Caramelized Banana Oatmeal

I'm in love with Oatmeal. When I'm craving bad foods, I crave Chocolate Oatmeal. Which incidentally, last night I really really wanted to substitute my dinner with a large bowl of my Dark Chocolate Mudslide Oats. I'm generally not the kind of person who eats chocolate-based cereals or foods for breakfast - but today, for some reason, it was calling my name (maybe because I deprived myself last night!). This recipe was inspired by a post I saw from The Oatmeal Artist just yesterday - Fifty Toppings to Spruce Up any Porridge! She had a picture of a cup of oatmeal topped with Caramelized banana. While her recipe called for molasses, honey and orange juice, mine relies on the sweetness of the banana itself. 

Caramelized Banana Oats

Prep Time: 10-15 min

Ingredients (Serves 1):

1. 0.5 cup Rolled (Old-Fashioned Oats)
2. 1 cup Unsweetened Non-Dairy Milk
3. 1/2 medium Banana
4. 1 tbsp Flax Seed Meal
5. 0.5 tbsp Natural Creamy Peanut Butter
6. 2 tbsp Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
7. 0.5 tsp Vanilla Extract
8. 1-2 tsp Brown Sugar (for topping, optional)

Directions:

Slice banana in 2 halves lengthwise and crosswise. Place in an ungreased oven safe dish/plate and broil on HI for 5-10 minutes. Keep an eye on the oven as the banana can go from caramelized to burnt really quickly. It will first start to wilt under the heat, and then slowly bubble on top before turning a lovely golden brown. While the banana is in the oven, mix oats, flax seed meal, peanut butter and half the chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl and cook on high for 3-5 minutes. Remove the bowl once in the middle of this time to mix well. Once oats are done, remove carefully from microwave, mix vanilla extract in and transfer to a serving dish. Once bananas are nice and golden, remove the dish from the oven and carefully transfer onto the oatmeal. Top off with a light sprinkle of brown sugar (optional) and remaining chocolate chips! Voila!!! 

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving): Calories 426 (Fat Calories 129)
Total Fat 14.3 g; Carbohydrates 64.7 g; Fiber 11.7 g; Sugars 22.9 g; Protein 11.6 g


If you liked this recipe, be sure to check out my Recipe Index for more Whole-Food, Plant-Based, No-Added-Oil recipes. You can also like Rugrat Chow! on Facebook. Thanks!

Dark Chocolate Mudslide Oats

Last night Tony was craving chocolate. He's been doing so well with being plant-based recently. But he was really craving it bad and was on the brink of running out to the neighborhood gas station and picking up a pint of Rocky Road ice cream. Of course, I couldn't let that happen!! I promised I'd satisfy his chocolate craving, even while using Oats, which he just happens to despise unless they're in Chocolate Chip cookies. I searched the vegan blogs for various recipes and found one which didn't look quite as appetizing as I wanted it to be but I knew I could adapt very easily. 

Dark Chocolate Mudslide Oats

Adapted from: Chocolate Covered Katie - Chocolate Mudslide Oatmeal

Prep Time: 5-7 min

Ingredients (Serves 2):

1. 3/4 cup Rolled (Old-Fashioned Oats)
2. 1.5 tbsp Hershey's Special Dark Cocoa
3. 1 tbsp Flax Seed Meal
4. 1 cup Unsweetened Non-Dairy Milk
5. 2 tbsp Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
6. 1 pinch of Coarse Salt
7. 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
8. 1 tbsp Molasses
9. Maple Syrup (to taste)
10. Dried Coconut Flakes (optional)
11. Sliced/Slivered Almonds (optional)

Directions:

Mix Oats, cocoa, flax seed meal, non-dairy milk (I used almond milk!), salt, molasses in a microwave safe bowl and cook on high for about 3-4 minutes until the mix is no longer runny but nice and creamy. Carefully remove the bowl from the microwave and mix in vanilla extract. Add more sweetener, if needed. I used Maple syrup but you can use whatever you like to use. The molasses do add a lot of color and sweetness so be sure to taste test. Mix well. Serve warm with chocolate chips sprinkled on top. On my bowl, I also sprinkled about a teaspoon of dried coconut flakes and another teaspoon of sliced almonds for some crunch!! Tony had his with only chocolate chips!

