I tried… different seeds
I tried… different seeds
Why seeds?
Now first things first, when I say seeds, I mean the edible ones that you can include in your diet and not the ones only for agricultural purposes. Not all seeds can be eaten, don’t even try with some seeds like mango, we can leave that for agriculture. From the ones that can be eaten if you’re wondering why would you want to consider adding these to your diet, that’s a good question. I wonder though how they came up with the distinction between what’s edible and what’s not, did someone go around trying all the seeds, that doesn’t seem to be a very pleasant experience, food for thought. Coming back to why seeds, I love foods that bring a lot to the table, they’re nutritionally dense, have a good balance of the macros, are good for you, are versatile(can be easily included in your diet), are not that expensive and especially that are convenient. Seeds do fall under this category as they’re known to be super-foods, that do great from a health perspective and aren’t that expensive while being super convenient. So let’s look at what popping(pun intended).
What are my options?
So when it comes to options, there’s a little room here to play around. Certain seeds have been identified as edible, if you do a quick search on kinds of seeds a full list should pop up with all their nutritional benefits, or better keep on reading to know what’s it actually like and how can you include them in your diet. Now a great thing here is unlike some of my previous posts where I ask you to be wary about the brand you’re purchasing from when it comes to seeds in general most brands do a great job. I have used brands like Anthony’s, sincerely nuts, and better body foods which are great but others do a good job as well. The other option here is shelled vs no-shell, now I’m all about convenience and if the plan is to include these in your diet for example as a snacking option you don’t want to be there de-shelling every single seed that takes ages, trust me, I bought one of the shelled ones. So for all practical purposes, I’ll recommend going for the no-shell ones. If you think getting the shelled ones is more cost-effective since you get more, let me tell you the shells aren’t edible on the contrary they shouldn’t be eaten at all, here’s an article explaining why.
The other distinction is the actual taste, while some of these do have a taste/flavor associated with them, others are tasteless. Now being tasteless isn’t a bad thing, this just means you won’t be having these on their own and they’re suited for being used as an addition to things like smoothies to amp up the nutrient value. Whereas the former ones which almost have a nutty taste can be used either way as a standalone snack or as an addition to add a nutty flavor. So time to see what’s in stock.
Chia
The way I see it, chia seeds are the complete package and the definition of a super-food. It’s rich in protein, fiber, antioxidants, and omega 3s. This blog post here goes into more depth about its benefits. Okay so now that we know it’s good for you, let’s look at other factors. Starting with the taste, well we can skip that as chia seeds have no taste which makes them a great addition to anything. You can add these to your cereal, oatmeal, smoothies, healthy desserts or a popular option is chia puddings which is a whole another kingdom as you can tweak it to add any flavor. If you’re looking for inspiration here’s a post that explores these options. A point worth mentioning here is that chia seeds tend to absorb liquids and make anything thick. I add these to my oatmeal and trust me after you add and mix these up there’ll be no liquid left. So if you like your cereal to be runny you can add these to something else. I tend to like this as it really brings everything together and makes my oatmeal have a pudding-like consistency. There are also different types in terms of colors, black, white, and brown. From what I’ve read this doesn’t matter, black ones are most common, so you might as well stick with those.
Flax
Flax seeds like chia seeds are also pretty strong on the nutritional front, packed with all the good stuff. However, these are really hard to eat as is, that’s because these are hard for your body to digest, and your body does let you know this. The workaround for this is to get ground flax seeds which in the powder form are easier to digest and incorporate in things. Ground flaxseeds are great for baking, you’ll find a ton of recipes if you’re up for the task. So if you’re using them for baking, their texture/flavor is masked and it adds nutritional value. However, if you don’t bake like me and want to add them to something like a smoothie, well you can, but they do have a weird texture, almost like hay. Also, most of the flavor is masked but incorporating them in a smoothie is a little difficult and you’ll end up almost always tasting them a little which isn’t a big problem but they do taste weird, like a combo of wood and grass. No, I haven’t tasted either wood or grass but that’s what I assume they’d taste like, point is not very pleasant. So I’d stick to baking for this.
Hemp
Hemp seeds or hemp hearts which are shelled hemp seeds are a great plant-based protein and omega-3/6 fats source. I found them to have a strong nutty flavor, which makes them a perfect addition for smoothies, yogurt, or oatmeal, not so much of a standalone snack though. Unlike others seeds mentioned here, hemp hearts don’t actually feel like a seed, they don’t have a crunch and almost remind me of quinoa.
Sunflower
Moving from seeds that are mainly add-ons to seeds that can also be consumed by themselves. Like I can’t imagine someone just eating a spoonful of chia seeds by themselves(unless you do). Sunflower seeds are a great snack, they have a nutty flavor that goes better with savory dishes. You can also just roast them and go at it, that’s perfectly acceptable. I throw these on a salad or a sandwich to add some crunch. These are a little higher in fats but that’s the good fats, however since fats are higher in calories, so are sunflower seeds. If you’re someone who’s watching their calories, you may wanna not to go too crazy with the proportions here.
Pumpkin
Like sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds are also a great option to add to a savory snack and they pack a lot of the good stuff, here’s where you can read more. These are a little bigger than others and I found them to be a little more wholesome because of this. They have a nutty flavor too, do they taste like a pumpkin? No.
My experience
Pros: A lot to say here, if you’re a health nerd like me you can check out the Healthline blogs that I’ve mentioned throughout the post to learn about all the health benefits. The bottom line is seeds are great for you in numerous ways and definitely worth adding to your diet.
Cons: Unlike my other posts where I highlight the negative, here I don’t have a lot to say given the fact that seeds are great for you. A few things to look out for are that since seeds are high in fiber, which is great but can be a little too much for your stomach at times, for some soaking them before consumption helps. They’re also not a “low-calorie” food group by any means but hey these are the calories you want to include rather than avoid.
Verdict
Ever since I’ve gotten on the seed train, a variety of seeds has become a permanent part of my diet. I try to include these in multiple ways by sneaking these in with other foods or just snacking on something like sunflower seeds. I highly recommend giving these a try, starting with something simple like throwing chia seeds in your breakfast and then exploring some other options mentioned here.
Thanks for stopping by. Let me know your thoughts and what other categories would you like me to talk about. Have a great day!