Benefits of Flaxseeds

Saturday, January 7, 2012

Benefits of Flaxseeds

Posted by Angop at 2:00 AM

Good morning!

I recently posted on facebook about how I sneak in flaxseed into my oatmeal and got a lot of response so I thought I would share here too!

I try to sneak flaxseed into our dishes whenever I can because of the fiber and omega benefits! It is great for the whole family!

I found some interesting facts from Low Carb Diets that I thought you would like!

What are flax seeds and flax seed meal?:

Flax seeds are very low carb, high nutrition seeds that are useful in a low of recipes. They are the seeds of the flax plant, which linen cloth is made from. Flax has a pleasantly nutty taste. The whole seeds keep well, but they need to be ground into meal for us to get their full nutritional benefit. A simple spice or coffee grinder can do this in seconds.

What are flax seeds good for?:

For making low carb baked goods, and adding nutrition to other foods. There's lots of information about flax in this article, and here is a list of recipes and other ways to eat flax.

Where can I find it, and which kind is best?:

Health food stores and specialty stores (e.g. Trader Joe's) carry flax seed, and many regular grocery stores as well. Whole flax seed stays fresh for up to a year if stored safely, however flax seed meal (ground flax seed) goes rancid more quickly. If you question how long the product has been on the shelves or how it has been stored, it is highly recommended that you purchase whole flax seed and grind it yourself. It's also less expensive to buy it whole.

Easy and tasty ways to add flax seed meal to your diet:

1) Put it On or Mix it In With Other Foods

Such as:

Yogurt and fruit
Cottage or ricotta cheese and fruit
Yogurt or ricotta with a sugar-free syrup
Smoothies and shakes
Mix it into pancake or muffin batter, or other baked goods (you'll probably need to add a little more water)

2) Make a Sweet or Savory Instant Porridge or "Mush"

The idea here is to pour boiling water over flax seed meal to make a kind of porridge that can be flavored in many ways, both sweet and savory. The amount of water will vary according to taste, but about twice the amount of water as flax seed meal is a good starting place. I also like to add a pinch of salt, and if I am going to the sweet side, a little sweetener as well. Let it thicken for a couple of minutes while the seeds absorb the water. If it's too thick and "gel-like", add more water.

Here are some ideas for "mix-ins" for flax meal.