Dark Chocolate Mudslide Oats with my fixins :)

My Assessment: This was amazing. I knew Tony would never go for the original recipe. It was way to runny in the original pictures but I knew the flax seed meal would act like a binder (kind of like a flax egg) and result in a creamier texture. I also added more oats (1.5x) than the single serving the original recipe called for to make it even less runny. Overall, cooking the oats until the runniness is gone (4 min for my microwave) resulted in almost a fudgy pudding like texture. LOVED IT!!!

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving): Calories 253 (Fat Calories 68)

Total Fat 7.5 g; Carbohydrates 41.8 g; Fiber 6.8 g; Sugars 14.4 g; Protein 6.5g

If you liked this recipe, be sure to check out my Recipe Index for more Whole-Food, Plant-Based, No-Added-Oil recipes. You can also like Rugrat Chow! on Facebook. Thanks!

Very Berry Creamy Oatmeal

After having spent 2 weeks in India eating all kinds of 'cheat' foods, I was craving a good bowl of Oatmeal upon returning home. This morning I made a very cheerful looking bowl of porridge with a boatload of berries and all the nutrition and fiber and plant-based goodness I craved while travelling.

Very Berry Creamy Oatmeal

Adapted from: The Oatmeal Artist: Creamy Berry Oatmeal

Prep Time: 5 min

Ingredients (serves 1):

1. 1/2 cup Old-Fashioned (Rolled) Oats
2. 1 cup Almond Milk
3. 6 oz fresh Red Raspberries (1/2 pint) 
4. 6 oz fresh Blueberries 
5. 1 tbsp Chia Seeds
6. 2 tsp Flax Seed Meal
7. 1 tbsp Slivered Almonds
8. 1 tbsp Brown Sugar (optional)
9. A pinch of Coarse (Kosher or Sea) salt.

Directions:

Mix Oats, chia seeds, flax seed meal and fresh raspberries with almond milk in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high for 3 minutes. Once the oats are done, remove from microwave, mix well to mash the raspberries well (the oats will take on a nice pink color).  Mix in salt and brown sugar (optional). I didn't use any sugar because the berries made it sweet enough for my taste. Add almonds, mix well, transfer to a serving bowl, and top off with fresh blueberries. Enjoy!!

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving, without Brown Sugar): Calories 438 (Fat Calories 122)

Total Fat 13.6 g; Carbohydrates 71.2 g; Fiber 19.3 g; Sugars 23.1 g; Protein 14.2 g

Kesar Badaam Oatmeal Kheer

I admit, I've been on an oatmeal kick lately. Its not a bad kick to be on. Oats are one of the healthiest grains for the heart. Oats have Avenanthramides - polyphenolic antioxidants that have been shown to have anti-inflammatory, anti-itching and anti-proliferative activity, and according to Dr. Esselstyn, oats also help stimulate the health of endothelial cells in our arteries. I've written about Oats before and posted this link for a blog post about Oats and Avenanthramides. Oats are supposed to help protect against coronary heart disease, colon cancer, skin irritation and so much more. So fix yourself a good size bowl of oats and enjoy ... they're not just for horses, you know :)

Kesar Badaam Oatmeal Kheer 

This dish was inspired by my longing for Kheer, a traditional Indian milk-based dessert - served for centuries .. and long before Western desserts like Ice creams and cakes took over the Indian Dessert menu. It is traditionally made with long-grain white Basmati rice and today I converted the traditional recipe to a WFPBNO, heart healthy, fiber-rich version. Also, the use of Flax seed meal as a thickening agent makes this version rich in Omega-3 fatty acids. And the other benefit of using flax seed meal as a thickening agent, along with oats, is that I didn't have to slave over this kheer for 3 or 4 hours like my mom still does when making kheer for a special occasion. Mine was ready in under 7 minutes from start to finish. 

Prep Time: 5-7 min

Ingredients (Serves 1):

1. 2/3 cup Old Fashioned (Rolled) Oats
2. 1.25 cups Almond Milk
3. 1 tbsp Raisins
4. 1/2 tbsp Ground Flax Seed Meal
5. 1 tbsp Slivered Almonds (Badaam)
6. 1 tbsp Raw Cashews, crushed (optional)
7. 1/4 tsp Ground Green Cardamom (Elaichi)
8. 1/16 tsp (about a pinch and a half) Saffron (Kesar) 
9. 1 tbsp Maple Syrup, or more to taste (Brown Sugar or Honey are great too!).

