Do you feel tired and rundown all the time? Do you get sick more often or struggle to concentrate during the day? Your diet could be to blame.
People need all the vitamins, minerals, and nutrients their body needs from regularly eating foods. But adding just a tiny handful of nutrient-packed seeds to your meals and snacks can help fill those nutritional gaps.
How could something so small make such a big difference? Keep reading to find out.
Why Do You Need More Nutrients in Your Diet?
Your body requires a complex mix of vitamins, minerals, fibre, protein, healthy fats, and other nutrients to function at its best. Without getting enough of these nutrients daily, you're likely to experience:
● Low energy and constant fatigue
● Poor concentration and memory
● Frequent illnesses and slow recovery
● Skin irritation, dull hair, and brittle nails
● Difficulty managing a healthy weight And more
The consequences can seriously impact your quality of life. But armed with the proper knowledge, you can quickly improve your nutrition.
So, which seeds reign supreme? Let's find out!
1. Chia Seeds
These tiny seeds bursting with nutrients have earned superfood status. One ounce of these seeds contains fibre, protein, omega-3 fatty acids, calcium, phosphorus, and antioxidants.
Studies show these seeds promote:
● Healthy digestion
● Stable energy levels
● Lower cholesterol
● Better blood sugar control
Add a spoonful to blend into smoothies, oats, salads, yoghurts, and baked items. Let them soak for 5-10 minutes to plump up before eating.
2. Flaxseeds
These seeds are rich in fibre and omega-3s. These beneficial fats combat inflammation, strengthen immunity, and promote cardiovascular wellness. The fibre keeps you satiated between meals.
Flax also delivers a hefty dose of manganese. This mineral strengthens metabolism and bones.
Add ground flaxseed to cereal, yoghurt, oatmeal, smoothies, cookies, bread, and more. Grinding helps your body better absorb the nutrients.
3. Hemp Seeds
These protein-packed seeds contain all essential amino acids, which help construct and mend bodily tissues. It would help if you had amino acid proteins every day.
The omega-3 and omega-6 in cannabis can balance inflammation levels. They also benefit heart health, mood, skin, hair and joints.
Hemp gives you magnesium for bone strength and iron for healthy blood. Sprinkle these seeds onto salads, smoothies, cereal, yoghurt, baked goods, etc.
4. Pumpkin Seeds
These seeds offer Vitamins K, E, and B, plus magnesium, zinc, copper, protein, healthy fats, fibre, phosphorus, manganese, and iron.
Together, these nutrients reduce inflammation, strengthen immunity, promote heart health, build strong bones, enhance mood, improve memory, stabilize blood sugar levels, boost energy, and more.
Just 1⁄4 cup of pumpkin seeds meets your daily needs for zinc and magnesium while packing in antioxidants.
Enjoy these seeds raw as a snack, roasted and salted, blended into trail mixes or granola, or stirred into cooked dishes.
5. Sunflower Seeds
A quarter cup of sunflower seeds provides over half the daily selenium. Selenium supports fertility and thyroid function and is a potent antioxidant.
These seeds also deliver magnesium, manganese, copper, B vitamins, Vitamin E, phosphorus, folate, iron, fibre, protein, and healthy fats. They promote immunity, heart health, strong bones, steady energy, and more.
Sprinkle them onto salads or hot cereals, toss them into granola or trail mix, or enjoy them alone. Since they're high in calories, watch your portions.
6. Sesame Seeds
These tiny seeds offer surprisingly rich nutrients, including zinc, copper, magnesium, calcium, iron, fibre, manganese, phosphorus, B vitamins, selenium, and healthy fats.
Zinc and selenium boost immunity, while copper ensures the health of blood vessels, nerves, the immune system, and bones.
A teaspoon of sesame seeds makes a valuable addition blended into sauces and dressings or sprinkled onto soups, salads, stir-fries, noodles, fish, chicken, vegetables, bread, or crackers.
Conclusion
These flavorful, crunchy seeds are brim with nutrients and improve the taste and texture of dishes. Start eating more seeds as a daily habit today.
Add 1-2 tablespoons of various seeds to the meals and snacks you already eat regularly.
Within days, the over 15 vitamins, 10+ minerals, fibre, protein, and antioxidants these tiny superfoods contain will begin improving your energy, immunity, skin health, digestion, memory, mood, and more.
Your body will thank you!