11 ways to encourage your clients to eat more seeds

Seeds are a nutrition trend that’s here to stay, but are they worth the hype, and how can you encourage your nutrition clients to eat more seeds? From health benefits to snack suggestions, here’s how you can shed light on the power of seeds. 

Over the past few years, seeds have gone mainstream. Whether it’s chia pudding, muesli, smoothies, or jam, it seems that these little gems are almost everywhere you turn. But are they worthy of the hype? Should your clients eat more seeds?

Science says yes. Studies show that seeds can boost heart health, lower cholesterol, reduce inflammation, and protect against some chronic diseases [1].

But what are the different types of seeds, and how can you, as a nutrition professional, encourage your clients to eat more seeds? Let’s dive into the world of seeds to learn more about this trendy, if not all-important, food item. 

5 common seeds 

With so many types of seeds on the market, it can be hard for your clients to sort through the noise and make an informed decision on the best ones.

Here’s a breakdown of some of the most popular ones to uncover their nutrition content, health benefits, and more. 

Chia seeds

One of the most well-loved seeds around, chia seeds are commonly used in puddings, jams, and dressings.

Additionally, they offer a great source of fiber, omega-3 fats, and antioxidants, and research suggests that consuming chia seeds may reduce overall inflammation, blood sugar, appetite, and other risk factors of heart disease [2,3,4,5,6]. 

Hemp seeds

Hemp seeds are a complete protein source (meaning that they contain every essential amino acid), while being rich in vitamins, minerals, and omega-3 fatty acids.

As such, they have anti-inflammatory properties that have been shown to improve heart health [7,8,9]. 

Sesame seeds

Commonly used in tahini (another trendy food), sesame seeds are a good source of healthy fats, protein, B vitamins, minerals, fiber, antioxidants, and other beneficial plant compounds.

Because sesame seeds are so nutrient-dense, studies show that these seeds can be beneficial in lowering oxidative stress, inflammation, and cholesterol levels, and may help reduce the risk of heart disease and breast cancer [10]. 

Flax seeds

While you can enjoy flax seeds whole, they appear to be more beneficial when they are ground or milled [11].

These seeds are teeming with nutrition, as they are a great source of fiber, polyphenols, antioxidants, and omega-3 fatty acids; as such, studies have shown that flax seeds can lower LDL (“bad”) cholesterol and blood pressure, and may even reduce the risk of certain cancers [12,13,14].

Pumpkin seeds

Pumpkin seeds are a great source of healthy fats, phosphorus and plant compounds, all of which have been shown to lower blood cholesterol and even reduce the risk of breast cancer [15].

Pumpkin seeds also contain high amounts of antioxidants which can help reduce inflammation, lower oxidative stress, and protect against chronic diseases [16]. Additionally, research shows that pumpkin seeds can improve symptoms of prostate and urinary disorders, as well as lowering the risk of bladder stones [17].

How to eat more seeds

Despite the fact that seeds are everywhere, they are a nutrition trend that’s here to stay. So, how can you encourage your clients to eat more seeds and make the most out of their nutritional qualities?

Here are 11 ways that you can incorporate more seeds into your client’s meal plan and lifestyle.  

Tip: Check out this step-by-step guide for how to create a meal plan that meets your client’s needs while incorporating more seeds. 

1. Add into smoothies. If your client doesn’t love seeds, try incorporating them into a smoothie, as this will camouflage the texture and provide a nutritional boost.
   
   
2. Sprinkle on your favorite foods. Sprinkle the seeds on top of toast (with spreads like hummus, avocado, and peanut butter), or on some sliced fruits for added crunch.
   
   
3. Incorporate with whole grains. While your client’s grain of choice (like rice, quinoa, or millet) is still cooking, have them add some seeds in to boost the nutrition content. 
   
   
4. Add to yogurt. Stir a seed of choice into yogurt to add some extra flavor and nutrients.
   
   
5. Embrace texture. Seeds add a nice crunch, so encourage your clients to incorporate them into a salad for some added texture. 
   
