Flaxseed - whole or ground?

Avatar for ineedicecream
iVillage Member
Registered: 07-19-2005
Flaxseed - whole or ground?
18
Mon, 03-03-2008 - 10:45pm
I often sprinkle some flaxseed (about a teaspoonful) onto my salads, just to get in some extra omega-3. The other day I was talking to a friend about it, and she said she'd heard flaxseed isn't effective whole like that, and it needs to be ground to be properly absorbed by our bodies. Anybody else hear that? Do I need to start grinding up my flaxseed, and if so, does it need to be powder-fine, or would a quick buzz in the coffee grinder (rough chop) do the trick? Thanks.

 



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iVillage Member
Registered: 04-01-2004
Tue, 03-04-2008 - 2:30pm
I actually substitute flax meal for the fat in my baked goods.
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iVillage Member
Registered: 12-19-2002
Tue, 03-04-2008 - 2:33pm

That's a great idea!

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-07-2007
Tue, 03-04-2008 - 5:35pm
Does flaxseed count as a nut (or anything else) or is it just a freebie?
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Avatar for ineedicecream
iVillage Member
Registered: 07-19-2005
Tue, 03-04-2008 - 5:51pm

Maggie,

Thanks for the info and ideas! I think now that I know I need to use it ground, I'll be more likely to incorporate it into more foods. I probably wouldn't sprinkle whole seeds onto my cereal, but the ground seeds, sure!

Avatar for ineedicecream
iVillage Member
Registered: 07-19-2005
Tue, 03-04-2008 - 5:54pm

Cathy, very intriguing. So is it a straight 1:1 substitution? Do you eliminate the eggs/fats completely with the sub? What about rising factor, does it help in rising the baked goods like butter does? I've heard of using flax meal instead of flour, but never instead of eggs/fat before. Interesting!




Edited 3/4/2008 6:03 pm ET by ineedicecream

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-04-2006
Tue, 03-04-2008 - 6:40pm

Here is the info that I follow for substituting:

Substitution Tips for Flax Seed

Substituting Fat ?3 Tablespoons ground Omega Golden Flax Seed = 1 Tablespoon Margarine, butter or cooking oil.
Substitute for all or some of the fat depending on the recipe.To substitute for all of the fat with flax seed, increase liquid by 75% as ground flax absorbs liquid. Baked goods brown more quickly.

Substituting Eggs ?1 Tablespoon of ground Omega Golden Flax Seed plus 3 tablespoons water for each egg.
Substitute a 1:3 ratio of ground flax seed and water mixture for each egg in recipes for pancakes, muffins and cookies. Allow to sit for several minutes together before adding to your recipe.

















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Avatar for ineedicecream
iVillage Member
Registered: 07-19-2005
Tue, 03-04-2008 - 7:10pm
Thanks, MichaelAnn! It totally makes sense to have to increase the liquids in the sub.

iVillage Member
Registered: 12-19-2002
Tue, 03-04-2008 - 10:34pm

Does flaxseed count as a nut (or anything else) or is it just a freebie?

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