Directions:

Mix Oats, almond milk, raisins, brown sugar (if using) and ground flax seed meal in a microwave safe bowl and microwave on high for 90 seconds. It will appear really thin and runny at this stage but fear not as it will thicken considerably in the next few minutes. Remove from the oven once the first 90 seconds are done, mix well. At this point, add about half the saffron, cashews and slivered almonds, mix well and again microwave on high for about 90 seconds. Carefully remove from microwave as the bowl will likely be really hot. Do a quick taste test for sweetness (adding  honey or maple syrup now if using one of those). Add ground green cardamom now and mix well. Let sit for a few seconds to allow it to get thicker, if needed. Transfer to a bowl, garnish with remaining almonds, cashews and saffron. Serve :)

Kesar Badaam Oatmeal Kheer

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving): Calories 423 (Fat Calories 138)
Total Fat 15.4 g; Carbohydrates 63.1 g; Fiber 9.0 g; Sugars 19.3 g; Protein 11.6 g

Pumpkin Spice Latte Oatmeal

Another weekend .. another dirth of fresh fruits and ... another quest for the perfect oatmeal recipe with pantry ingredients. And guess what? Another visit with The Oatmeal Artist!!! She's got some amazing ideas and she works with Old fashioned (Rolled) Oats which I'm come to prefer over Steel-cut simply because of the timing involved in cooking SC Oats. I still use the latter on occasion (and I love the texture of SC oats) but for my daily breakfast, I've reverted to the ease of Old fashioned Oats. 

This recipe was a winner on sight!! I love fall and I love all fall foods!! And pumpkin spice lattes were my own personal indulgence during those last few months of the year. But I'm also one of those weirdos that loves pumpkin spice so much - I eat it all year!! Like Lauren says in her post - those drinks from gourmet coffee shops are loaded with calories - mostly from fats and sugars. My adaptation has fats as well but they're good fats derived from nuts (almonds) & seeds (flax and chia), so its a lot more healthier and a lot more nutritious. Also, I've found (after I went plant-based) that the Pumpkin Spice mix (at least the one used by Starbucks) has dairy in it. So even if I wanted to get a Soy Pumpkin Spice Latte - it would still have dairy in it!! Obviously, when I saw Lauren's version of the same awesome PSL - in a bowl - I knew I had to try it!!

Adapted from: Pumpkin Spice Latte Oatmeal, The Oatmeal Artist

Prep Time: 5 min

Ingredients (Serves 1):

1. 1/2 cup Old-Fashioned (Rolled) Oats
2. 2/3 cup Brewed coffee (I used a Folgers Classic K-cup)
3. 1/3 cup Almond Milk (Unsweetened Vanilla) 
4. 1/4 cup Canned Pumpkin puree
5. 1/2 tbsp Flax Seed Meal
6. 1 tbsp Chia Seeds
7. 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice 
8. 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
9. 1 tbsp Maple syrup (to taste)
10. A pinch of Sea salt
11. 8-10 Raw Almonds, crushed. 

Directions:

Mix Coffee, Oats, Pumpkin puree, almond milk, flax seed meal and chia seeds in a microwave safe bowl and microwave on high for 3 minutes. Remove bowl carefully as it will be quite hot, add pumpkin pie spice, vanilla extract, a pinch of sea salt, maple syrup (to taste) and mix well. Do a quick taste test for sweetness (I added 1 tsp of syrup as the original recipe called for and I needed about three times that amount to make it perfect for my tastes). Transfer to a bowl, add another splash of milk, top off with crushed almonds and enjoy your little taste of heaven!!  

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving): Calories 391 (Fat Calories 141)
Total Fat 15.7 g; Carbohydrates 54.2 g; Fiber 14.1 g; Sugars 14.7 g; Protein 12.8 g

No-Bake Oatmeal Energy Bites

Recently, I've noted that I crave an occasional bite of chocolate or something sweet in the evenings, or on weekend afternoons at home. Usually, I've been able to curb those cravings with a Medjool Date. The ooey-gooey-caramely taste of dates works (almost) every time. Today I decided to try one of the various no-bake energy recipes I'd been pinning to by Plant-Based Desserts board on Pinterest. This one was one of the first to catch my eye several months ago. Today, it didn't disappoint at all. 

