Back in the late ’70s and early ’80s, when I was much leaner and still had hair, my nickname was Mr. GQ.  Stop laughing, and yes, it came from the men’s fashion magazine, Gentlemen’s Quarterly.  Anywho, GQ always reminded guys who cared about their appearance that they had to accessorize their outfits (accessorize, accessorize, accessorize.)  Well-placed accessories could go a long way in making that outfit shout.

Well, the same can be said for eating healthy. I have come to the conclusion that seeds can be a pleasant surprise when accessorizing a plate of food, and they pack a nutritional punch. Below are three seeds that you may not know too much about. Let’s go to school:

Chia seeds may have celebrity status as the newest super food fad, but they’ve been around for centuries. They were prized by the Aztecs. The seeds absorb liquid easily, gelling and making a creamy addition to oats and pancakes. That property also makes them easy on sensitive stomachs. Nutritional values of chia seeds (per tablespoon): 2g protein, 4g fiber, 1.75g omega-3s.

seedsFlax seeds are harder to digest because they have more lignin, a tough fiber. But, flax delivers more alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) than any other plant food. Grind the seeds in your coffee grinder or food processor before adding them to baked goods or sprinkling over cereal (your body can’t digest the seeds whole). You can also mix flax seed oil into salad dressings and smoothies. Try it, and I’m sure you’ll enjoy! Nutritional boons of flax seeds (per table spoon): 2g proteins, 3g fiber, 13% daily value of manganese, 2g omega-3s.

Hemp seeds are versatile as, and similar in taste to, sunflower seeds, hemp seeds can be eaten raw, toasted, sprinkled on yogurt or salads or ground into seed butter.  Nutritional value of hemp (per table spoon):  4 g. protein, 16 percent daily value of phosphorus, 16 percent daily value of magnesium, 1 g. omega-3s

Many of us throw our seeds away, but seeds contain nutrition that our bodies need and crave! Seeds are chock-full of vitamins and minerals, and all sorts of good things. Mom should have said eat your seeds along with those vegetables!