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Flax Food Products
A History of Goodness
People have eaten flaxseed since ancient
times, and evidence of its health and
nutritional benefits is plentiful. The first
recorded uses of flax come from Southern
Mesopotamia where flax was grown as long ago as
5,000 B.C. In the succeeding millennia, flax
spread across Europe, Africa, Asia and finally
to North America. Today flax enjoys increasing
popularity throughout the world as a nutritious
food.
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Crack an Omega- 3 Egg for Good Health
Today, new eggs with a fat formulation
different from regular eggs are on supermarket
shelves, and breakfast tables, everywhere. The
eggs — from hens fed a special poultry feed
containing flaxseed — provide an excellent way
to add omega-3 fatty acids to the diet.
Called "modified fat" or "omega-3 enriched,"
these eggs are fast becoming very popular in
North America. The eggs have captured close to
four per cent of the Canadian market, according
to the latest figures from the Canadian Egg
Marketing Agency. Sold under several labels in
the retail market, they are especially
attractive to anyone concerned with omega-3
intake.
The good news is that the enriched eggs
contain eight to 10 times more omega-3 fatty
acids, ( yet all of the vitamins and other
nutrients) of regular eggs. In addition, when
the hens digest flaxseed, the alpha-linolenic
fatty acid is broken down into eicosapentaenoic
acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) fatty
acids, and all three good fatty acids wind up in
the egg yolks. Two eggs supply more than half
Health Canada’s recommended daily intake of
omega-3s for adult men and women.
Current nutrition information about fats in
the diet has changed the foods North Americans
eat. A better understanding of the health
benefits of polyunsaturated fatty acids overall,
and omega-3 fatty acids in particular, has made
people "food smart." The best health advice
available today calls for more omega-3s in the
Western diet.
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The Facts about Flax
Flax's high nutritional value makes it a
popular choice among people demanding healthful
and delicious foods. That's because flaxseed has
a pleasant nutty flavour. Flaxseed is also rich
in dietary fibre and lignans, plentiful in
vitamins and minerals, and very high in
essential fatty acids
— a natural fit for better-health-diets!
The essential omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty
acid alpha-linolenic acid (ALA or LNA), found in
flaxseed must be eaten as part of the diet. The
body then converts it into two others:
eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic
acid (DHA). They each play an important role in
good nutrition.
Evidence from dietary surveys and animal
studies shows that omega-3s may reduce the rate
of blood clotting and therefore the likelihood
of heart disease. Nutritionists know that these
fatty acids aid the proper development of the
brain and vision in babies. Scientists also
think that they have a beneficial role in other
disease prevention, including hypertension,
cancer, and inflammatory and immune disorders
such as rheumatoid arthritis.
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Cooking with Flax
When you add flax seed to your cooking, you
add a pleasant, nutty taste, and more. The
attractive, oval reddish-brown seeds of flax add
taste, extra texture and good nutrition to your
breads and other baked goods. That’s why flax
has been long-used in multi-grain cereals and
snack foods. Flax seed also delivers the
benefits of its soluble fibre, lignans, omega-3
fatty acid mix and protein.
Flax seed can be added to your cooking in
its ground or whole seed form.
- Whole flax seed - The small,
reddish-brown seeds of flax add nutrition
when added to bread doughs, pancake, muffin
or cookie mixes. When sprinkled on top of
any of these before baking, they also add
crunch, taste and eye appeal.
- Ground flax seed - Grind a
desired amount of flax seed to a
free-flowing granular consistency in a
coffee bean grinder. Added to any foods, the
ground flax seed enhances the flavour,
appearance and food value of the finished
product.
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Flax seed Replaces Oils
Flax seed can stand in for all of the oil or
shortening called for in a recipe because of its
high oil content. If a recipe calls for 1/3 c of
oil, use 1 c of milled flax seed to replace the
oil — a 3:1 substitution ratio. When flax seed
is used instead of oil, baked goods tend to
brown more rapidly.
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Storage
Whole flax seed which is clean, dry and of
good quality, can be stored at room temperature
for up to a year. For optimum freshness, ground
flax seed should be ground as needed, or
refrigerated in an airtight, opaque container.
