3 Tips To Incorporate Seeds Into Your Diet
One of the nutritional strategies that you can follow to improve general health is to incorporate seeds into your diet. These foods have become very popular due to the nutritional power they offer.
On the other hand, they allow adding a different crunchy touch to the preparations. In that sense, the added value they have is also organoleptic, that is, they improve the perception we have of food with the senses. Below we will explain these two points in detail, so that you can begin to include them in your usual diet. Do not miss it!
The benefits of consuming seeds
The seeds are characterized by being foods with a high lipid content. Most of these are unsaturated, which is beneficial for the prevention of cardiovascular disease.
This association is reflected in a review published in The Cochrane Database of Systemic Reviews . It shows the properties of unsaturated fats when it comes to reducing the risk of heart attacks and deaths from coronary artery disease.
It is not only possible to find these nutrients in the seeds. Vegetable oils, oily fish, and oily fruits like avocado are also rich in unsaturated fats.
On the other hand, many of the seeds on the market also have a high protein content. It is a vegetable protein, of lower biological value than that of animal origin.
However, it serves to complete the daily intake of this macronutrient. Keep in mind that ensuring adequate protein intake reduces the risk of sarcopenia, according to research published in the journal Nutrition Research. Sarcopenia is the loss of muscle mass, and it is linked to a sedentary lifestyle and aging.
3 ways to incorporate seeds into your diet
Here we tell you how to incorporate the seeds into your diet in a practical and simple way. By following these tips, you can increase the volume of them in your daily eating plan without too much effort.
1. Make bowls and smoothies
One of the best ways to include seeds in your diet is by preparing healthy bowls and smoothies . It is a good idea to incorporate these recipes into the diet to complete snacks and even breakfasts.
They admit a very diverse amount of ingredients, such as vegetables and fruits. You can also use milk or vegetable drink. The seeds are a decorative and crunchy element in these preparations, although they do not stop completing the nutritional contribution.
Anyway, remember not to use an excessive amount of them. As we have mentioned, they are rich in fat, which increases their caloric value. It is necessary not to ingest them too much to avoid an energy imbalance in the diet.
This situation could lead to weight gain, which has a negative impact on health, according to a study published in the journal Circulation Research. Overweight and obesity are cardiovascular risk factors and also promote the development of metabolic disorders, such as diabetes.
2. Add seeds to yogurts
Another way to incorporate seeds into your diet is to do so by increasing your consumption of yogurt. These dairy allow the combination with these ingredients and even with nuts.
Putting it all together creates a food with a high nutritional density in terms of lipids and proteins. In addition, the result is very low in carbohydrates, making it suitable for those who are on a ketogenic diet.
The richness in micronutrients of this preparation is another of the added values of the addition of the seeds to yogurts. Calcium levels in the body will increase, which can have a positive effect on bone tissue, as well as prevent the development of osteoporosis.
3. Seeds in vegetable creams
Finally, it is possible to add seeds to vegetable creams. These dishes are characterized by a high content of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.
If we also add the seeds, we will be increasing their protein and lipid intake. The result is, without a doubt, a much more complete food.
There are different types of seeds to incorporate into purees, depending on the organoleptic characteristics you want to obtain and even the flavors. The sesame ones are usually a common option, but try the chia ones; they are much smaller and improve the texture of the plate.
Incorporate seeds into your diet to enrich the nutritional value
As we have seen, incorporating seeds into your diet can increase the contribution of certain nutrients that are essential for the proper functioning of the body. Remember not to use them in excess, since they are highly energetic foods that can condition the caloric balance.
Try introducing them into yogurts, smoothies, and vegetable purees. Play with the different varieties of seeds that can be found in the market to find the one you like the most. You can also use combinations of several of them, to further enrich the dishes from a nutritional point of view.
