The Great Debate: Seeds and Nuts

Okay, so maybe not the great debate but seriously, are seeds and nuts good for you or not?

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Firstly, let’s break down the differences. In short, seeds are what grow inside of fruits and veggies. Nuts are their own thing. (Well, nuts are technically mono-seeded fruits too but I’m no botany expert so we’ll skip over that).

You might have heard that you should avoid seeds and nuts because of their high fat content. It’s false. Wrong. Nope.

Seeds and nuts are actually great for everything from hair loss treatment to weight loss. They contain the fabled good kind of fat (post about that to come) but you should only eat a handful or so. Seeds and nuts also have tons of fibre, protein, minerals, and vitamins.

Not bad right? That being said, not all seeds and nuts were created equal. Here are a few of my favourites:

+ Pumpkin Seeds: B, C, D, E, and K vitamins and good for kidney and bladder stuff. Also awesome for giving some crunch to muffins, etc.

+ Flax Seeds: lots of fibre, omega-3 and possibly good protection against some types of cancer (BUT only when crushed, otherwise the seeds just um… pass right through you).

+ Chia Seeds: unlike flax, they can be directly absorbed by the body. Awesome because they expand in your stomach, making you feel fuller, longer or pop them into your favourite juice for a cool smoothie-pudding-esque snack.

+ Pistachios: protein, fibre and quite a few vitamins and minerals. There’s also a lot of research saying these little guys are good for heart health.

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I’ve been feeling like a squirrel or other-nut eating animal recently because I haven’t walked by a health food store without picking up some sort of seed or nut. It’s nuts (ha?).  But seriously, they’re great because you can add seeds and nuts to everything. Morning cereal? Yup.

Mid-morning smoothie? Sure.

Lunch salad? Mhm.

Snack-time yogurt? Yes.

On top of fish or meat? Yaasss.

You can even throw a few into any baked goods too.

Clearly, seeds and nuts go with everything.

So, the bottom line: no, seeds and nuts aren’t bad for you at all. Just eat them in moderation (just like everything else).

Thoughts?

xx, Pia