The wonder of seeds
and the power of "crowding out"
I never eliminate anything from my diet because it makes me crave it more. Instead, I like to use the words “crowding out.” I slowly add more nutritious things to my diet, “crowding out” the things I don’t need anymore.
Today I'm going to share my love of seeds, yes, seeds. We have all heard how nutritious flaxseeds, hemp seeds, chia seeds, and pumpkin seeds are, but what do we do with them? Seeds are high in fiber, protein and support heart health. They can regulate your blood sugar levels and help your digestive system. These small little additions can make a big impact on your health.
I’ve included a couple of recipes that I like to have on-hand that help me consume “seeds” but also “crowd out” a lot of my other bad snacking habits.
This bread is so easy. It doesn’t need to rise. Just throw everything in a bowl, mix, cook and just like that you’ve created an easy way to consume seeds. I love to toast it with a little almond butter or fry it up in a little ghee (or butter.) This is a great AM starter or a mid-afternoon snack.
The energy balls are so simple and the recipe makes a lot so you can always have them on hand. On Sundays, I make energy bites by tossing all the ingredients into a bowl, mixing them together, rolling the mixture into ping-pong ball-sized portions, refrigerating them, and that's it! When I feel the urge to snack, I grab one of these. I’m satisfied and feel good about what I’m putting in my body, fueling myself with good energy. I freeze half and pull them out when we’ve gone through the first half. They freeze great. Everyone in my family loves these little balls of health!
Try these recipes and add seeds to your diet and see if you can “crowd out” some of your old habits that don’t make you feel great or benefit your health. Remember, keep improving one bite at a time!
Seed Bread
Ingredients:
1 cup organic flaxseed meal
¼ cup organic sunflower seeds
¼ cup organic pumpkin seeds
¼ cup organic chia seeds
½ cup organic almond flour
4 organic eggs
¼ cup organic avocado oil
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon organic apple cider vinegar
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon thyme
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Grease a 9x5 loaf pan or line with parchment paper.
Mix wet ingredients in a bowl. In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, avocado oil, and apple cider vinegar.
Mix dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Combine flaxseed meal, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, almond flour, baking soda, sea salt, and thyme.
Combine and mix gradually. Add dry ingredients to the wet mixture, stirring until well combined.
Bake the bread. Pour the batter into a prepared pan loaf and bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until the top is firm and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Let the bread cool completely before slicing. This bread can be stored in the fridge for up to a week or frozen for longer storage.
Toast the slices in a skillet with ghee or in a toaster for extra crunch and flavor
Energy bites
1 cup dates
1/2 cup almond flour
1/4 cup coconut flour
2 tablespoon hemp
2 tablespoon ground flax
2 tablespoon chia
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3 tablespoon almond butter
2 tablespoon coconut oil
Combine all ingredients in the food processor until smooth. Roll into balls and refrigerate or freeze.
Blueberry Amaretto Energy Bites
1 cup dates
1 oz freeze dried blueberries
2 tablespoon flax ground
2 tablespoon chia seeds
1 cup oats ground
¼ cup pumpkin seeds
¼ cup sunflower seeds
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoon almond extract
⅓ cup tahini or sunflower butter
1 tablespoon coconut oil
2 tablespoon maple syrup (optional)
1.5 oz dried blueberries
Salt
Combine all ingredients in the food processor until smooth. Roll into balls and refrigerate or freeze.
*** Recipes from Janet Tran