

Synergies

• Part of diverse seed intake; dietary diversity (≥30 plant foods per week) supports microbial richness and resilience
• Supports fat-soluble vitamin absorption when used as tahini; co-consuming a small amount of unsaturated fat improves micelle formation and chylomicron packaging, increasing carotenoid and fat-soluble vitamin absorption
• Pair with carotenoid-rich vegetables; practical pairings: carrots + tahini

Preparation

• Can be consumed whole or as tahini; tahini is ground sesame seeds

Essential Amino Acid Profile

Sesame Seeds provide plant protein but are not a complete protein; lysine is typically limiting for nuts and seeds.

Protein pairing strategy:

Pair with legumes or grains to complete essential amino acid coverage.

Recipes

no recipes found

Nutrient Tables (per 100 g)

Core nutrients

Nutrient	Amount per 100 g	% RDA per 100 g
Energy	573 kcal	—
Protein	17.7 g	—
Total fat	49.7 g	—
Saturated fat	7 g	—
Carbohydrates	23.5 g	—
Sugars	0.3 g	—
Fibre	11.8 g	—

Key vitamins and minerals

Nutrient	Amount per 100 g	% RDA per 100 g
Calcium	975 mg	97.5%

Reference intakes: US Dietary Reference Intakes for adults (19–50 years; using the higher of male/female values where they differ).

Data provenance (core / micronutrient panel): USDA FoodData Central, Seeds, sesame seeds, whole, dried, FDC ID 170150, SR Legacy bulk (April 2018), per 100 g edible portion, last checked 2026-08-15

Substances

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1 substance in this food

Ca²⁺

Calcium

Bone health; neurotransmission; interacts with vitamin D and K2

References

[1] The mechanism of the formation and secretion of chylomicrons. Kindel et al. 2010. Fat co-ingestion mechanisms for carotenoid and fat-soluble nutrient absorption

[2] Reports on carotenoid bioavailability is higher from salads ingested with full-fat than with fat-reduced salad dressings as measured with electrochemical detection. Brown et al. 2004. Dietary fat effects on carotenoid bioavailability

[3] \textlessp\textgreaterWhile animal products are rich in protein, the adequacy of dietary protein intake from vegetarian/vegan diets has long been controversial. Mariotti & Gardner 2019. Plant-protein adequacy, limiting amino acids, and practical complementarity