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Seeds Please!

Which Seeds You Should Eat for a Healthy Diet

Incorporate healthy seeds into your diet – here’s how and why!

Chia Seeds

Filled with fiber and calcium, chia seeds will fill you up and are a good option if you don’t like dairy.

How to Eat ’Em: Chia seeds are a small, simple addition to meals and snacks. Sprinkle them onto your yogurt or cereal or mix them into smoothies. Or make a chia pudding with milk, syrup, and seeds – when they absorb liquid, they’ll puff up and become gel-like.

Organic chia seeds in bowl with teaspoon. Superfoods. Healthy eating.

Hemp Seeds

High in fiber and healthy fats, hemp seeds are a small but mighty add-on. They also have high magnesium content, a mineral that women often need more of.

How to Eat ’Em: Similar to chia seeds, hemp seeds can be added to shakes and smoothies, but for a real kick, add them to baked breads, cookies, or muffins for a boost of texture.

Hemp seeds scattered across a white background.

Pumpkin Seeds

Like hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds are packed with magnesium, which helps to strengthen bones, improve circulation, and relax nerves and muscles. Plus, they contain plenty of protein and fiber, which will help you feel full for hours.

How to Eat ’Em: Few treats conjure the nostalgia of autumn like pumpkin seeds. Roast them with seasonings for a quick snack, or use them as a garnish.

Sunflower Seeds

Thanks to their high unsaturated fat content, sunflower seeds are the perfect snack if you’re hoping to lower blood pressure and cholesterol.

How to Eat ’Em: You know what to do with these ballpark favorites. Snack on them from a package, but avoid ones with added salt.

Nutritious sunflower seeds fill a wood bowl, accented with a metal scoop and yellow sunflower

Flaxseeds

Flaxseeds pack a major omega-3 punch – as much as omega-3-rich fish. This makes them a perfect heart-healthy seed choice.

How to Eat ’Em: Flaxseeds are a little more difficult to work with, as they need to be ground before they’re eaten (otherwise they can go undigested). Once they’re ground, use them in casseroles, breakfast bars, or soups.

Flaxseeds. Flax seeds in a wooden spoon. Linseed is scattered.

Sesame Seeds

These little seeds have five times more iron in a 1/4 cup than an entire cup of raw spinach. They’re also rich in phytosterol, which helps lower cholesterol.

How to Eat ’Em: Sprinkle sesame seeds onto roasted veggies for added crunch, coat chicken or fish with them, or add them to pasta dishes.

Wooden bowl of sesame seeds

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