Thanks to Suburban Matron for suggesting this post– I’ve mentioned flaxseed in several posts now, and it is one of my staples. So here’s why I love it so much.
Being mostly vegetarian and thoroughly neurotic, my family is constantly looking to get every possible beneficial nutrient into our bodies. One area we always want to give a boost is omega-3 fatty acids. The benefits of omega-3s are mostly cardiovascular: they have been proven to reduce risk of heart attack and stroke, lower triglycerides (the form fat mostly takes in our bodies, and a number that some doctors think is more important that cholesterol levels), and reduce the plaque build up on the walls of the arteries. The best source of omega-3s in our diet is fish, but with all the hoohaa over mercury, we don’t eat fish nearly as often as we probably should, given its healthful benefits. So, the best plant source of omega-3s is flaxseed.
Besides having lots of omega-3s, flaxseed is also high in fiber, which in most cases can’t really be a bad thing since most Americans don’t get enough fiber, either– most American adults get about half the daily recommended intake, so I guess that explains why the laxative industry grosses over $1 billion a year (I thought “gross” was a perfect verb here, don’t you agree?).
When I first discovered flaxseed, I was pretty excited because you can add it to most baked goods without noticing a difference. One caveat here, though: our bodies have a hard time digesting the outer coating on flaxseed, so it’s best to get flaxseed meal, which is already ground up flaxseed. That’s why all my recipes call for flaxseed meal, which you can get in most big grocery stores (definitely Whole Foods, but likely even the more mainstream stores, too). I buy Bob’s Red Mill, which is a pretty common brand and makes flaxseed meal, organic flaxseed meal, and golden flaxseed meal. I haven’t noticed a difference in the brown and golden varieties, but apparently the golden variety was developed for eating and has a slightly “buttery” taste. I can’t weigh in on this claim since I’m usually eating it in chocolate chip cookies or banana bread.
You should store flaxseed meal in the refrigerator since it does contain oils that you want to keep fresh. I usually add flaxseed meal to all the baked goods I make: banana bread and other quick breads, pancakes and waffles, and even chocolate chip cookies. Some people sprinkle it on yogurt or salads, which I don’t do, but if that works for you, more power to ya.
So, that’s my two cents on flaxseed. I have, however, recently discovered chia seeds, which apparently have more omegas and don’t need to be ground, so, perhaps expect to see more on that in the future.
Do you use flaxseed meal? What do you put it in? Do you obsess neurotically about certain nutrients? C’mon, y’all, I know some of you do!
{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
I’m certainly neurotic about healthy eating, even though I don’t always follow my own rules. I had an empanada yesterday that must’ve been made with lard. Still, omega 3s and antioxidants are big on my list. I used to have flaxseed in a little mill and would grind them into things, but I like this idea much better. I’ve become kind of obsessed with chard lately (I liked your green eggs post). I was thinking of making a chard pesto, but I haven’t gotten around to it. Maybe some kind of savory chard bread with flaxseed meal . . . that doesn’t sound very good, does it. Chard quiche with a flaxseed meal crust?
Thanks for all this info! I am intrigued. I think I remember another friend saying that she put flaxseed oil into things, I don’t know, maybe smoothies?
My negative obsession has become high fructose corn syrup. Despite all the ads saying “it’s natural!” I don’t think this needs to be in everything we eat. I’ve become a label reader, big time.
Do you just add a couple tablespoons of flaxseed meal to the mix on top of everything else, or do you sub out some of the flour in a baked-good recipe?
I’ve done both. Usually I sub out some of the flour because I want to use a substantial amount of flax meal, like 1/4 or even 1/2 cup. But if I just want a tablespoon or two, I have added it in addition to the full amount of flour.
How long will the flaxseed meal keep in the refrigerator?
I keep it until the bag is gone, which is usually at least a month or two. I’ve found places on the internet that say anywhere from 30 days to 4 months. As long as they don’t have that rancid oil smell, they’re fine. I’ve never had any go bad.
Hi! I am so excited to read about the flax meal substitute! Have you tried using flax meal with a bread machine recipe? I am tempted to try this, but I worry that perhaps the bread machine might not respond well to flax meal instead of some of the flour required for the bread. I’d love to hear your take!
Hi there! So happy that you liked the flaxmeal post! I haven’t tried using it with a bread machine yet. I can’t see why it wouldn’t work, though. I might start out by replacing just a 1/4 cup? I’m not sure what might happen with a yeast bread, but I do think that just replacing a small amount would probably work fine. You have to let me know if you try it! Thanks!
Do you know if flax meal can be used instead of flour? My little brother has an allergy that really limits his food choices. He cannot have flour, yeast, milk, nor most fruits, but he can have flaxseed meal. I was just wondering if I could omit flour completely from some recepies and use flaxseed meal.
I don’t really know if you can substitute all the flour with flax meal. I’m thinking it would make a very dense bread that might not rise very much? I did find this recipe for muffins that doesn’t call for any flour and uses flaxmeal: http://lowcarbdiets.about.com/od/breads/r/appleflaxmuffin.htm. You could leave out the apples or anything that your brother is allergic to. Can he do soy flour, or almond flour? There are a lot of other flour substitutes out there. There are also some good cookbooks out there now that have recipes for hypoallergenic food. The best one I know of is here: http://www.amazon.com/dp/0307408833. Thanks for the question! I hope some of this helped.
Hi there! I found your blog when I googled subbing flour with flax meal. Have you ever tried subbing all the flour for flax meal? I am on a low carb diet and I just love flax and found these great brownie recipe that doesn’t use much flour only 1/2 cup. I’m going to attempt the recipe.
Yeah, I’ve never subbed all the flour with flaxmeal. If you do it, leave a comment on how it goes!