Sunflower seeds

Annual sunflowers are important in the cut flower industry and grown commercially for cooking oil and for seeds eaten by humans and birds. Sunflowers are one of the few important food crops that originated in North America. Researchers have figured out that over 3,000 years ago, indigenous people consistently saved the largest seeds for planting and increased the size of sunflower seeds 1,000%. They have almost equal amounts of protein as heart healthy fats, they're high in fiber and vitamin E, and they were easy to store and transport. Originally from the southwestern states, indigenous people in Mexico and eventually what's now the entire United States have used sunflowers as a major dietary staple as well as in medicinal and cultural arenas.