It is amazing to see my two toddlers daily eating evolutions…they are in to flaxseed now.  They don’t really know what it is, but they like to put it (or heap it!) on their yogurt, peanut butter toast,  in their cereal, etc…  Could it be the nutty taste, the toasty crunch or the full-bodied mouthfeel of these delectable seeds?  Or is it just when the flaxseed is ground it’s like golden fairy dust in a small child’s hands?   Regardless, I am thrilled that they are getting these omega-3 fats and fiber into their young diets — it IS magical! 

Why are flaxseeds a  good-for-you food?

2 tablespoons a day provides an abundant amount of alpha-linoleic acid (ALA), an omega-3 fat – which research has shown that can be good for fending off inflammation, high cholesterol and dementia. 

4 grams of fiber per serving, mainly soluble fiber – which helps keep cholesterol levels in check and can aid in weight management by making you feel full faster and longer.

High amount of lignans, plant-based properties in flaxseeds, which become beneficial metabolites in the body.  A study last year in the British Journal of Nutrition found that women with high lignan intake (from flaxseed) has less body fat (lower BMIs) and better insulin sensivity – or better blood sugar control.  Dietary lignans have been linked to decreased breast cancer, prostate cancer and hair loss.      

 So enjoy ground flaxseed in over your cereal, yogurt, soups, pasta,  and salads.  It’s a tasty way to EVOLVE your eating today!

What’s your favorite flaxseed concoction?  Do tell….