Here’s the ideal amount of seed to add to your salads, yogurts and other dishes every day, according to a dietitian

Chia, pumpkin, flax, sunflower seeds… These small seeds allow our body to stock up on energy and fiber while being excellent for health and our microbiota. So what is the ideal amount to eat every day to fully benefit from their benefits? A dietitian responds.

Consuming seeds is not always automatic despite their high energy content and the many nutrients they contain. Not always very tasty for some, if you are not used to seeds (sesame, chia, poppy, squash, sunflower, flax, etc.) you can miss out on these little nutritional treasures without wanting to. ! Guarantors of the proper functioning of our body, they have many benefits, one of which is in particular that of acting on our microbiota while improving our digestion, like this recipe for a drink rich in fiber made from chia seeds.

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Although each of them comes from a different region of the world – Asia for sesame and poppy, America for chia and squash, or Europe for sunflower, flax, or hemp – they all have a complete nutritional profile. Proteins (around 25%), vitamin B, minerals, trace elements, lipids (around 40%), polyphenols, fibers (around 20%), antioxidants of all kinds such as phenolic acid, flavonoids, or saponides – seeds are real little bombs of energy and benefits for our bodies.

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What is the right proportion to include in our dishes?

According to dietician Marie-Laure André, “their nutritional profile is similar to oilseed fruits (walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds, etc.) with a little less lipids and a little more fiber“, so if the figure of 550 kcal per 100 g on average can scare us, you should know that unlike many other foods that you consume, seeds are not calories”empty“. In addition to providing the right amount of nutrients to our body, they play a significant role in our daily satiety. So what is the ideal proportion to include in our dishes to be able to benefit from all their benefits without it being excessive?

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Marie-Laure André reveals to us the ideal quantity according to her: “30 g per day, including seeds and oilseed fruits» she says before explaining that given their high fiber content, too much could irritate the intestines of sensitive people. Flax and sesame seeds have a proportion of phytoestrogens, compounds that you should be wary of in certain cases: “As a precautionary measure, it is recommended to eat it without excess, particularly in the event of hormonal treatment.» explains the expert.

How to properly integrate seeds into our diet?

Seeds can be incorporated into all our dishes, whether crunchy, soaked or crushed. Seeds that are crunchy, such as sunflower or pumpkin seeds, for example, can be added to salads or soups, for example in winter, to add their crunch. And if we roast them for a few minutes in a pan, they are even better! Flax seeds, which are smaller and surrounded by a hard shell, are better consumed when they are crushed using a spice mill, for example. However, we avoid heating them to preserve all their omega 3.

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Chia seeds are excellent dipped in milk or a vegetable drink, for example, giving a creamy side to certain preparations such as pudding. Finally, poppy or sesame seeds, which are much smaller than the others, can be included in our salads or other dishes, but will not really add any crunch. We therefore prefer them in breads or pastries such as biscuits, cakes or any other type of preparation of this kind. Finally, the seeds can also be available in the form of oil or puree which can be used as a seasoning or sauce.

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