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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
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Bow Trail
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Millrise
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Marda Loop
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Beltline
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Royal Oak Out of School Care and Child Care
Glendeer: New – Open for Enrollment
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Pine Village Porter Square, by Kids & Company
Canton
Jackson
Lincoln Park
Harrison
West Loop
Fulton
Sweet Kiddles University Circle, part of the Kids & Company Family
Cochrane
Brightstart Coquitlam, by Kids & Company
Dartmouth
Dover
Walpole North
Eastern Passage
Ellerslie
Edmonton Ice District
Baturyn
Diamond
Friendly Frog
Meadowlark Park
St. Charles
St. Dominic
Sunshine Factory
Tamarack
Jagare Ridge
Horse Hill
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Century Park: New – Open for Enrollment
Islington
Etobicoke (Bloor & Islington)
ABC Kiddie Kampus Exeter, by Kids & Company
Apple Hill Academy Freehold by Kids & Company
Halifax
Hamilton
Hammonds Plains
Route 39
Schaffner
Swatara
Apple Hill Academy Howell by Kids & Company
Sweet Kiddles Hudson, part of the Kids & Company Family
Hummelstown
Pine Village JP Revere, by Kids & Company
Pine Village JP South Street, by Kids & Company
Kamloops
Eagleson (South Kanata)
Crayon College, by Kids & Company
Tyke Town Lake St. Louis, by Kids & Company
ABC Lake St. Louis, by Kids & Company
Kids World
Langley (200th St.)
London Richmond
Sackville
Apple Hill Academy Manalapan by Kids & Company
119 Avenue, Part of the Kids & Company Family
Dewdney House (Infant/Toddler and 3-5), Part of the Kids & Company Family
Dewdney Church (Preschool/OSC/3-5), Part of the Kids & Company Family
Edge, Part of the Kids & Company Family
Webster’s Corner, Part of the Kids & Company Family
Harry Hooge, Part of the Kids & Company Family
Alouette, Part of the Kids & Company Family
Silver Valley, Part of the Kids & Company Family
Whonnock, Part of the Kids & Company Family
Under The Sun Marlton, part of the Kids & Company Family
Sweet Kiddles Medina, part of the Kids & Company Family
Milton
Lougheed, Part of the Kids & Company Family
Stave Falls, Part of the Kids & Company Family
Briskham, Part of the Kids & Company Family
Robert Speck Parkway
Mississauga Gateway Centre
Nanaimo
Pine Village Needham, by Kids & Company
Ottawa Barrhaven
New Westminster
Pine Village West Newton, by Kids & Company
Pine Village Newton Highlands, by Kids & Company
North Vancouver
North Van Esplanade
O’Fallon South
ABC O’Fallon, by Kids & Company
Oakville Cornwall
Oakville Dundas
Joshua Creek
Oakville West (3471 Wyecroft Rd)
Okotoks
ABC Kiddie Kampus Old Forge, by Kids & Company
Ottawa Albert
Ottawa Westboro
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ABC Kiddie Kampus Pittston, by Kids & Company
Brightstart Port Coquitlam, by Kids & Company
Port Moody
Marina Bay
Randolph
Red Deer
Richmond
Head Office
Schaumburg
Sherwood Park
St. Albert North
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ABC St. Charles, by Kids & Company
Tyke Town St. Peters, by Kids & Company
ABC St. Peters, by Kids & Company
Stoney Creek
Under The Sun Stratford, part of the Kids & Company Family
Sweet Kiddles Strongsville, part of the Kids & Company Family
Morgan Crossing
Surrey Professional Centre
King George
Brightstart Cloverdale, by Kids & Company
Sylvan Lake
Bloor Christie
Bloor (Bloor St. East)
Consumers
Finch
Front
Scotia Plaza
Stockyards
St. Andrew’s Church
Liberty Village
Rosedale
Queen West
Tyke Town Troy, by Kids & Company
Vancouver West
Cambie
Langford
Victoria
Walpole South
Waterdown
Tech Town
Under The Sun West Deptford, part of the Kids & Company Family
West Quincy
Sweet Kiddles Westlake, part of the Kids & Company Family
Whitby
ABC Kiddie Kampus East Mountain, by Kids & Company
Winnipeg
West York
Queen Street
Keystone Early Learning Academy, part of the Kids & Company Family