A Week of Seed Meals: A Simple Seven-Day Plan for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Eating more seeds does not require a diet overhaul. This seven-day plan simply weaves them into familiar meals. Portions are small, usually one to two tablespoons, so there is no need to count anything. Swap freely and treat it as a menu of ideas rather than a strict plan.

Before you start

Stock a small seed shelf: chia, ground flax, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds and tahini. Toast a jar of mixed pumpkin, sunflower and sesame seeds on Sunday. Make a lemon-tahini dressing and keep it in the fridge. Those two jars do most of the work.

Monday and Tuesday

Monday. Breakfast: porridge with ground flax and sliced banana. Lunch: lentil soup topped with toasted seeds and a squeeze of lemon. Dinner: roast vegetables and rice with tahini dressing.

Tuesday. Breakfast: overnight chia jar with berries. Lunch: leftover rice and vegetable bowl. Dinner: baked fish or tofu with a sesame crust, plus steamed greens.

Wednesday and Thursday

Wednesday. Breakfast: yoghurt with pumpkin seeds and honey. Lunch: hummus and salad sandwich on seeded bread. Dinner: pasta with nut-free pumpkin seed pesto.

Thursday. Breakfast: smoothie with spinach, fruit and a tablespoon of hemp hearts. Lunch: chickpea salad with sunflower seeds and lemon. Dinner: stir-fried vegetables with sesame oil and a sprinkle of sesame seeds.

Friday to Sunday

Friday. Breakfast: toast with sunflower seed butter and sliced apple. Lunch: soup and seed crackers. Dinner: homemade pizza night, with fennel seeds in the sauce.

Saturday. Breakfast: pancakes with ground flax and fruit. Lunch: grain salad with cumin-roasted carrots and toasted seeds. Dinner: curry with mustard seeds tempered in oil, served with rice.

Sunday. Breakfast: eggs with everything seasoning. Lunch: leftovers bowl. Dinner: roast chicken or roast squash with a coriander and cumin rub.

Choose from seed crackers, energy bites, a small handful of toasted seeds, or fruit with seed butter. One snack a day is enough.

Seeds: chia, ground flax, pumpkin, sunflower, sesame, hemp

Tahini or sunflower butter

Oats, rice, pasta, lentils, chickpeas

Fruit, leafy greens, carrots, squash

Yoghurt or plant yoghurt, eggs or tofu

Spices: cumin, coriander, fennel, mustard seeds

Make it work for your life

If a day gets busy, cut it down to one seed addition, such as sprinkling seeds on soup. If you dislike a seed, replace it. You can double up recipes and freeze portions.

If you are not used to seeds, spread them across the week rather than adding many at once. Drink water, and notice how you feel.

Who should check first

People with kidney disease, those on blood thinners, those who are pregnant or have allergies to seeds should check with a doctor first. Children's portions should be smaller, and whole seeds are not suitable for toddlers.

This article is general information, not medical advice.