#10 - Give Desserts a Boost with Omega-3s

Omega-3 fatty acids are considered necessary because our bodies cannot make them. Not to mention all the health benefits.

•Improving cholesterol levels

•Promoting heart health

•Supporting brain and nervous systems

•Reducing inflammation in the body

Many of us are familiar with fatty fish, like tuna and salmon, that contain omega-3s, but did you know there are also plant sources? Yes, that is right, these include flaxseeds, chia seeds, walnuts, and soy.

Generally, we add them to oatmeal, smoothies, and parfaits or mix them into casseroles or dishes. Well, how about trying them in desserts?

Now that the holidays are here, you are trying to plan what desserts to offer your guests. Try including one that contains omega-3s! I am going to bet your guests will not know the difference between which ones have omega-3s and the original family favorites.

Here are ways to boost holiday desserts with omega-3s:

Most of us regularly use eggs in recipes (and that is fine), but did you know you can use ground flaxseed as an egg replacer? Yes, you can! It is one way to boost the omega-3s in your dessert recipes. You will find this trick on the packaging of the ground flaxseed too. Combine one tablespoon of ground flaxseed with three tablespoons of water and gently stir. Let sit for five minutes, and then use it in your muffins, brownies, cookies, loaves of bread, and even pancake recipes. This trick does not work well for cakes because they need the eggs to rise.

If you don't want to use it as an egg replacer, another way is to mix some into the batter of the above recipes.

Other ways of adding omegas to desserts could be, making chia seed pudding or

tossing walnuts in a muffin, cake, or brownie batter. If you have not tried WOWbutter (soy-based), an allergy-friendly version of peanut butter, it is very delicious and can be substituted in equal amounts.

If you are wondering, where can I find ground flaxseed? Finding ground flaxseed is easy. Most grocery stores carry it in both forms, the meal, and the whole seeds. You will want to buy the meal because we cannot digest the seed form. If you already have a bag of flaxseed, it is simple to turn it into a meal form. Place seeds into a blender or food processor and pulse until seeds are a fine texture.

Storage: Keep in a cool, dry place. Once open, refrigerate.

Need a healthier brownie recipe using ground flaxseed? Check out my Double Dark Chocolate Brownies, which uses it as an egg replacer.

Photo credit: Media from Unsplash/Karyna Panchenko