Super Seeds

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Some tremendous whole foods are small, unassuming, and right under our noses. I think that's the case with seeds. Most of them don't get a lot of play in popular culture, and cooking with seeds just isn't widely accepted or practiced. But seeds hold all kinds of promise for adding some healthy nutrition to our menus and snacks.

Let's look at a few great seeds:

• Sunflower - great source of vitamin E and magnesium, folate and zinc, as well as fiber and antioxidants
• Sesame - high in manganese and copper; also iron, magnesium, calcium, vitamin B1, and a great source of fiber; also high in linoleic acid, and omega-6 fatty acid; ground sesame seeds (tahini) also makes a good spread and addition to hummus
• Pumpkin - (pepita) rich in protein and vitamin B-complex (thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothentic acid, vitamin B-6 and folates), and a good source of selenium
• Flax - great source of dietary fiber, Alpha-Linolenic Acid (ALA), and lignans
• Chia - (the ancient Aztec warrior seed) one of the top 10 superfoods, chia is a tremendous source of protein, calcium, iron, omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, magnesium, vitamin C and more. Chia also has a unique quality that it yields a gel-like consistency when added to water, so it can be good as a thickener or for improvised jams and puddings

What's great about seeds is that they can be added to numerous dishes to add texture, flavor, and obviously a boost of nutrition, and cooking with seeds is simple. I like adding seeds to my morning muesli (a hearty start to the day), or they can be included in salads, as a topping on vegetable side dishes, or as a nutritious addition to snacks.

A key to getting all the nutritional benefit from seeds is to eat them raw. Toasting and roasting of seeds depletes and even removes many of their mineral and antioxidant qualities. Added seasonings (salt especially) can also give seeds a bad rap nutritionally (the seeds are great, but when combined with poor seasoning choices, they become a not-so-healthy addition to our menu.) So give seeds a try - find a new recipe or just improvise by adding some beneficial seeds to a favorite dish or two. You'll be glad you did.

By the Way

There are still other interesting seeds you can research and use in recipes, like hemp, pomegranate, and grape seeds. All these have particular protein, fiber and mineral benefits, and can be valuable in cooking. What's fun is to experiment with new recipes and try out the unique tastes and textures added by seeds. Happy cooking!