Full Seed Ahead: Why You Should Be Eating Seeds

February 7, 2016

Food fads seem to die as quickly as a pair of pointe shoes during Nutcracker season. But there’s one trend that’ll never go out of style: seeds! From chia to hemp, pumpkin to sesame (and everything in between), seeds are nutritional superheroes. DS spoke with Marie Scioscia, registered dietician and nutritionist with The Ailey School, about how to pick the right seeds for your needs.

Energy Express

“When you eat something with carbs, like a slice of whole-grain bread, your blood sugar goes up but comes back down just as quickly,” Scioscia says. “Adding any type of seed or seed-based butter immediately slows down your digestion, giving you even and sustained blood sugar.”

Best seeds: pumpkin, chia

Beat the Bloat

“Certain seeds have tremendous amounts of fiber, which helps stop bloat and aids in digestion,” Scioscia says. However, if you aren’t used to high amounts of fiber in your diet, she advises adding these seeds in gradually. Try sprinkling some wheat germ on yogurt, or mixing flax seeds into oatmeal or a smoothie.

Best seeds: wheat germ, chia, flax

Bone Builders

Seeds are also a great source of calcium, which helps promote strong bones—crucial to a dancer’s health and career. Try throwing a handful of calcium-heavy sesame seeds into your salad, or mixing pumpkin seeds into some trail mix.

Best seeds: pumpkin, hemp, sesame