A handful of sunflower seeds may be doing more for Canadian skin than their modest price suggests.
A newly released September 2026 report examining the most affordable grocery-store foods for skin nutrition has identified sunflower seeds as Canada’s strongest value, with a 30-gram serving costing roughly 37 cents. The research comes as Canadians spend more than C$3 billion on skincare products, highlighting a striking contrast between expensive beauty routines and inexpensive foods that can contribute important nutrients to skin health.
The study, by Laserbody MD, assessed everyday Canadian grocery staples according to their levels of vitamins A, C, D and E, along with zinc, selenium and copper. Researchers combined nutrient levels and food prices into an overall score out of 100, while also examining serving costs and provincial price differences.
Photographer: Csaba Talaber
Sunflower seeds emerged at the top.
A typical 400-gram bag costs about C$5 and contains roughly 13 small handfuls. One handful provides about half of the daily vitamin E requirement, more than half of the copper requirement and over 40 per cent of selenium, and sunflower seeds are only the beginning.
Wheat flour ranks second at approximately 21 cents per 100 grams. While rarely marketed as a beauty food, flour is a significant source of selenium. Peanut butter follows at 61 cents per 100 grams, with vitamin E making it particularly valuable. Dried lentils, costing about 40 cents per 100 grams, contribute copper and zinc.
Frozen spinach rounds out the top five and brings something the first four foods do not: vitamin A, a nutrient involved in normal skin-cell development. A regular serving costs approximately 59 cents and supplies more than half of the day’s vitamin A requirement, according to the report.
Among animal products, eggs ranked highest, ahead of beef, salmon and butter.
The findings offer a useful reminder that skincare does not begin and end in the bathroom. What happens on the grocery-store shelf can also matter.
The report does not suggest that Canadians should abandon established skincare practices. A Laserbody MD skincare expert emphasized that sunscreen, cleansing and moisturizers perform functions food cannot replace, particularly protection from sun damage.
Photographer: Brooke Lark
The bigger lesson may be affordability.
When skincare is often packaged as a luxury pursuit, with increasingly sophisticated products, ingredients and price tags, the grocery aisle offers another conversation: nutrition as one component of skin health.
Sunflower seeds will not replace sunscreen, but at 37 cents a handful, they may deserve a much larger place in the conversation.
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