   
6. Increase the protein. Seeds go well on top of eggs, tofu, tempeh, or any meat of choice.
   
   
7. Drink up. If your clients like to drink tea, have them try adding chamomile, fennel, or peppermint seeds to their cups.
   
   
8. Jazz up warm dishes. Add seeds to soups, curry or spicy tagine for some added texture.
   
   
9. Add to baked goods. Bake seeds into breakfast foods like pancakes, waffles, or granola.
   
   
10. Create a pudding. Soak seeds with milk of choice or water to create a pudding. You can then have your clients top with fruit, nuts, or other toppings for a hearty breakfast or snack.
    
    
11. Have them at the ready. Out of sight, out of mind is the name of the game for many foods, so don’t have seeds fall by the wayside. Encourage your clients to mix a bunch of different types of seeds together into one container and keep it in a spot so they remember to add a scoop to their favorite foods. 

Summary

Seeds are a nutrition trend that’s here to stay – from chia pudding to muesli, smoothies, and jam, it seems that these little gems are almost everywhere you turn and everyone is trying to eat more seeds..

Since seeds have been shown to boost heart health, lower cholesterol, reduce inflammation, and protect against some chronic diseases, you can encourage your nutrition clients to eat more seeds by adding them into smoothies, soups, curries, yogurt, baked goods, breakfast foods, salads, or tea. 

We are always working toward bringing you the best nutrition content, so we welcome any suggestions or comments you might have! Feel free to write to us at info@nutrium.com.

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References:

1. Edel, A. L., Rodriguez-Leyva, D., Maddaford, T. G., Caligiuri, S. P., Austria, J. A., Weighell, W., Guzman, R., Aliani, M., & Pierce, G. N. (2015). Dietary flaxseed independently lowers circulating cholesterol and lowers it beyond the effects of cholesterol-lowering medications alone in patients with peripheral artery disease. The Journal of nutrition, 145(4), 749–757. https://doi.org/10.3945/jn.114.204594 
   
   
2. Nieman, D. C., Gillitt, N., Jin, F., Henson, D. A., Kennerly, K., Shanely, R. A., Ore, B., Su, M., & Schwartz, S. (2012). Chia seed supplementation and disease risk factors in overweight women: a metabolomics investigation. Journal of alternative and complementary medicine (New York, N.Y.), 18(7), 700–708. https://doi.org/10.1089/acm.2011.0443
   
   
3. Jin, F., Nieman, D. C., Sha, W., Xie, G., Qiu, Y., & Jia, W. (2012). Supplementation of milled chia seeds increases plasma ALA and EPA in postmenopausal women. Plant foods for human nutrition (Dordrecht, Netherlands), 67(2), 105–110. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11130-012-0286-0 
   
   
4. Ho, H., Lee, A. S., Jovanovski, E., Jenkins, A. L., Desouza, R., & Vuksan, V. (2013). Effect of whole and ground Salba seeds (Salvia Hispanica L.) on postprandial glycemia in healthy volunteers: a randomized controlled, dose-response trial. European journal of clinical nutrition, 67(7), 786–788. https://doi.org/10.1038/ejcn.2013.103 
   
   
5. Vuksan, V., Choleva, L., Jovanovski, E., Jenkins, A. L., Au-Yeung, F., Dias, A. G., Ho, H. V., Zurbau, A., & Duvnjak, L. (2017). Comparison of flax (Linum usitatissimum) and Salba-chia (Salvia hispanica L.) seeds on postprandial glycemia and satiety in healthy individuals: a randomized, controlled, crossover study. European journal of clinical nutrition, 71(2), 234–238. https://doi.org/10.1038/ejcn.2016.148 
   
