From being a last-minute garnish to mid-day munchies to nutrient ninjas in your main dishes, seeds have hopped the corners of your pantry to bask in full glory as powerhouses of micronutrients. The tiny, crunchy, antioxidant warriors bring along with them the goodness of a horde of nutrients, including healthy fat and minerals.
Sunflower seeds
It pays to have them handy, especially when you are on the run, as the sunflower seeds are your best bet to boost your energy levels. “Sunflower seeds contain polyphenol compounds such as chlorogenic acid, quinic acid and caffeic acids—compounds that are natural antioxidants, which help in removing harmful oxidant molecules from the body. Many minerals found in sunflower seeds play a vital role in bone mineralisation, red blood cell production, enzyme secretion, hormone production and regulation of cardiac and skeletal muscle activities,” says dietician Sarika Nair of Mumbai-based SlimnHappy, an online platform for weight loss and health requirements. That makes it a superb inclusion, especially for women, to rev up the protein power in your diet. So, chomp on cookies and health bars made with these seeds.
Flax
Flax seeds are highly rated for Omega-3 fatty acids. The mini seeds are a great natural source of vitamins, antioxidants, fibre, protein and much more,” says Varsha Gorey, senior clinical dietician, Apollo Hospitals, Navi Mumbai. There are various ways to knead them into your intake. Lightly toast and powder to add to raita, porridge, smoothies, dry chutneys and atta for making rotis. Optionally, the seeds can be rolled into chikkis and laddus. About 15-30 grams (two tablespoons) a day of flax seeds meet an adult’s daily requirement. One to two tablespoons of roasted flax seeds consumed with warm water on an empty stomach in the morning can even bring diabetes under control.
Chia
Remember when everyone went gaga over the nutty-flavoured chia seeds a few years ago? Dubbed as the desi sabza, the chia seeds sail gleefully up the nutrient charts. “Chia seeds are very high in protein and are a favoured superfood. Once you soak them in water, they become 12 times in volume. Chia packs in hearty fibre as well, and is a rich inclusion in yogurt parfait and oats puddings,” says Swasti Aggarwal, chef at Foodhall, Delhi. She suggests sprinkling the chia seeds onto granolas, teacakes, energy bars, smoothies and desserts, and also rolling them into flour for breads and rotis.
Sesame
On hot cross buns popularised by the nursery rhyme to salad sprinkles, sesame seeds are a must. “Sesame seeds are powerful health warriors as they increase the HDL (High Density Lipoprotein) level in the body,” says Richa Anand, dietician at Dr L H Hiranandani Hospital in Powai, Mumbai. Roll up sesame seeds in laddus, add to theplas or simply consume as roasted mukhwas mixed with flax seeds. An excellent source of iron and calcium, these seeds are storehouses of copper. “Sesame has a rich, nutty flavour and is one of the seeds with high oil content, which explains sesame oil and tahini (used in hummus). The seeds are commonly used in cuisines across the world,” says Sarika.
Fenugreek Seeds
These bitter bits actually help in bringing down blood sugar levels. Strapped with alkaloids and soluble fibre, they retard the absorption of sugar in the body. “The best way to have these is to soak a teaspoon of methi seeds in water at night and gulp them down along with the water the first thing in the morning,” says Sarika. “You will also end up improving your digestion.” Since they taste bitter, you can roll them sparingly in atta or even use them surreptitiously in curries.