Be snack savvy: add seeds to your diet

Send in the seeds! Like nuts, they are emerging as nutritional superstars. Packed with protein, "good" fat and fibre, they're just what the doctor ordered for steadying your blood sugar, whether you add them to dishes or eat them as snacks.

Although seeds are indeed high in fat — about 12 to 14 grams per 30 grams (one ounce) — almost all of that fat is the heart-healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated kinds.

Another plus? Seeds also pack plenty of protein, to the tune of four to nine grams for every 30 grams (one ounce). For that same 30 grams, you'll also get two to 10 grams of fibre (pumpkin seeds have the most).

Seeds are rich in the natural plant compounds called sterols, which are proven cholesterol busters. (Sterols derived from other sources are even added to some cholesterol-lowering margarines.)

One recent study found that when people with high levels of "bad" LDL cholesterol ate about 40 grams (1 1/2 ounces) of sesame seeds a day for four weeks as part of an already heart-healthy diet, their LDL levels dropped by almost 10 percent more than when they followed the same diet without sesame seeds. Not surprisingly, their LDL levels went back up after they stopped eating the sesame seeds.

By weight, both pumpkin and sesame seeds have more iron than liver does! And a single 25-gram (one-ounce) serving of sesame seeds has almost as much calcium as a glass of milk. Sunflower seeds serve up selenium, a mineral that's been linked to a lower risk of both heart disease and cancer. Most seeds are also real vitamin E finds. A serving of sunflower seeds, for example, provide most of the day's needs for E, a nutrient that helps protect against everything from cataracts to cancer. Seeds are also good sources of immune-boosting zinc.

A perfect portion

• Seeds are high in calories, so don't go overboard. A 50-gram (1/4-cup) serving of sunflower seeds, for example, contains 210 calories.
• For snacks, stick with a handful of pumpkin seeds or a palmful of sunflower seeds.

How to perfectly roast seeds

You can make your own roasted seeds once you've eaten your fill of squash, pumpkin or watermelon.

• Separate the seeds from the flesh and strings, wash them well and let them dry.
• Then mix them in a bowl with a small amount of vegetable oil and salt.
• Spread them in a single layer on an ungreased baking sheet and sprinkle on some seasonings (take your pick of cumin, celery salt, cinnamon, paprika or chili powder).
• Place the baking sheet in an oven preheated to 150°C (300°F) for about 45 minutes, shaking and stirring the seeds occasionally to prevent burning.

• Add seeds to steamed or sautéed vegetables.
• Sprinkle sesame seeds over brown rice.
• Coat thin fish fillets or chicken cutlets with a mixture of crushed sunflower and pumpkin seeds, then pan fry.
• Chop pumpkin or sunflower seeds and add to hot or cold cereal.
• Add toasted sesame seeds to ground meat for meatballs. They add crunch as well as boosting the nutrition quota of your meal.
• Toss some sesame seeds into bread dough or muffin or pancake batter. You can also add them to piecrusts.
• Spread tahini (ground sesame paste) on toasted whole-grain bread.
• Top off your favourite salad greens with pumpkin seeds.
• Add sunflower seed kernels to tuna salad.
• Blend sunflower seeds into scrambled eggs or a vegetable omelet.
• Sprinkle your favourite seeds on top of tomato, carrot or squash soup.
• Add sesame seeds to fruit salad for crunch.