Keto Heroes: Flaxseed meal

We talk all things Flaxseed in this quick 101 Guide; we’ll be covering everything you need to know about Flaxseeds. We’ll cover their nutritional value, why they are such a welcome addition to a keto diet, how to make Flaxseed Meal and how to incorporate this food into your diet.

So let’s get started.

Are flaxseeds suitable on the keto diet?

Well, the answer is a resounding YES.

Keto-veterans bear with us while we cover the basics for newbies who are reading.

A keto diet is a very low-carb, high-fat diet. During a keto diet, we significantly reduce carbohydrate intake and replace this with fat. This reduction in carbs puts your body into a metabolic state called ketosis. Once considered to be dangerous, this change in the way we convert energy is thought to have several health benefits.

And during a keto diet, we aim to keep the carb limit to just 35 grams of total carbs and 25 grams of net carbs. This is the amount that will put most people into ketosis, but it can be further reduced to 20 grams.

But what are net carbs?

The answer is straightforward. It’s just the total carbs minus the fiber. It’s easy to find this information out very quickly from packet labels or researching online.

Now that we have covered this key element and premise of the keto diet it helps us better explain what makes the flaxseed such an awesome keto food.

Flaxseed nutrition

Let’s dig deeper and find out the nutritional qualities of the flaxseed.

First of all, take a look at the net carbs of two tablespoons of flax seeds compared to one slice of whole wheat bread!

	Flaxseed meal - 2 tablespoons	Whole wheat bread - 1 slice
Calories	74	128
Carbs	4	23.6
Fiber	3.8	2.8
Net Carbs (Carbs-Fiber)	0.2	20.8

This is super astonishing. It’s the kind of stat that has people start petitioning for superfood status. It also gets keto-eaters EXCITED.

As you can see with flax seeds as with many other seeds, there is a high fiber content due to the husky outer seed layer. In flax seeds when we calculate the net carbs and deduct the fiber from the total, we can see there are virtually no net carbs. It’s nearly all fiber. Therefore, it’s a huge green light for keto-eaters. It’s also such amazing food for dieters. While it is a high-calorie food with high-fat content, it’s possible to get a real fiber boost from just one or two tablespoons. The gummy fiber helps to produce a feeling of fullness.

Noticeably, even a whole wheat slice of bread considered a good fiber source stacks up badly against just two tablespoons of mighty flax seeds. I’ve included these amounts as 2 tablespoons is an ideal daily serving size to aim for.

Check out the stats for flaxseeds per 100 grams:

Nutritional Information - Flaxseeds

	Amount (unit)	%RDA
Energy	534 calories	26.5
Total fat	42 grams	65
Saturated Fat	3 grams	18
Total Carbohydrate	29 grams	10
Dietary Fiber	27 grams	108
Sugars	1.6 grams	-
Protein	1.3 grams	36

As with other nuts and seeds, flaxseeds are a high-fat food, but it’s mostly the good kind of fat. Flaxseeds also give a significant iron and calcium boost.

Other benefits of flaxseed meal

Flaxseed meal combines three unique features—omega-3 fatty acids, high-lignan content, and mucilage gums—to make them an incredible food.

Firstly, it has the highest healthy omega-3 fatty acids content of any known food. Omega-3 fatty acids are proven to benefit cardiovascular health. Secondly, it also has the highest lignans content of any known food, and these fiber-like structures give the benefits of fiber and antioxidants. And finally, they also contain mucilage, a gel-like fiber that supports intestinal health.

Health benefits include:

• Cardiovascular benefits
• Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Benefits
• Risk Reduction for Certain Types of Cancer
• Support for Digestive Health
• Reduction of Post-Menopausal Symptoms

Types of flaxseeds and how to buy

There are two types of flaxseeds, brown and yellow, which can be confusing. It’s best to use golden or yellow flax seeds. The brown seeds are better for animal consumption as they have very tough shells.

You will undoubtedly see flaxseed meal available for sale along with flaxseeds in health food shops. We think it’s best to buy the seeds rather than the meal. This is due to the high oil content which makes it spoil quickly.

How to make flaxseed meal at home

While the health benefits are extraordinary, it takes a little thought and preparation to use flaxseeds.

Store unmilled flaxseeds in a jar in the refrigerator for up to 12 months and make small batches of flaxseed meal at a time. This is because as soon as you mill the seeds, the oil can make the meal rancid.

Simply place around 1 ½ cups of flaxseeds into your food processor and blitz until fine or for a couple of minutes, maximum. This amount will yield around 1 cup of meal now that the particles are smaller. Just place your meal in a sealed jar and place it back in your refrigerator for everyday use.

Ways to use flaxseed meal

Now many people will tell you that a keto diet is restrictive, but we don’t think that’s the case. Many people rarely try a new ingredient or work out how to incorporate it into their diet. And often in highly unconventional ways. Keto-eaters do it all the time!

There are countless ways to use flaxseed meal. Try out some of these:

• Boost the nutritional volume of a breakfast shake, by adding flaxseed meal.
• Sprinkle flaxseed meal over keto granola.
• Add a tablespoon of flaxseed oil to smoothies.
• Sprinkle some flaxseed meal on top of vegetables for a nuttier flavor
• Add flaxseed meal to homemade muffin, keto cookies or keto bread recipe.

Here’s a quick Flaxseed Meal recipe to get you started

Flaxseed Cinnamon Muffin- in-a-mug

This recipe takes no time and is just for a single-serve. Alternatively, you could multiply the ingredients and bake in the oven. To do that use ramekins and bake for 12-15 mins at 350°F/180°C. You could also add raspberries, orange and lemon zest, blueberries or sugar-free chocolate chips.

Ingredients:

• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon extra virgin coconut oil, melted at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ cup flaxseed meal
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon granulated sweetener

Directions:

1. Whisk the egg, oil, and vanilla together in a bowl.
2. Add the remaining and any optional ingredients and stir well.
3. Place in a mug and microwave for 1 minute and 30 seconds on high. Make sure your mug is 2.5 inches in height so that the muffin doesn’t spill out.
4. Rest for 1 minute before eating.

Nutrition

Serving: 1mug cake | Calories: 283kcal | Carbohydrates: 11.7g | Protein: 11.8g | Fat: 21.9g | Fiber: 8.7g | Net Carbohydrates: 3g | Sugar: 0.2g

Final Thoughts

Flax seeds are one of the healthiest things you could put inside your body. And they are the perfect addition for keto dieters to get a fiber boost while keeping those net carbs LOW.