Flaxseed Butter

Name: Flaxseed butter, also called linseed butter — a spread of ground flaxseeds (Linum usitatissimum), often blended with other seeds or nuts and a little oil to make it creamy. It has a distinctive, earthy, slightly nutty flavour.

Description

Flax is one of the oldest cultivated crops, grown for thousands of years in the Middle East and Europe for its fibre, which is spun into linen, and for its seeds. Flaxseeds became a popular health food in recent decades for their omega-3 fat and fibre, and flaxseed butter is a newer way of eating them, since grinding them makes the nutrients far easier to absorb than whole seeds, which can pass through the gut intact.

Seed butters are made by grinding seeds into a smooth paste, and the best contain only seeds, with perhaps a little salt or oil. Pure ground flax can be thick and gluey, so many flaxseed butters are blends. The oils in flax are delicate, so the butter should be kept cold.

Main nutrition value

Flaxseed butter is a good source of alpha-linolenic acid (a plant omega-3 fat), fibre and lignans, plant compounds studied for their health effects, together with protein and magnesium.

How best to be consumed

Flaxseed butter is a nutritious spread, used in small amounts.

1. Spread on toast, rice cakes or apple slices.
2. Stir into porridge, yoghurt and smoothies for extra fibre and omega-3.
3. Use in baking in place of some of the butter or oil.
4. Keep in the fridge, since the oils go rancid easily.
5. Check the label for added sugar, palm oil and other seeds.

Overconsumption could cause…

Seed butters are nutritious but calorie-dense, and portion size matters.

1. Weight gain from large servings, since a tablespoon holds around 90 calories or more.
2. Added sugar, palm oil and salt in some commercial brands, so check the label.
3. Digestive discomfort, such as bloating, gas or loose stools, from a lot of fibre if you are not used to it, so build up gradually and drink water.

GroupsSeed Butters

Made fromFlaxseeds / Linseeds

Related foodsChia Seed ButterHemp Seed ButterMixed Seed ButterPumpkin Seed ButterSunflower Seed ButterTahini / Sesame Seed Butter

Wikipedia — Linseed, used for origin, naming and history: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linseed