5 Ways To Use Ground Flaxseed | Healthy Kitchen Hacks

Here are 5 ways to add a boost of fiber and omega-3s with ground flaxseed to your recipes – beyond simply mixing into your muffin or pancake batters.

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Now…onto today’s featured Healthy Kitchen Hack:

5 WAYS TO USE GROUND FLAXSEED/FLAXSEED MEAL
Ingredient: Bob’s Red Mill Golden Flaxseed Meal (affiliate link)

I always have a bag of ground flaxseed in my freezer (BTW that’s the best place to store seeds and nuts) that I routinely add to my pancake and muffin batters. A few tablespoons give a terrific boost of those heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids and gut-friendly fiber to baked good recipes. But that’s all I really did with it….until now!

Before we dive into these fun flaxseed hacks, here are a few pointers when using flaxseed:

• Either buy ground flaxseed (Bob’s Red Mill Golden Flaxseed Meal is my go-to [affiliate link]) or grind whole flaxseeds in a food processor or coffee grinder. Our bodies can’t digest the whole seeds – so if you don’t use the ground version, you won’t get any of the nutritional benefits.
• You can buy golden or brown flaxseed – both are similar nutritionally. I now prefer the golden as it seems to blend in more seamlessly into batters, toppings, etc.

USE AS A TOPPING – Mix 1/4 cup of ground flaxseed with 2 tablespoons of melted butter and use to top mac & cheese before baking instead of breadcrumbs.

USE AS A BINDER – Swap in equal amounts of flaxseed meal for breadcrumbs (up to 1/2 cup) in meatball and meatloaf recipes.

USE AS A COATING – Mix flaxseed with your favorites spices (I like to do a black pepper, salt and smoked paprika mix) to coat chicken, pork or fish fillets. Dip protein first in an egg wash (beaten egg with a splash of milk or buttermilk) and then in flaxseed coating. Bake on a rack on top of a baking sheet for crispier results.

USE AS A THICKENER – Add 3 – 4 teaspoons of ground flaxseed to your favorite smoothie. You won’t detect any grittiness and it will help to thicken your drink as well. I now routinely use it in my Banana Mocha Frappe.

USE AS A LAYER – Instead of granola, use it as a layer when making yogurt parfaits. In a tall glass, add a few spoonfuls of Greek yogurt, sprinkle with a teaspoon of flaxseed meal, topping with fruit and repeat two more times.

Do you use ground flaxseed in your recipes/dishes? Let me know in the comments below – always looking for new ideas!