Milled flax seeds, a must-try

Whole flax seeds

I purchased a 3-pound bag of organic milled flax seeds over the weekend. Each 2-tablespoon serving has the following awesome benefits:

• 2,800 mg Omega-3 fatty acids
• 4 g fiber
• 3 g protein

I notice a big difference in my mood when I ingest Omega-3, a fatty acid scientifically proven to boost the happy brain chemicals.

My mom always made a flax seed drink when I was a kid. She would boil the seeds in water for a while, grind them up in the water with an immersion blender, strain seed chunks out and milk the strained product with some milk and honey or sugar. I always loved the taste, but had no idea it was healthy to drink.

Remembering I liked the taste of flax seeds, I dumped 2 tbsp. or so of the milled stuff I bought into my Crystal Light yesterday. The consistency reminded me of those commercials about chunky fiber supplement mixes, like Metamucil, even though I've never tried them. After a few minutes, the milled seeds got softer and had a chewy, slimy texture, which is normal. Now, I know when the package says to put the seeds in a beverage, they mean a smoothie or something. However, I actually liked the milled flax seeds in my watery beverage after I let them sit for a bit.

The package of milled flax seeds says you can use it as a substitute for eggs, butter and oil.

• 1 TBSP of oil, butter or shortening=3 TBSP milled flax seeds
• 1 large egg=1 TBSP milled flax seeds + 3 TBSP water

I definitely recommend you try milled flax seeds if you have not.