Flaxseeds

Preparation, uses, and tips

Flaxseeds should be ground before using, for better digestion. In addition to sprinkling them on cereals, salads, casseroles, and desserts, ground linseed can be used in baking to boost nutritional content. Flaxseeds combined with water in a blender become quite viscous and can be used to replace eggs in many recipes. Linseed oil is used as a salad oil or can be drizzled over cooked foods. Linseed oil is unstable at high temperatures and should not be used as a cooking oil.

Buying and storing tips

Although the linseed plant is grown to produce a variety of products from linen, to paper, to linseed oil, it also produces linseed oil. While linseed oil can only be preserved for a month or two with refrigeration, flaxseeds appear to be more durable and retain their healthy components for long periods at room temperature.

Varieties

Flaxseeds are sold whole or ground. You can ground whole flaxseeds at home in a coffee grinder.

Nutrition Highlights

Flaxseeds, 1 Tbsp
Calories: 59
Protein: 2.3g
Carbohydrate: 4.1g
Total Fat: 4.1g
Fiber: 3.3g
*Good source of: Magnesium (43.4mg)

*Foods that are an “excellent source” of a particular nutrient provide 20% or more of the Recommended Daily Value, based upon United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) guidelines. Foods that are a “good source” of a particular nutrient provide between 10 and 20% of the USDA Recommended Daily Value. Nutritional information and daily nutritional guidelines may vary in different countries. Please consult the appropriate organization in your country for specific nutritional values and the recommended daily guidelines.

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The information presented in the Food Guide is for informational purposes only and was created by a team of US–registered dietitians and food experts. Consult your doctor, practitioner, and/or chemist for any health problem and before using any supplements, making dietary changes, or before making any changes in prescribed medications. Information expires August 2007.