Foods That Are Substitutes for Flaxseed Meal
By Siddhi Camila Lama, MS, PhD, CNC, CPT Up to date July 22, 2019
Reviewed by Janet Renee, MS, RD
IN REGARDS TO THE REVIEWER
Janet Renee, MS, RD
Janet Renee has over a decade of experience as a registered dietitian. Renee attended the College of California, Berkeley and holds an M.S. in Vitamin and Dietetics.
Image Credit score: Lew Robertson/DigitalVision/GettyImages
Flaxseed, often known as linseed, is a extremely nutritious plant. It’s generally used as a thickener, binder or crust in vegan and vegetarian cooking. If you can’t use flaxseed meal but wish to cook dinner with the same product, there are several flax meal substitutes and alternate options you can flip to.
What Is Flaxseed?
Flaxseed is an extremely nutrient-wealthy seed. In keeping with the USDA , one ounce of flaxseed has 152 calories, 5.2 grams of protein and eight.2 grams of carbohydrates. Nearly all of these carbohydrates (7.eight grams) come from dietary fiber
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One ounce of flaxseeds additionally contains 12 grams of fat — and luckily, these fats are mostly healthy. An April 2015 research within the ​ Journal of Food Science and Expertise ​ reported that seventy one.8 p.c of the fat in flaxseed come from polyunsaturated fats, while 18.5 percent are monounsaturated and 10 percent are saturated.
Along with these macronutrients, one ounce of flaxseed additionally has:
6 % of the day by day worth (DV) for calcium
9 % of the DV for iron
5 % of the DV for potassium
27 p.c of the DV for magnesium
15 % of the DV for phosphorus
11 p.c of the DV for zinc
38 % of the DV for copper
31 percent of the DV manganese
13 p.c of the DV for selenium
39 % of the DV for thiamin (vitamin B1)
5 percent of the DV for niacin (vitamin B3)
6 percent of the DV for vitamin B5
eight percent of the DV for vitamin B6
6 p.c of the DV for folic acid (vitamin B9)
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Flaxseeds are additionally wealthy in lignans, lutein and zeaxanthin, and antioxidants like phenolic compounds, in response to the 2015 analysis in the ​Journal of Food Science and Technology​. In addition they include small quantities (between 1 and four percent) of B-complex vitamins, vitamin E, vitamin K and choline in each ounce of flaxseeds.
Flaxseed isn’t only standard because of its spectacular vitamin; it also has quite a lot of uses in the kitchen. When blended with water, flaxseed meal can be used as a thickening agent or as an alternative to eggs. Toasted flax meal also can provide you with a nutty crust on fried meals or a coating on desserts. Whereas flaxseed is perhaps hottest amongst vegans and vegetarians, you may it in something from baked goods to rooster nuggets.
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Selecting Flaxseed Alternate options
In the event you’re trying to find a flaxseed meal alternative for a recipe, you’ll first need to ask yourself how the flaxseed is getting used. For example, when you’re just searching for a binder or thickening agent, you might use xantham gum or guar gum as your flax meal substitute. Nonetheless, in case you’re on the lookout for meals that can provide some of the similar nutritional advantages that flaxseed has, your options change into more restricted.
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Psyllium: A Fibrous Flax Substitute
Flaxseed is notably rich in fiber, which makes it notably useful on your gastrointestinal tract. Psyllium seeds and husks , that are additionally rich in fiber, can work as a flaxseed meal replacement on this regard. In keeping with a November 2018 examine in the ​ Journal of Food Course of Engineering ​, psyllium seeds are seventy four to 79 % fiber, making them a lot richer in fiber than flaxseeds.
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Although psyllium is best recognized for its skill to relieve gastrointestinal issues, it can be ground into meal and used in cooking. Like floor flaxseed, psyllium can be utilized in gluten-free baking too. Nonetheless, whereas it’s a good flax meal substitute in case you’re in search of fiber, it isn’t almost as nutrient-wealthy as flaxseed.
Manufacturers We Love
Natural India Psyllium Natural Powder ($14.99 for 12 oz on )
Anthony’s Organic Psyllium Husk Powder ($14.98 for 1.5 lb on )
365 On a regular basis Value, Natural Psyllium Husk Complete Flakes ($eleven.ninety nine for 12 oz on )
Hemp: A Protein-Rich Flaxseed Substitute
Hemp seeds are another generally used flaxseed meal substitute. Hemp seeds have essentially the most calories out of all flaxseed meal alternate options listed right here, as well as probably the most fats and protein — with thirteen.eight grams and 9 grams per ounce, respectively, in line with the USDA They’re also very low in carbohydrates and fiber. One ounce of hemp seeds has just 1.1 grams of fiber and a total of 2.5 carbohydrates.
Hemp seeds are rather more nutrient-rich than psyllium. In line with the USDA , one ounce of hemp seeds contains:
30 p.c of the day by day worth (DV) for thiamin (vitamin B1)
6 p.c of the DV for riboflavin (vitamin B2)
sixteen p.c of the DV for niacin (vitamin B3)
10 % of the DV for vitamin B6
8 p.c of the DV for folate (vitamin B9)
thirteen p.c of the DV for iron
7 percent of the DV for potassium
forty seven percent of the DV for magnesium
37 % of the DV for phosphorus
26 p.c of the DV for zinc
50 % of the DV for copper
ninety four % of the DV for manganese
Whereas these seeds are nutritious, their macronutrient profile is just about the other of psyllium and really different from flaxseed. Their lack of fiber means that hemp seeds aren’t appropriate for all of the identical culinary makes use of.
Brands We Love
Navitas Organics Hemp Powder ($18.ninety for 12 oz on )
Manitoba Harvest Natural Hemp Hearts Shelled Hemp Seeds ($14.99 for 18 oz on )
Chia: A Flaxseed Meal Alternative
Chia seed nutrition is probably the most similar to that of flaxseeds. Chia seeds can also act as thickening brokers and binders, making them ideal flaxseed meal replacements in varied dishes. Based on the USDA, an oz of chia seeds has:
14 % of the each day value (DV) for calcium
12 percent of the DV for iron
23 percent of the DV for magnesium
20 p.c of the DV for phosphorus
12 percent of the DV for zinc
29 p.c of the DV for copper
34 percent of the DV for manganese
29 p.c of the DV for selenium
15 percent of the DV for thiamin (vitamin B1)
sixteen % of the DV for niacin (vitamin B3)
Chia seeds’ macronutrients are also similar to flaxseeds’, per the USDA One ounce contains 4.7 grams of protein and 12 grams of carbohydrates. They are slightly higher in web carbs compared to flaxseeds, with 9.eight grams of fiber in an ounce.
One ounce of chia seeds additionally has eight.7 grams of fat, through which all however 0.9 grams are made up of healthy unsaturated fats Chia seeds have more essential polyunsaturated fat than flaxseed, per a July 2013 research within the ​ Journal of Food Science and Expertise ​. They specifically have more of two important fats your physique isn’t in a position to produce: alpha-linolenic acid and linoleic acid Chia seeds may additionally have more beneficial bioactive compounds than flaxseeds.
Brands We Love
365 by Complete Foods Market, Organic Seeds ($10.ninety nine for 15 oz on )
Anthony’s Organic Chia Seed ($11.49 for two.5 lbs on )
Spectrum Necessities Organic Floor Chia Seed ($7.ninety nine for 10 oz on )
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