Q: I have lots of coconut oil, flaxseed and chia seeds because they’re healthy, but should I be worried about the calories?
All calories count, regardless of where they come from. If you were to have 1tbsp each of coconut oil, flaxseed and chia seeds every day, you’d add an extra 250kcal to your intake. If you don’t compensate for these extra calories, in a year you could expect to gain almost 2st! So you’re right to be cautious.
I’d start by ditching the coconut oil, which is also high in saturated fat – just 1tbsp provides almost half the maximum amount of saturates recommended in a day. And there’s not enough research to suggest it has any true health benefits.
Flaxseeds and chia seeds contain protein and a variety of vitamins and minerals in differing amounts. Chia seeds score higher than flaxseeds for iron, phosphorus, calcium, selenium and niacin (vitamin B3) and are slightly lower in calories and fat (486kcal and 30.7g fat per 100g, compared with 534kcal and 42.2g fat). Flaxseeds are higher in magnesium, copper and potassium, and have almost three times more thiamin (vitamin B1) than chia seeds, plus they’re lower in carbs and slightly higher in protein. Both contain similar amounts of omega-3 fats.
I’d suggest mixing it up by having 1tbsp chia seeds one day and 1tbsp flaxseeds the next
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