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After seeing which spices and herbs to keep in the kitchen cupboard if you want to feel better, we shall now address the question of seeds: healthy seeds you can also eat, the ones which are good to eat and team up well with vegetable dishes, main courses and salads. Cooking with seeds not only adds flavour to your dishes (think of roasted sesame seeds), but is also good for the health, thanks to the presence of Omega3, proteins, magnesium and vitamins.
So which seeds are useful to store in the kitchen? Here is our list of 7 essential healthy seeds to eat and to cook with:
POPPY SEEDS
These belong to the category of oilseeds - similarly to most of the other seeds indicated below - they are rich in unsaturated fats, whose nutrients are essential to our organism. Poppy seeds are a source of protein as well as containing manganese and calcium. They are often used in bread making but are excellent in salads as well. Watch the amount you consume, however, because like all seeds they are high in calories.
LINSEEDS
Invaluable for their high content of Omega3, which is more effective if the seeds are eaten crushed. They are excellent for heart complaints or women who suffer from osteoporosis. To find out how to use them, see our guide on how to eat linseed.
CHIA SEEDS
We’ve said it time and time again: chia seeds are an authentic super food, in other words a food containing various nutrients and practically no adverse effects. They also have a high calcium content and plenty of Omega3: a spoonful a day contains more Omega3 than a cup of milk. So, their health-giving properties are unquestionable, thanks to the presence of selenium, potassium, magnesium and Vitamins A and B. Excellent as an anti-oxidant, their cholesterol content is practically zero. Add a teaspoonful to your salad and your daily requirement is assured.
PUMPKIN SEEDS
Packed with vitamins, comprising vitamin E, sodium, selenium and linoleic acid. Excellent for men’s age-related complaints – including hair loss. When pumpkins are in season, you can easily prepare the seeds yourself: remove them from the pumpkin and dry them in the open air for a few days and they will be ready for eating raw or roasted.
SESAME SEEDS
With their generous content of proteins, fats and carbohydrates, sesame seeds are bound to be high in calories too, but nonetheless very good for us owing to all the calcium, magnesium and phosphorus they offer. They are excellent when roasted, but take care not to burn them excessively because this causes them to release toxic substances.
SUNFLOWER SEEDS
With a calorie-count that is certainly less than that of sesame seeds, sunflower seeds are protein-rich but, above all, endowed with numerous vitamins. The inner part of the seed contains vitamin B12, which is very rare and even inexistent in many other foods of vegetable origin. Sunflower seeds are used in oven-baked products such as bread and may also be added to muesli. It is advisable, however, not to eat too many: 2 spoonfuls per day are more than enough.
FENNEL SEEDS
These seeds, which are often consumed in herbal teas and brews, are excellent for the digestion and for respiratory complaints. It is worth keeping them in the kitchen cupboard because of their anti-inflammatory properties and their high fibre and calcium content.