Adapted from: Gimme Some Oven - No Bake Energy Bites

Prep Time: 20-30 min (mostly for rolling the individual bites)

Ingredients (30 Servings):

1. 1 cup Oatmeal* 
2. 1/2 cup Shredded (unsweetened) Dry Coconut 
3. 1/4 cup Sliced Almonds*
4. 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp* Ground Flax Seed Meal  
5. 1/2 cup Non-Dairy (Ghirardelli) Semi-Sweet Chocolate chips
6. 1 tbsp Chia Seeds
7. 1/2 cup "Naturally More" Smooth Peanut Butter (with Flax seeds)
8. 1/3 cup Maple Syrup
9. 2 tbsp Honey*
10. 1 tsp Vanilla Extract

Directions:

Mix all dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. and then add the wet ingredients and mix well with a rubber spatula so that the peanut butter is evenly distributed. The original recipe calls for 30 min of chilling in the refrigerator but I didn't have the patience and I used rolled the mixture into small balls (~1" in diameter). I got 30 balls out of this recipe. The original recipe calls for refrigerated storage for up to 1 week. I decided to freeze my batch in individual paper truffle cups. That way I won't eat them all at once and I can thaw only what I want when I'm craving a sweet something.

My Assessment: Love these!! The coconut and almonds add chewiness and the chocolate does its own thing. These tasted like a really chewy Oatmeal chocolate chip cookie! Next time I might even consider adding raisins to this recipe. A+++

My Modifications*:

• I used Instant Oats because I'm trying to get rid of a big box. The original recipe calls for Old Fashioned oats, but allows for a bunch of different grains.
• I swapped 1/4 cup coconut with almonds, just because!! :) 
• I added 2 extra tbsp of Flax Seed because that's all I had remaining after adding 1/2 cup. 
• I added 2 tbsp of honey because the mixture still felt dry after adding maple syrup and peanut butter. I used honey instead of more maple syrup as I figured it would add an extra flavor and it is also stickier. 
• I didn't refrigerate as the recipe called for, but it might be a good idea as they do tend to get really messy while rolling. 
• One option for making them less messy would be to roll each ball in shredded/ground coconut or sesame seeds before placing it in its individual candy cup.  

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving): Calories 76 (Fat Calories 36)
Total Fat 4.0 g; Carbohydrates 8.3 g; Fiber 1.8 g; Sugars 4.2 g; Protein 2.4 g

Flax Seed Chocolate Oats

We haven't been grocery shopping in a few days. Last night, I realized I had no almond milk for my morning smoothie and since I'm addicted to my Red, White & Blue Smoothie, I couldn't imagine changing it up by making it in water. Frankly, the thought of making a smoothie without some kind of nut-milk to add smoothness was somewhat revolting. I polled the New Herbies page on Facebook on what to make for breakfast and the recurring response was Oats, in water. While that seemed somewhat revolting at first, I slowly warmed up to the idea and finally around 11pm last night I went back into the kitchen and soaked some Old Fashioned Oats in water to make overnight oats.  

Flax Seed Chocolate Oats

Prep Time: 5 min

Ingredients (1 serving):

1. 1/2 cup Old Fashioned Oats
2. 1 cup water
3. 1 tbsp Ground Flax Seed Meal
4. 1 tsp Unsweetened Cocoa
5. 1 Banana, sliced 
6. 4-6 Strawberries, sliced
7. 1 tbsp Maple Syrup (optional). 

Directions:

.. just out of the microwave!

Soak oats in water overnight. Transfer to a microwave-safe bowl, add ground flax seeds, cocoa and half of the sliced banana and microwave on high for 3 minutes. Remove from the microwave, allow to cool for a couple of minutes, mix well and top off with the rest of the sliced banana and strawberries. The banana cooked into the oats provided ample sugar for me, but if you like it sweeter, drizzle a tablespoon of pure maple syrup on top! Enjoy!! 

My Assessment: Compared to my usual breakfast of a spinach smoothie with Chia seeds, this breakfast was loaded with nutrition and substance too. I loved the chocolate mixed in with the flax seed meal. It also kept me full for quite a while more than the smoothie does. I've been meaning to move away from drinking my calories for a while and this seems like a great substitute, although I might decide back-off some on the flax seed meal because of its fat content. Its all good fats, but it does add to my caloric intake which I'm trying to limit these days. 

