Southwestern - The Vegetarian Resource Group

NUTRITION HOTLINESUZANNE HAVALA HOBBSDrPH, MS, RDThis issue’s NutritionHotline explores thebenefits that comefrom consumingflaxseeds and someways to includethem in your diet.QUESTION: “We hear so much aboutthe nutritional value of flaxseeds.Should I go out of my way to tryto add them to my diet?”ANSWER: Shiny little brown flaxseeds—they’renot much biggerthan sesame seeds—are beingtouted as nature’s own nutritionalsupplements.They’re rich in alpha-linolenicacid, an essential fatty acid thatconverts into omega-3 fatty acids.Some studies suggest that increasingour intakes of other omega-3fatty acids may have health benefits,including reducing the riskof coronary artery disease.The evidence is far from conclusive,but food companies areusing flaxseeds’ omega-3 healthpowerpotential to sell flax-fortifiedcereals, breads, and otherproducts. Whole and groundflaxseeds and flaxseed oil capsulesare also widely available.It’s far too early to know ifflaxseeds can live up to the hype.However, we do know that wholeflaxseeds are also a good sourceof dietary fiber, manganese, folate,and other vitamins and minerals.So, what’s the right role forflaxseeds in your daily routine?If you treat them like any otherwhole food, they can be a healthfuladdition to your diet.You can add whole flaxseedsto hot or cold breakfast cereals, forexample. Still, most people preferto grind the flaxseeds before addingthem to other foods. Ground flaxseedsare easier to digest and forthe body to absorb.Grind flaxseeds using a coffeemill or mini food processor. If youbuy milled flaxseeds, keep them inthe refrigerator or freezer. That willslow the oxidation of the oil in theseeds and keep them fresh longer.There are a number of ways toinclude ground flaxseeds in yourdiet. For example:• Stir them into soy yogurt,hummus, soup, and cookedcereals. Like wheat germ, whichis similar in texture, groundflaxseeds add a nutty flavor.• Mix them into crumbly foods.Add a few teaspoons of groundflaxseeds to the oatmeal toppingon apple crisp, or sprinklesome into granola.• Bake them into breads,muffins, cookies, pancakes,and waffles.• One Tablespoon of groundflaxseeds mixed briskly withthree Tablespoons of watercan substitute for one wholeegg in muffins, cookies, pancakes,and quick breads.• Use one cup of ground flaxseedsin place of 1 /3 cup of oilor shortening.But don’t give flaxseed all of yourattention. Other seeds and nutsdeserve a place in your pantry (orrefrigerator), too. Sunflower andpumpkin seeds, walnuts, almonds,and others add variety, flavor, andnutrients to a varied diet.The best nutritional supplementdoesn’t come in a bottle ora seed. It comes from the collectivenutritional power of nutrientspackaged naturally in a range ofwhole, minimally processed fruits,vegetables, grains, legumes, seeds,and nuts.2 Issue Two 2009 VEGETARIAN JOURNAL