Tiny Powerhouses for your Kids

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TINY POWERHOUSES TO BOOST YOUR DIET

EDIBLE SEEDS AND THEIR BENEFITS

Tiny seeds have been used in India in savoury and festive sweet preparations since ancient times. They have been a part of our grandmother’s `secret recipes for years now. In the recent times, due to their high nutrient value, seeds are again finding their way into culinary preparations. They add flavour and crunch to everything, from biscuits to breakfast dishes, to desserts, yogurt and salads and your parathas too. They are full of proteins, healthy fats, dietary fibre, vitamins, minerals and more.

Let’s see how these tiny powerhouses enhance our day to day dishes –

HOW TO USE THEM AS PART OF OUR DIET

Seeds were commonly used as toppings on parathas, bread or biscuits but now seeds have no limits, they are used in syrups, smoothies, cookies, and salads too.
Every seed has its unique taste and can be used in different ways in your day to day cooking.

HEALTH BENEFITS

Apart from enhancing taste, seeds are very nutritious. They provide a good supply of protein, a good source of unsaturated omega 3 fatty acids and antioxidants, provide high dietary fiber and reduces fatigue by supplying sustained energy.
Besides these, each seed has its own unique nutrient value. Let’s have a look at each one of them.

PUMPKIN SEEDS

Pumpkin seeds offer numerous health benefits for your kids. These health benefits can range from improved brain development, helps in getting sound sleep, improves liver health, possesses antimicrobial properties, and supply of essential vitamins and minerals.

BEST HAD: Boil seeds in salt water and wipe them. Drizzle them with oil and salt and roast them in an oven at 320^oF for 10 minutes.

1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds gives you:

Calories	186
Protein	8.5g
Carbs	6g
Fiber	1.94 g
Iron	2.84mg
Calcium	14.84 mg
Omega 6	7.14g

FLAX SEEDS

With its great protein power and high sources of fibre, it’s easy to see why flaxseeds are becoming increasingly popular among Indians looking to keep healthy. Apart, from proteins and fiber, adding flax seeds to your child’s diet boosts immunity, increases muscle and bone development and reduces fatigue.

BEST HAD: Flaxseed can be added to almost any food, you can add it to your porridge for breakfast, salad for lunch, cookies/biscuits for an evening snack or mix it to your soup for dinner.

Ground or roasted flax seeds can be added to smoothies, soups, and juices.

2 tablespoons flax seeds (14 g) gives you:

Calories	75
Protein	2.56g
Carbs	6.6g
Fiber	3.82 g
Calcium	35.7 mg
Omega 6	0.8g
Omega 3	3.5g

SESAME SEEDS

Sesame is one of the oldest known source of oil in the world. These tiny seeds are rich in iron, calcium, manganese and vitamin E. Also, it helps in healing wounds faster, prevents dental caries and offers liver protection. Apart from this, sesame oil is rich in antioxidants. Since they are rich in fibre, they promote a healthy digestive system too. While the white seeds have more iron, black sesame seeds have more flavour and aroma.

BEST HAD: In til laddoos, chikki and you can also add them to parathas, khakhras and cookie batter or your Oriental stir-fry.

1/4^th cup of dried sesame seeds (36g) gives you:

Calories	206
Protein	6.38 g
Fiber	4.25 g
Calcium	351 mg
Iron	5.24 mg

CHIA SEEDS

Chia seeds have gained a lot of popularity in India in the recent years. And it’s all for good reason. The tiny seeds are called a `superfood’ as they are packed with high amounts of fibre, omega-3 fatty acids, zinc, proteins and other minerals. Did you know per gram chia seeds have 8 times more omega-3 than salmon, 3 times more iron than spinach and 5 times more calcium than milk!

BEST HAD: Chia seeds mostly come in two varieties. One is the black seeds and the other is the white seeds. The black seeds are whole seeds and it is good to consume the black seed as they are not dehusked.

You don’t need to cook chia seeds separately. Instead, you can soak chia seeds overnight. Chia seeds can absorb 9 times water of their own weight and turn into a gel. You can add this gel to all your food including cereal, cookies, smoothies, various other dishes and practically to any food that you can imagine.

Raw chia seeds can cause digestion troubles in children. So, be very careful not to give raw, unsoaked and uncooked chia seeds to children.

1 ounce dried Chia seeds (28 g) gives you:

Calories	137
Protein	4.7 g
Carbs	11.9 g
Fiber	9.8 g
Iron	2.19 mg
Calcium	178.8 mg
Omega 6	1.65 g
Omega 3	5.05 g

SUNFLOWER SEEDS

Sunflower is the most popular plant in the plant kingdom and is well-known all around the globe. It’s known for sunflower oil as well.

Sunflower seeds are sweet and nutty and are rich in vitamins and minerals. They help prevent cell damage and are a great source of dietary fiber. The magnesium in these seeds helps nerves relax. They are said to promote a healthy digestive system.
BEST HAD: Raw or roasted. You can also add them to sauces, tomato, white sauce or pesto or make some sunflower seed butter.

1/4^th cup of sunflower seeds (35 gms) gives you:

Calories	204
Carbs	7 g
Fiber	3.01 g
Protein	7.27 g
Iron	1.84 mg
Calcium	27.3 mg
Vitamin E	12.31 mg
Omega 6	8.07 g

WATERMELON SEEDS

These are probably the most ignored seeds. So, next time before you throw them away, remember that they are rich in magnesium and iron. The seeds also have protein and amino acids that strengthen hair. In addition, they make for a low-calorie, protein-rich snack.

BEST HAD: Bake them with olive oil and salt or with some cinnamon-sugar.

GARDEN CRESS SEEDS

These seeds are very high in Iron and Folic acid content. These seeds are used as herbal medicine to treat iron deficiency anaemia.

The seeds also contain calcium, ascorbic acid, tocopherol, and beta-carotene which helps to improve body’s immunity. Apart from being loaded with protein, garden cress seeds are also a source of linoleic and arachidic fatty acids. Since they contain phytochemicals that resemble oestrogen to some extent, intake of these seeds helps to regulate menstruation and stimulate milk production in lactating mothers.

That is why women are given foods containing Garden Cress following childbirth.

How to eat:

1. Roasted slightly with added salt.
2. Soaked in water then added to milk or juice.
3. Chikki or laddoo can be made. (preparation similar to til laddoo/chikki).

How much to eat:

Start with 1 tsp/day and then can be taken 1 tsp twice a day.

Caution while consuming garden cress seeds:

Traditionally garden cress seeds were useful only during last few weeks of gestation and post-delivery. It is considered to be hot food. But the truth is that these seeds have the ability to increase uterine contraction.

In case consumed in the early stage of pregnancy (1st trimester) it leads to spontaneous abortion. It is also very carefully prescribed to a hypothyroid patient because it belongs to the cruciferous family and is a goitrogen that prevents iodine absorption.