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving): Calories 365 (Fat Calories 97)
Total Fat 10.8g; Cholesterol 0g; Carbohydrates 63.6g; Dietary Fiber 11.6g; Sugars 18.8g; Protein 10.0g

Multi-Grain (Machine) Bread - Take 2

Homemade Multi-Grain Bread - Take 2

So my first attempt at using my bread machine turned out pretty good. It wasn't great 'to die for' bread but it had a lot going for it. It had 3 different whole grains, it had a nice and crunchy crust, and was soft inside. The downside - it had 2 tablespoons of Earth Balance (a vegan butter replacement) and it was pretty dense - almost the consistency of a dense banana bread. So this morning, I decided to make a few changes that would help reduce the density and replace the fat with a more healthy alternative. 

Prep Time: 10 min + ~4 hours in a bread machine

Ingredients (8 servings/slices): 

1. 1 cup almond milk
2. 2/3 cup water
3. 2 tbsp Natural (No Sugar) Apple Sauce (replaces Earth Balance)
4. 2 tbsp Agave syrup (I removed this because I figured Apple Sauce would add some sweetness)
5. 2 tsp Salt (I removed this because I added Roasted Salted Sunflower Seeds)
6. 3 cups Whole Wheat flour 
7. 3/4 cup All Purpose flour
8. 1/4 cup Ground Flax Seed Meal (replaced 3/4 cup Old Fashioned Oats) 
9. 1/4 cup Roasted Salted Sunflower Seeds (replaced 3/4 cup Old Fashioned Oats)
10. 2 tbsp Chia Seeds (I doubled this from Take 1, as I added less than 3/4 cup seeds) 
11. 2.25 tsp Active Dry Yeast

Directions: 

Place all ingredients in the order they are listed into the baking pan of your bread machine.  I used the menu selection on my machine for whole wheat bread. 

Allow the baking cycle to complete, remove the bread from the pan onto a baking rack and allow to stand for 20-30 minutes. Let the awesome yeasty aroma penetrate the senses of every living being :) !! Once they're all begging for you to cut some slices ... slice away!! 

My Assessment: Its still not there yet! Even though Joules, the old dog is begging for a slice (and she got a little piece!) it was still too dense in my opinion. So its back to the drawing board for me. Also, next time I will add back the agave as replacing both the salt and the sweet with only roasted seeds and 2 tablespoons of applesauce made it rather bland. This was definitely a better version than yesterday's attempt.  

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving): Calories 198
Total Fat 10/9 g; Cholesterol 0 g; Carbohydrates 22 g; Fiber 4 g; Sugars 1.3 g; Protein 5.8 g

Hershey's Peanut Butter Blossoms, a plant-based version

Before I went plant-based, each Christmas I would bake an enormous amount of Christmas cookies with our favorite ones being Hershey's Peanut Butter Blossoms. Given that the recipe calls for a half a cup of shortening, egg and milk, I knew I wasn't going to be making those this holiday season. My DH, who's also been plant-based since October 1st was also interested in finding a no-fat vegan alternative. So I posted a question on the New Herbies page on Facebook - if anyone had come across a vegan version. Of course, I knew I wouldn't be able to find vegan Hershey's kisses and was willing to substitute those out with vegan chocolate chips. Within hours someone had posted a link to a recipe which could be adapted very easily to my ways (no added fats/oils). The best part about this recipe was that it only requires measuring cups and spoons, a mixing bowl, a rubber spatula and a cookie sheet. Of course, an oven would be necessary to bake them ;)

Hershey's Peanut Butter Blossoms, a plant-based version

Recipe Adapted from: My Vegan Cookbook

Prep Time: 30 min including bake time.

