Seeds are a wonderful addition to your diet. There are so many seeds to choose from and they all have incredible health benefits. Sunflower seeds contain vitamin E, healthy fats, and fiber. Sesame seeds have calcium, iron, and magnesium. Chia seeds are high in protein and contain both omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids. Flax seeds contain omega-3 fatty acids, as well as antioxidants, B vitamins, magnesium, and manganese. Pumpkin seeds are another wonderful seed with its high iron and zinc contents. All these seeds are pretty easy to incorporate into meals to reap their benefits, and they go great in all kinds of dishes from oatmeal to smoothies, salads, breads, desserts, and more!
To help you begin incorporating these wonderful little seeds in your meals, here are 10 recipes from our Food Monster App!
1. Power Bread With Sunflower Seeds, Flax Seeds, Sesame Seeds, and Pumpkin Seeds
Source: Power Bread With Sunflower Seeds, Flax Seeds, Sesame Seeds, and Pumpkin Seeds
You do not need to be an experienced baker to make Selva Wohlgemuth‘s delicious nutrient-dense Power Bread , and you will not have a kitchen covered from head to toe in flour. All you need is a food processor, a bowl, your baking tins, and just 15 minutes of your time.
2. Raw Zucchini Pasta With Pumpkin Seeds and Garlic
Source: Raw Zucchini Pasta With Pumpkin Seeds and Garlic
The possibilities for Zucchini Pasta are endless; much like salad and smoothie recipes. Emily von Euw‘s recipe uses pumpkin seeds and garlic for the base of the sauce. Of course – the noodles are just zucchini! Top it off with raisins, chives, and spiced almonds.
3. Strawberry Pistachio Chia-Oat Bars
Source: Strawberry Pistachio Chia-Oat Bars
Anna Bannister‘s Strawberry Pistachio Chia-Oat Bars are naturally sweetened, slightly-zesty, and have the perfect amount of fruit-to-oat ratio. This particular recipe calls for strawberries, but they’re easy to adapt with whatever fresh fruit you have on hand. Serve these crumbly, juicy bars as is or with a big scoop of dairy-free vanilla ice cream.
4. Baked Sweet Potato With Pesto Pasta, Tomatoes, and Pumpkin Seeds
Source: Baked Sweet Potato With Pesto Pasta, Tomatoes, and Pumpkin Seeds
All the ingredients in this scrumptious bowl are superb for your skin, so it’s gonna make you glow from the inside out (sweet potatoes, greens, pumpkin seeds, and whole grain pasta). But that awesome aspect aside, this recipe by Emily von Euw is very delicious!
5. Black Sesame Thumbprint Cookies
Source: Black Sesame Thumbprint Cookies
To make Elsa Brobbey‘s Black Sesame Thumbprint Cookies, a flour blend of oats, almonds and black sesame seeds is seasoned with warming spices and coconut oil, then sweetened with maple syrup. It’s then baked golden into a buttery, almost-cakey cookie that is tender on the inside. Black sesame seeds make the cookies deeply nutty, adds richness and a delightful element which gives the cookies a bit more complexity.
6. Sunflower Seeds and Brussels Sprouts Pesto
Source: Sunflower Seeds and Brussels Sprouts Pesto
Peffe Stahl‘s Sunflower Seeds and Brussels Sprouts Pesto has a lot of interesting ingredients to make it even more flavorful and exciting! Use it to make a yummy vegan pesto pasta, or in your favorite salad!
7. Oat Quickbread With Sunflower Seeds and Flax
Source: Oat Quickbread With Sunflower Seeds and Flax
Annie Oliverio‘s Oat Quickbread With Sunflower Seeds and Flax recipe can be whipped together and popped into the oven within 15 minutes!
8. Veggie Quinoa Bowl
Source: Veggie Quinoa Bowl
Jesse Jane Lee‘s Veggie Quinoa Bowl is so yummy and filling it will leave meat lovers without room for seconds. It contains a mix to crunchy raw veggies, protein packed nuts, seeds, tofu, and quinoa and is topped off with an addicting creamy vegan sauce. You can play around with the recipe by mixing up the veggies, grains, nuts and seeds, with whatever you have on hand.
9. Healthy Sesame Mushroom, Tofu, and Asparagus Stir-Fry
Source: Healthy Sesame Mushroom, Tofu, and Asparagus Stir-Fry
Need a quick, healthful meal for your weekday recipe rotation? Pavani Nandula‘s hearty Sesame Mushroom, Tofu, and Asparagus Stir-Fry is made with fresh, crisp-tender asparagus, savory mushrooms, and tofu. The stir-fry sauce is made with hoisin, soy sauce, chili-garlic sauce, and some cornstarch while black and white sesame seeds add nuttiness and some crunch. All in all, this is a wholesome dish that is great to serve over brown rice or noodles.
10. DIY Flax Milk
Source: DIY Flax Milk
Flax Milk is simply cold-pressed flax oil mixed with filtered water, and contains so many health benefits. Try this homemade recipe by Caroline Lennon.
For more recipe ideas on including seeds in your meals, check out Ways to Use Chia Seeds in Your Recipes and 5 Creative Ways to Use Flax in Your Breakfast.