   
6. Toscano, L. T., da Silva, C. S., Toscano, L. T., de Almeida, A. E., Santos, A., & Silva, A. S. (2014). Chia flour supplementation reduces blood pressure in hypertensive subjects. Plant foods for human nutrition (Dordrecht, Netherlands), 69(4), 392–398. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11130-014-0452-
   
   
7. House, J. D., Neufeld, J., & Leson, G. (2010). Evaluating the quality of protein from hemp seed (Cannabis sativa L.) products through the use of the protein digestibility-corrected amino acid score method. Journal of agricultural and food chemistry, 58(22), 11801–11807. https://doi.org/10.1021/jf102636b 
   
   
8. Da Porto, C., Decorti, D., & Natolino, A. (2015). Potential oil yield, fatty acid composition, and oxidation stability of the hempseed oil from four Cannabis sativa L. cultivars. Journal of dietary supplements, 12(1), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.3109/19390211.2014.887601 
   
   
9. Rodriguez-Leyva, D., & Pierce, G. N. (2010). The cardiac and haemostatic effects of dietary hempseed. Nutrition & metabolism, 7, 32. https://doi.org/10.1186/1743-7075-7-32 
   
   
10. Khadem Haghighian, M., Alipoor, B., Malek Mahdavi, A., Eftekhar Sadat, B., Asghari Jafarabadi, M., & Moghaddam, A. (2015). Effects of sesame seed supplementation on inflammatory factors and oxidative stress biomarkers in patients with knee osteoarthritis. Acta medica Iranica, 53(4), 207–213. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25871017/ 
    
    
11. Austria, J. A., Richard, M. N., Chahine, M. N., Edel, A. L., Malcolmson, L. J., Dupasquier, C. M., & Pierce, G. N. (2008). Bioavailability of alpha-linolenic acid in subjects after ingestion of three different forms of flaxseed. Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 27(2), 214–221. https://doi.org/10.1080/07315724.2008.10719693 
    
    
12. Edel, A. L., Rodriguez-Leyva, D., Maddaford, T. G., Caligiuri, S. P., Austria, J. A., Weighell, W., Guzman, R., Aliani, M., & Pierce, G. N. (2015). Dietary flaxseed independently lowers circulating cholesterol and lowers it beyond the effects of cholesterol-lowering medications alone in patients with peripheral artery disease. The Journal of nutrition, 145(4), 749–757. https://doi.org/10.3945/jn.114.204594 
    
    
13. Khalesi, S., Irwin, C., & Schubert, M. (2015). Flaxseed consumption may reduce blood pressure: a systematic review and meta-analysis of controlled trials. The Journal of nutrition, 145(4), 758–765. https://doi.org/10.3945/jn.114.205302 
    
    
14. Thompson, L. U., Chen, J. M., Li, T., Strasser-Weippl, K., & Goss, P. E. (2005). Dietary flaxseed alters tumor biological markers in postmenopausal breast cancer. Clinical cancer research : an official journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, 11(10), 3828–3835. https://doi.org/10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-04-2326 
    
    
15. Zaineddin, A. K., Buck, K., Vrieling, A., Heinz, J., Flesch-Janys, D., Linseisen, J., & Chang-Claude, J. (2012). The association between dietary lignans, phytoestrogen-rich foods, and fiber intake and postmenopausal breast cancer risk: a German case-control study. Nutrition and cancer, 64(5), 652–665. https://doi.org/10.1080/01635581.2012.683227 
    
    
16. Mangge, H., Becker, K., Fuchs, D., & Gostner, J. M. (2014). Antioxidants, inflammation and cardiovascular disease. World journal of cardiology, 6(6), 462–477. https://doi.org/10.4330/wjc.v6.i6.462 
    
    
17. Nishimura, M., Ohkawara, T., Sato, H., Takeda, H., & Nishihira, J. (2014). Pumpkin Seed Oil Extracted From Cucurbita maxima Improves Urinary Disorder in Human Overactive Bladder. Journal of traditional and complementary medicine, 4(1), 72–74. https://doi.org/10.4103/2225-4110.124355