Nutritional Sprinkle Foods
An Easy, Nutritious Path
They say that being healthy takes hard work. While that is true, there are actually a lot of simple ways to add nutritional value to your diet. It may not seem like much, but there are certain products where all you need to do is add a couple tablespoons to a dish in order to indulge in its health benefits. It takes no effort and can actually make some of your food taste even better. It's a win-win. Sound too good to be true? Well, let's take a look.
How Much of a Difference Can it Make?
A small sprinkle of something probably won't make a huge difference but, a tablespoon or more of some of these items can contribute meaningful levels of polyphenols, flavonoids, phytosterols, magnesium, fiber, and healthy fats that play an essential role in preventing and treating diseases.
In other words, use these nutritional sprinkles as a fun and easy way to add nutrients into your diet, but don't try to rely on them to meet all your needs. Experiment and enjoy!
Chia Seeds
Despite being tiny in size, Chia Seeds are highly nutritious, as they are a good source of fiber, protein, omega-3 fatty acids and other micronutrients. They are also a great source of antioxidants which can protect your heart and liver, along with having anticancer properties.
The best part? All you need to do to reap the health benefits of these seeds is sprinkle them in a smoothie, yogurts, teas or even the batter for baked goods like pancakes and waffles. There's simply no limit to the amount of food you can sprinkle Chia Seeds on. You'll barely notice the difference, all while increasing your intake of healthy nutrients.
Flaxseed
Flaxseed is an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids, which are important for heart health and may help reduce inflammation and prevent buildup of fat in arteries. It's also rich in fiber. To get all the nutrients from flaxseeds, it is recommended to eat them ground instead of whole.
Just like Chia Seeds, you can eat them with almost anything, but they pair best with oatmeal, yogurt, smoothies, or as a breading for chicken or fish.
Hemp Seeds
Hemp Seeds are rich in essential fatty acids like omega-3 and omega-6 and is a great source of protein, with 25% of the calories coming from high-quality protein. It also contains nutrients like: phosphorus, potassium, sodium, magnesium, sulfur, calcium, iron, and zinc.
They taste great on their own but can also be added to: humus, soup, cereal, smoothies and yogurt.
Perfect Greens
Botanica Perfect Greens is a highly concentrated organic powder blend of chlorella and spirulina to help ensure that you’re getting your daily greens. Rich in magnesium, B vitamins and antioxidants.
Put a tablespoon in your water, juice, smoothie or add it to the batter of your favourite desert recipe to give it an extra greens boost.
Acai Berry Powder
Acai berries contain healthy fats and low amounts of sugar, as well as many trace minerals and plant compounds, including anthocyanins. It's also rich in antioxidants, boasting three times the amount found in blueberries.
Perfect for smoothies and smoothie bowls, as well as yogurt, oatmeal, baked goods or even add it to a vinaigrette and use as a salad dressing.
Beetroot Powder
Contains nitrates, which the body converts into nitric oxide, a molecule that relaxes blood vessels, improving blood flow and potentially lowering blood pressure. Nitric oxide helps dilate blood vessels, leading to better blood flow and oxygen delivery to tissues and organs. Also enhances athletic performance and promotes healthy skin.
Works well in smoothies, yogurt, breakfast bowls, mix it with water to create a juice or put it in homemade protein bars or energy bites.
Nutritional Yeast
Vegans and vegetarians have been using this non-dairy seasoning with a cheesy flavour for years, but recently, it has become more mainstream. Nutritional yeast contains all nine essential amino acids that you must obtain from food. It’s also a source of high quality plant protein. Also rich in B vitamins, including thiamine (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3), and B6 and B12.
Since it has a cheesy flavour, this goes really well sprinkled on popcorn, potatoes, roasted vegetables or soup.
Cacao Powder
While the terms "cacao" and "cocoa" are often used interchangeably, "cacao" generally refers to the raw, minimally processed form of the cacao bean, while "cocoa" is the product of highly processed, often roasted cacao beans. Cacao powder contains flavonoids that may help lower blood pressure and improve blood flow. Antioxidants can help protect against heart disease by reducing inflammation and preventing blood clots.
You can sprinkle it on fruit, nuts, bread or coffee.
Carob Powder
Carob powder, also called carob flour, is a cocoa powder alternative. Carob powder contains virtually no fat. If you’re on a low-fat diet, carob powder is a good option. Just keep in mind that it’s higher in sugar and carbs than cocoa powder. Two tablespoons of carob powder have almost 5 grams of fiber, over 20 percent of the recommended daily amount. It is also rich in antioxidants.
It can be used in smoothies, milkshakes, coffee, hot chocolate or on yogurt and ice cream.
Conclusion
You can easily add more nutrients to your meal by sprinkling a few tablespoons of these products into your food. They won't cause a huge change in your overall health but they are a great tool to make sure you're reaching your daily nutrient amounts without having to consume too much food. Many of these options taste great along with being healthy, so you're simply adding more flavour to your meal and getting a little more nutrients from it than you normally would.
Have fun and try experimenting with a couple of these! Maybe you'll find a new pairing no one else has heard of before!