Ingredients (24 cookies):

1. 1/2 cup Whole Wheat Flour
2. 1/4 cup Ground Flax Seed
3. 1/2 cup Quick Oats (I used Quaker oats)
4. 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar (I used dark brown sugar)
5. 1 tsp Baking Powder
6. 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
7. 1/4 tsp Salt (optional, I made w and w/o salt; found no difference!)
8. 1 tsp vanilla extract
9. 3 tbsp Applesauce (I substituted 2 tbsp Canola oil with Applesauce)
10. 1/4 Cup Maple Syrup
11. 1/4 Cup Creamy Peanut Butter (I used Kroger brand) 
12. 1/2 cup Non-Dairy Chocolate chips (I used Ghiradelli Semi-Sweet)
13. Raw sugar, or granulated sugar, as needed for rolling (I used granulated sugar today).

Directions:

As the original recipe says, preheat oven to 325 F and dump all the ingredients (in my version, with the exception of the chocolate chips) into a mixing bowl and stir. I used a rubber spatula and occasionally scraped the spatula with a spoon to mix whatever was stuck to it with the rest of the dough.  Once everything was nice and well mixed, I rolled 1 tbsp sized amounts into a small ball, then rolled the ball in sugar and placed each ball onto a greased cookie sheet. My DH pressed each ball with a fork (twice, cross-wise). Sprinkle 5-7 chocolate chips on each ball and bake 12-14 minutes until bottoms are slightly golden. Transfer to a cooking rack. For the kids, we baked the cookies plain and then added a Hershey's kiss on top, so that the cookies looked like the Omni version. I shouldn't have worried the kids gobbled these up!! As the original recipe says, after they are baked let them cool for 15 minutes before you dig in. The cookies are soft out of the oven and crisp up as they cool. Do not leave them uncovered for too long as they do tend to dry up when left out too long.

... with Hershey's kisses on top, like the original HPBBs

My Assessment: These cookies turned out great!! My next batch, which I plan to make later this week I plan on actually mixing in the chocolate chips into the dough before I roll the cookies in sugar. Today, my 3-year old was helping with the sprinkling of chocolate chips so they're a tad unevenly decorated :) Taste great though!! 

Plant-Based HPBBs with Chocolate Chips Mixed In

Recipe Update: December 19, 2012: So I made a double batch again tonight because the last batch lasted only about 2 days in our house. This time, instead of sprinkling the chocolate chips on top, I mixed 1/2 a cup of Ghiradelli Semi-Sweet (vegan) Chocolate chips in with the dough. So for 1 recipe, I would only add 1/4 cup. Once the chips were well mixed, I rolled the dough into small ball, then rolled the ball in sugar and baked for 14 minutes until bottoms are slightly golden. Voila!! Not as pretty as the sprinkled cookies but the chocolate was more evenly distributed and you could taste in each bite!! 

Unpressed HPBBs with Chocolate Chips Mixed In

Second Update: January 12, 2013 : Once the cookie dough is mixed up, put it in the fridge for 20 min. This allows to flax seed meal to swell and the cookies are also less messy to roll. Also, learnt from a friend, if you don't press the cookie balls down, the cookies come out nice and plump, like the original HPBBs. Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts (Per Cookie): Calories 81

Total Fat 2.8 g; Cholesterol 0 g; Carbohydrates 12.9 g; Fiber 1.2 g; Sugars 8.8 g; Protein 1.8 g

Veggie Fact of the Day

Flax Seed, New Veggie #58

Flax Seed became New Veggie #58. Also known as Linseed, it has notable heath benefits. Ground flax seed can be added to baked goods, shakes, smoothies, cereals and other dishes. Notable micronutrients include manganese, selenium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, iron, zinc and copper. In addition, flax seeds are rich in B vitamins, especially B9 (folic acid) followed by B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin or niacinamide), B5 (pantothenic acid), B6 (pyridoxine) and also in Vitamin K. 

Flax seed is a great source of lignans, compounds that have been shown to regulate the menstrual cycle in women. Lignans have also been implicated in prevention of breast and colon cancer. In addition, lignans have also been implicated in the prevention of diabetes. Perhaps the most important fact about flax seeds is that they are a rich source of Omega-3 fatty acids, in particular alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). 

For non-fish eaters, flax and Chia seeds are perhaps one of the richest sources of Omega-3 fatty acids, which are essential for fighting inflammation. There is a lot of evidence suggesting that inflammation plays a key part in many chronic lifestyle diseases that affect our bodies - heart disease, arthritis, asthma, diabetes and various cancers. While ALA by itself is not sufficient, and we also need Omega-6 fatty acids, flax seed does go a long way in providing one ALA. So eat away!