Top 5 Seeds to Eat

I adore seeds. I add sunflower, pumpkin, chia and sesame seeds to my diet almost every day. Seeds are packed with fibre, nutrients, and protein (chia), and can be added to almost everything. Here my top 5 seeds to eat.

Why Sunflower?

One reason is, Sunflower seeds are fun to eat! But more importantly, they are packed full of vitamin e and vitamin b1 (thiamine). Vitamin e does many things in the body, two being: 

1. Acts as an anti-inflammatory.
2. Acts as an antioxidant, fighting off any free radicals. 

Thiamine is an essential vitamin for both nerve and muscle function.

How to add them to your diet

Eat them raw or sprouted straight from their container; they are great on their own. Add sunflower seeds to salads or in a trail mix.

Why Pumpkin?

Manganese, magnesium, zinc and iron are all found in pumpkin seeds. Pumpkin seeds may help support the immune system, and skin due to its zinc content, but these other vital minerals help with sleep and bone health.

How to add them to your diet

Sprinkle pumpkin seeds on salads and eat them with a bowl of yogurt or in a trail mix. And during the Halloween season, roast them! Check out the recipe at the bottom.

Why Sesame?

Sesame seeds offer a nutty yet delicate crunch to most Asian meals (although, I sprinkle them on everything!). These seeds are packed with minerals – copper, magnesium and calcium – and tryptophan (tryptophan converts to serotonin in the body which helps elevate mood).

How to add them to your diet

Anytime you think of tamari or your type of soy sauce, think sesame seeds. Merrin and her friend sprinkled these seeds on their edamame. You may also add the seeds to your baked good for an extra nutty crunch.

Why Flax?

They have a very high concentration of omega-3 fatty acids. These fatty acids are anti-inflammatory, important in bone health and protect the heart.

How to add them to your diet

The best way to get the fatty acids and the fibre is to eat these seeds raw or grind them up and eat them right away. Once they are ground, their fatty acid oil may go rancid; thus, eating  after grinding is crucial.

Add flax seeds to cereals, rice dishes, and smoothies. A friend of mine grinds them up with nuts & olive oil and spreads on toast.

Why Chia?

Chia seeds, like flax seeds, are full of omega-3 fatty acids. Chia seeds are an absolute nutritional powerhouse with 4 grams of fibre per tablespoon and heaps of antioxidants and protein.

A chia side note: Aztecs would use chia medicinally to stimulate saliva flow and to relieve joint pain (omega 3s in action) and sore skin.

How to add them to your diet

Chia seed puddings are a great way to start your day or have a snack in the afternoon. The kids love it too. 

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups pumpkin seeds
• 2 teaspoons fine sea salt, plus more for serving
• 2 teaspoons olive oil, melted coconut oil or nut oil like walnut
• 2 teaspoons of your favorite spice blends such as curry powder, harissa and chili powder

Directions

• Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Fill a medium saucepan with about 2 cups of water and season with 2 teaspoons salt. Bring to a boil.
• Meanwhile, scoop the seeds from your pumpkin. Add the pumpkin seeds to a bowl filled with cold water and swish them around until the seeds float and are mostly clean.
• Add cleaned seeds to the boiling salted water. Simmer for 5 minutes. Drain and pull away any remaining pumpkin attached to the seeds.
• Scatter the seeds onto clean dishcloths and pat them very dry. Mound the dried seeds onto the prepared baking sheet. Add the oil and any spices on top then toss until well coated. Spread the seeds into one layer. Bake, stirring the seeds at least once, until fragrant and golden around the edges, 10 to 25 minutes, depending on how large the seeds are.

Recipe Source: @InspiredTaste on Instagram

xx

dr.heather