Let’s not overlook seeds when it comes to health and wellness!
We all know that nuts are healthy – packed with good fats, vitamins and minerals that are all-round fabulous for your body (provided you don’t have tooooo many – they are high in energy, let’s not forget!). Seeds, however, are equally fabulous and often don’t really get much of a mention. So, it is time for me to change that… seeds, it is your time to shine!
What are seeds? Seeds are to plants what eggs are to chickens – their future generation. In an ideal world, seeds would like to grow into plants one day.
Why are seeds so good? Seeds, much like nuts, are packed full of healthy fats and an array of different vitamins and minerals…
Five ways to use more seeds
Sesame seeds
They are very affordable and are so versatile. You can make your own tahini by dry-roasting sesame seeds in the oven (medium heat, around 180°C) for 10-15 minutess and then blend with a little oil – voila! So nice on salads, in hummus and drizzled over steamed green veges. Try toasting sesame seeds in a pan and then sprinkling over salads; I also love adding them to homemade wholegrain (and seed) bread. You can now easily get black sesame seeds, too – they look so good sprinkled on rice or mixed into rice when you make sushi.
Chia seeds
They are small and hard and go ‘gummy’ when you soak them. I really enjoy using them as part of my homemade muesli mix and have soaked them overnight in a little water or milk and then added to a smoothie.
Pumpkin seeds
Beautiful green seeds packed with flavour and nutrition! Add to rice salads, frittatas, on top of your cereal or mix into savoury wholemeal scones.
Sunflower seeds
Light-grey in colour and not that pretty, but so delicious! Ellie, one of our dietitians at Mission Nutrition, taught me how to make a MEAN salad! Cooked and cooled brown rice, pumpkin roasted with ground cumin and garlic, chopped cherry tomatoes, fresh coriander and a handful of pumpkin and sunflower seeds, dressed with lemon juice and a tiny splash of extra virgin olive oil. A TOTAL winner. Sunflower seeds are also lovely on salads and you can make a sunflower seed spread in the same way you would make tahini… roast the seeds and blend with a little oil.
Flaxseed
Also known as linseed, it comes in a variety of colours but you will most commonly see the dark-brown variety. Brilliant added to smoothies (you can grind it first if you like), added to salads or to a stir-fry or steamed veges.
Make your own SEEDY cereal
I mix chunky oats, rye flakes, millet, amaranth (all grains so far), then add sesame seeds, linseeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and chia seeds. I often add a few chopped dates or sultanas, too. You then take a few tablespoons, soak overnight in milk and in the morning – WINNER breakfast...YUM!!
