When you just can’t give up desserts every day after meals, your best resort is to make healthier ones. The reason why flax seeds are gaining so much popularity in the culinary world is because of their diversity in cooking and incredible health benefits.
They’re one of the best healthy baking substitutes for binding dough and cake mixes. But flaxseed can be hard to find and a bit expensive on the side.
It’s good to know that you can substitute flax seeds with almond meals, yogurt, tofu, wheat germ, chia seeds, and hemp seeds.
These are your sure choices in sticking to your healthy diet this new year. Let’s get to know all these flax seed substitutes and how they can help us in our daily food prep.
Flax Seed Substitutes
1. Almond Meal
Most of us use flax seeds to substitute eggs and flour during the binding process. However, flaxseed lacks that protein that we need amid having all the health benefits it possesses. If you prefer a protein-packed alternative, substitute flax seed with an almond meal instead.
Almond meal is a great egg substitute and food binder. Other than being a good binder, it’s also excellent in thickening food like stews and soups.
Instead of using cornstarch or other thickening products, use almond meal instead. Other than having protein, it also has good fatty acids that combat lingering heart diseases.
2. Yogurt
Another substitute that offers an excellent way of binding baked goods without compromising moisture is yogurt. The only dairy product that you shouldn’t give up when adopting a healthier diet.
Yogurt helps improve your digestive system to avoid constipation and bad bacteria to infest your intestines. Make sure to pick the plain yogurt when mixing it with your baked goods. This way, the flavors wouldn’t overpower the real flavor of your dessert.
If you’re making a peach mango cake, you can take advantage of the same yogurt flavor to enhance the flavor even more.
3. Tofu
Contrary to popular belief that tofu is only good with savory dishes, it’s also good to use in so many dessert recipes.
There’s even a dessert in Taiwan which is milk tea, where they add soft tofu curds as a topping. Due to tofu’s excellent binding capabilities, this makes it an effective substitute for flax seeds as well.
Pick tofu without any added flavor so it could go well with your dessert. This substitution brings more protein and essential health nutrients for what used to be a less healthy dessert.
4. Wheat Germ
For that extra fiber and Vitamins B and E, you should consider using wheat germ in place of flax seeds. If you love everything about eating fresh bread daily, without having to deal with extra carb or gluten, wheat germ is an ideal substitute.
Wheat germ comes from the kernels of wheat, still considered as a type of grain that adds distinct flavor and texture to baked bread.
I personally like adding this to my sourdough recipe and other bread for that more grainy and rough texture. Its aroma also resembles wheat and oat flour which I really like once it’s finished baking.
5. Chia Seeds
Chia seeds have been a go-to healthy favorite superfood lately. From breakfast to desserts and savory dishes, it has conquered the culinary scene indeed. Chia seeds when added with water double their size and tastes like little jellies in your mouth.
It doesn’t have a strong taste that’s why it’s excellent to use in so many dishes since it complements other ingredients very well.
They’re considered a superfood due to their high fiber content, omega-3 fatty acids, and other essential nutrients. This is by far one of your best choices when substituting flax seeds without compromising health benefits and baking results.
But take note that you can’t use chia seeds as a substitute for flax seeds in all dishes. Chia seeds get too gelatinous very fast when exposed to more moisture.
6. Hemp Seeds
Another highly nutritious substitute for flax seeds is hemp seeds. Unlike flax seeds and chia seeds, hemp seeds bring more unique qualities to the table. Though all of them are the same as seeds per se, hemp seeds tend to have many health benefits compared to the other two seeds.
The highlight of this seeds is that it brings that extra nutty flavor to the dish which is excellent for making healthy cookies and bread. Also when being consumed, especially for first-timers, hemp seeds are easy to digest due to their softer outer covering.
Experiment with your dishes using hemp seeds since it functions the same as flax seeds.
Out of all the choices that we’ve listed from this article, hemp seeds are the closest thing you can get to bring the same results as using flax seeds. Visit your nearest specialty stores to get a handful of these superfoods on your next baking session.
FAQs
How do you consume flax seeds the right way?
There are so many ways that you can take advantage of consuming flax seeds. To step up your regular liquid intake, add flax seeds to bring those extra health nutrients. You can also add it for extra texture in your salads, breakfast bowls, smoothies, baked desserts, and pastries.
Can you eat flax seeds every day?
Yes, given that you will consume it based on the recommended amount to be taken. Taking this every day will surely help lower your cholesterol levels and fight any heart diseases.
Are flax seeds better than chia seeds?
They’re both considered a superfood. The only advantage when taking flax seeds over chia seeds is that they have more manganese, copper, and potassium, all of which chia seeds do not possess.
What do flax seeds do in baking?
Flax seeds are a great ingredient for baking because it helps bind all the mixture together. If you are staying away from eggs in the meantime, flax seeds are an excellent substitute for baked goods.
Key Takeaway
Nothing’s more important than knowing that you can actually take care of your health by just looking into how and what you’re eating.
It makes sense now why there are a lot of healthier food substitutes in the market just like flax seeds that help us achieve our health goals.
Not only that, but it’s also a great thing that we find a good list of superfoods just like flax seeds that offer the same health benefits and cooking results.
All it needs is us cooks to have an open mind and a willingness to discover all the superfoods in our cooking. Try making all those healthy flax seeds substitutes on your next dish. You don’t have to give up desserts entirely just to be healthy.
1 comment
When substituting soft tofu in a recipe that calls for 6 Tlbs flax, how much soft tofu would I use?
Thank you.