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Flax seed in Vegetarian Baking
Vegetarians substitute a flax seed mixture
for eggs in selected recipes like pancakes,
muffins and cookies. These baked goods are
slightly gummier and chewier than normal, and
the volume is decreased. When using the
substitution formula, test a recipe first to
determine if it meets your expectations.
The formula is:15 mL (1 tbsp) milled
flaxseed, plus 45 mL (3 tbsp water) = 1 egg.
Mix milled flax seed and water in a small
bowl and let sit for 1 to 2 minutes. Add to
recipe as you would an egg.
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Flax FAQ
The following questions and answers
about flax seed have been developed from
those most often received worldwide. We
encourage you to browse our site for
more flax information, or to contact us
with your specific question.
Which is better for me, whole or
ground flax seed?
Ground flax seed provides more
nutritional benefits than does whole
seed. That’s because flax seeds are very
hard, making them difficult to crack,
even with careful chewing. Grinding flax
seeds breaks them up, making them easier
to digest when eaten. Then the body can
profit from all that flax goodness.
If whole flax seeds remain unbroken,
they may pass undigested through the
body, reducing the nutritional advantage
of eating flax seed in the first place.
What is the difference between
brown flax seed and golden or yellow
flax seed? Is one better than the other?
No, one flax seed is not better for
you than another. Brown flax seeds
provide the same nutritional benefits as
golden (or yellow) ones. Both brown and
golden flax seeds have plenty of lignans
and dietary fibre, and both contain more
than 50 per cent alpha-linolenic acid.
This is an omega-3 fat which offers you
health and heart fitness.
While some people prefer yellow-coloured
seed in their cooking, brown flax seeds
add the same nutrition to your diet as
do golden ones. This means you can
choose your flax seed freely. Brown flax
seed may be more commonly found than
golden, as more brown than golden flax
seed is grown commercially.
Note: There is another yellow seed
that looks like flax, but is not flax.
It is most likely solin seed, a crop
developed from flax. Solin seeds do NOT
provide the same nutritional benefit of
flax seeds. Solin seeds contain less
than one-tenth of the alpha-linolenic
acid found in flax seeds. Thus, the
important omega-3 advantage of flax is
missing in solin.
How should I store flax seed and
for how long will it keep?
Whole flax seed
Whole flax seed comes with Nature’s
own finest packaging – its natural hard
hull keeps it fresh. You can store
clean, dry, good quality whole flax seed
at room temperature for up to a year.
Some people keep a jar of flax seed
handy on their kitchen counter.
Ground flax seed
All vegetable oil products require
some care in handling and storing. You
should refrigerate it in an airtight,
opaque container. Ground flax seed
handled this way will keep for up to 90
days.
I’m currently taking a
prescription medication. Can I still eat
flax?
If you are taking any medications,
the Flax Council does not suggest or
recommend that you eat flax or flax
products without the specific approval
of your physician. This is in keeping
with the advice of experts who advise
patients to consult their physicians
before making any changes to their diet.
Does flax contain gluten?
Flax contains no gluten.
How many calories are in flax
seed?
100 grams of flax seed has
approximately 450 calories
Weight and calorie content of
flax seed per specific measurement
|
Measurement |
Ground Flax |
Whole Flax |
|
Grams |
Ounces |
Calories |
Grams |
Ounces |
Calories |
|
1
cup |
130.0 |
4.5
|
585
|
180
|
6.3
|
810
|
|
3/4
cup |
97.5
|
3.4
|
439
|
135
|
4.8
|
607
|
|
2/3
cup |
86.6
|
3.0
|
390
|
120
|
4.2
|
540
|
|
½
cup |
65.0
|
2.3
|
293
|
90
|
3.2
|
405
|
|
1/3
cup |
42.3
|
1.5
|
195
|
60
|
2.1
|
270
|
|
1/4
cup |
32.5
|
1.1
|
146
|
45
|
1.6
|
202
|
|
1
tbsp. |
8.0
|
0.3
|
36
|
11
|
0.4
|
50
|
|
1
tsp. |
2.7
|
0.1
|
12
|
4
|
0.1
|
18
|
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