[Article updated on 19/09/2023]
Seeds are becoming more and more fashionable: chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, flax seeds.
Before reading on
I’m not an expert in this field, but I am passionate about nutrition and health.
The articles you’ll find on my site are the result of in-depth research that I’d like to share with you. However, I would like to stress that I am not a health professional and that my advice should in no way replace that of a qualified physician. I’m here to guide you, but it’s important that you consult a professional for specific questions or medical concerns. Your well-being is important. So be sure to consult the appropriate experts and take the best possible care of yourself.
These foods are rich in protein, calcium, fiber, and omega 3.
But what do you really think?
Why this craze for this type of seed?
These are what we call “superfoods” and that means that they are foods that contain a lot of vitamins and minerals.
In France, these seed-based meals were born at the same time as the PNNS (National Nutrition Health Program) and another large nutritional study which emphasized the benefits of fruits and vegetables for health.
These “superfoods” come from far away: they grew up in difficult areas where drought and sun reign, which allows them to develop their “superpowers” and produce excellent nutrients to protect themselves, is the case of cranberry, goji berries, pomegranate, spirulina, and maca…
Examples with associated virtues?
Hemp seeds
They provide proteins, good fats (omega-3), fiber, and minerals (calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc), and vitamin E.
They therefore help to lower cholesterol levels, prevent cardiovascular diseases, strengthen the immune system and preserve the cell membranes of the nervous system.
Hemp seeds are also known to heal the skin.
You can eat them mixed with your salads, you can also grind hemp seeds with water and filter to make a vegetable drink, powdered in yogurts or smoothies at a rate of 1 to 2 tablespoons per day, there is also hemp in the form of naturally khaki-colored flour, you can also eat them sprouted or even in breading once ground!
One last nice little idea: the “hemp crunch” banana. Like a radish with salt, you dip a banana directly in hemp seeds, and you get a snack… delicious and healthy!
Chia seeds
These are seeds from the same family as mint and which come from a desert in southern Mexico.
Already in pre-Columbian times, chia seeds were part of the diet of the Mayans and Aztec warriors.
They are low in calories and they also have a high nutrient content: fatty acids, omega-3, proteins, fiber, calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc and antioxidants.
Several possibilities for consuming these chia seeds: in your salads but you can also add chia seeds in a smoothie, yogurt, cottage cheese, this will add a little crunchy side.
Sprinkle your creams, cakes, desserts, mousses, tarts or cakes with a pinch of chia seeds as you would with colored vermicelli, with added benefits!
Add chia seeds to the flour of your bread, cakes or muffins, as you do with poppy seeds, pumpkin seeds, etc.
Tip: Soak the chia seeds for 40 minutes, they form a kind of gel called “mucilage” which you can use as you would an egg. The chia seeds will serve as a binder like the egg would.
Flax seeds
They are rich in fiber, promote the reduction of cholesterol levels and blood pressure, it is also good during menopause.
Regarding how to consume them, you take them as is or ground, you can add them to your salads for example.
Pumpkin seeds
They have as much quality as the previous ones. The only difference is that they are relatively caloric. They have, what the others do not have, diuretic properties, and help soothe urinary system disorders. We eat them at a rate of a small handful per day, and taste-wise, you can grill them in a pan. You can also put them in vinaigrettes or sauces, you have to grind them, reduce them to powder.
The seeds can enhance all your dishes: salads, yogurts, cereals, ready meals, etc.
You will find all this in organic stores preferably.
Is it expensive?
All this responds to a fashion or marketing effect, perhaps it will calm down.
The positive point is that if we can’t afford them, it encourages us to eat fruits and vegetables, which are more affordable.
We must also not forget that there are other superfoods that we know well, such as apples, carrots, onions and so on.
These seeds exist, but it is not essential to break the bank to obtain them.
To sum up :
- Hemp, chia, pumpkin or flax seeds are good for your health
- They can enhance all your dishes: salads, yogurts, cereals, ready meals
- They do not in any way exempt you from having a balanced diet.
- Consumption recommendation: 1 small handful per day (approximately 20g)