Eating healthy on the road can seem challenging, but those of us who travel by RV have a huge advantage that makes preparing healthy meals easier than most people think: a kitchen. We do not have to rely of fast food restaurants or meals thrown together from gas station fare. We have the luxury of stocking our cabinets with everything we need to prepare meals from scratch and to bring along our favorite foods that might be difficult to find on the road. We also have the luxury of bringing the healthy eating habits that keep us energized and fit at home along with us while we travel.
Some of these habits are easier to take on the road than others, but it is well worth the effort to maintain our health wherever we go. One healthy eating habit that is easy to enjoy on the road is adding flax seeds (aka flaxseeds) to meals, which adds a number of nutrients without messing with the taste of your favorite foods.
Benefits of Flaxseeds
These tiny seeds pack a powerful nutrition punch that adds fiber, omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants to your favorite snacks and recipes. Studies have shown that these low-carb seeds can decrease inflammation, help women balance their hormones, lower cholesterol, promote intestinal health and stabilize blood sugar. Flaxseeds have heart-healthy alpha linoleic acid (ALA), and evidence suggests that this superfood can reduce your risk of cancer, diabetes, stroke and cardiovascular disease. Other studies have found that flax seeds may also increase fertility and reduce hot flashes.
How to Include Flax Seeds in Your Diet
In order to get the health benefits of flaxseeds, you must first grind them in a spice grinder, coffee grinder or food processor. Our bodies cannot digest them as whole seeds, but flaxseed oil and flaxseed meal provide us with forms that are easy to digest and easy to incorporate into recipes. Many health professionals prefer flaxseed meal, since flaxseed oil only has some of the health benefits offered by the seeds. However, flaxseed oil can be easily mixed into salad dressings, making it a convenient way to add it to your family’s food without them noticing.
If you go the ground flaxseed route, you can sprinkle it on cereal, stir it into yogurt, blend it into fruit smoothies, sneak it into your pancake batter, or bake it into breads, muffins, cookies and brownies.
Ground flaxseeds can go bad quickly, so your best bet is purchasing whole seeds and grinding them as needed. Once ground, keep them in the refrigerator or freezer to keep them fresh longer.
Leave a Reply