7 Sneaky Ways to Add Super Seeds to Your Diet
| 2 min read
It seems like every day, health experts recommend you eat more and more nutritionally-superior superfoods like kale, quinoa, blueberries and salmon. But you can only consume so many kale and quinoa salads before you call it quits. An easier way to boost the nutrient value of your meals is to focus on seeds like chia, hemp, pumpkin, flax and sunflower seeds. They actually have a name—super seeds—and they are packed with health benefits. An added bonus: It’s unbelievably easy to sneak them in your diet. Here are a few ways to get you started:
- Add chia seeds to baked goods that already contain seeds, like lemon poppy seed muffins. Sneaking these seeds in can add iron, folate, calcium and omega-3 fatty acids to otherwise not-so-healthy treats.
- Boost the protein and vitamin E levels of bread by mixing in sunflower seeds. The end result will taste like a hearty multigrain.
- Substitute one tablespoon of flaxseed meal and three tablespoons of water for an egg in your next batch of baked goods. Flaxseeds are packed with omega-3 fatty acids and can help improve brain function.
- Blend chia seeds into a fruit smoothie. The texture won’t change because chia seeds resemble strawberry seeds in the final drink.
- Homemade pesto is the perfect place to add pumpkin seeds. The flavor-packed pesto will now contain tryptophan, an amino acid that has been used to help some anxiety disorders, and essential fatty acids that help lower bad cholesterol.
- Add a tablespoon or two of hemp seeds to your morning oatmeal. They soften just like the oats and promote hair and skin growth while lowering your cholesterol levels.
- Use flaxseed oil to make a healthy salad dressing that’s filled with fiber, vitamin B12 and manganese, which can help control blood sugar.
How do you adjust recipes to make them healthier? Let us know in the comment section below. And if you’re interested in ways to sneak more good things into your diet, check out these blog posts:
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Photo credit: Andrea Parrish-Geyer
