Kids & Company Blog

Seeds: Small But Mighty

What ingredient is small, versatile, extremely nutritious, delicious and a great addition to any dish? You guessed it: seeds! They can be prepared sweet, savoury, or spicy and they can be roasted, toasted or eaten raw!  There are so many different types of seeds that have tons of flavour and can add great nutrients to your diet. 

So what do seeds have that make them so healthy?   Seeds are extremely nutrient dense foods meaning that they contain tremendous amounts of vitamins, minerals and nutrients in a relatively small amount of calories.  When it comes to seeds, they have it all!  Seeds are a great source of dietary fibre, vitamins, minerals, healthy fats, protein and they promote overall good health. 

There are plenty of seeds to choose from but here are some of our favourites.  Pepitas or shelled pumpkin seeds are fantastic, nutritional power houses.  They are extremely high in magnesium, dietary fibre, potassium and iron.  Together these nutrients promote healthy digestion, help your kiddie’s teeth and bones growth, and enhance the nervous system.  Another great seed that we love to cook with are chia seeds.  These little seeds have become one of the most well-known super foods for good reason.  They contain tons of calcium, healthy omega- 3 fatty acids, and antioxidants.  Eating chia seeds help build strong bones, promote heart health and protection from cell damage. One of our favourite seedy recipes at the Kidco Kitchen is Vanilla Chia Pudding: a fun, scrumptious breakfast and can me made the night before! https://kitchen.kidsandcompany.com/recipe/vanilla-chia-pudding/

There are endless options when it comes to incorporating seeds into your favourite foods.  Seeds add great texture in many recipes.  Try a cool twist on baked crunchy chicken tenders breaded with mixed seeds instead of breadcrumbs.  Simply grind up a combination of seeds such as pumpkin, sunflower and flax seeds to coat the chicken and bake like normal.  With the same great crunch and golden colour your kiddies will love them!  Another way to incorporate seeds into your meals is in baking.  Generally, desserts and baking contain very few vitamins and minerals.  Add flax meal to your favourite muffins or loaves to amp up their nutrition without sacrificing its flavour.

So, the next time you are looking to boost the nutritional and protein value of your favourite family meal or snack, don’t underestimate the benefits of these tiny powerhouses!  Remember seeds will fill you up with slow-burning fibrous fuel all day long!

From our kitchen to yours…Enjoy!

Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter @kidcochildcare and on Instagram @cheflisaruscica!

Cheers,

Chef Lisa Ruscica

Chief Food Ambassador

Posted on: Wednesday September 13th, 2017

Posted by: Lisa Ruscica