Banana Almond Butter Pudding :: 5 minute dessert

Kids love this delicious pudding that gets it's creamy consistency by blending bananas and almond butter with freshly ground flax seeds. As one 8 year old described, "It's better than good!" In just 5 minutes you have a wonderfully healthy breakfast or a naturally sweet after dinner treat. Not to mention that one serving gives you your daily dose of Omega-3s!

Banana Almond Butter Pudding

Ingredients:
1 ripe banana
1 cup almond milk (unsweetened)
1-2 Tbs almond butter
2 Tbs freshly ground flax seeds (a coffee grinder is perfect for grinding flax seeds!)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of salt
whole or slivered almonds for garnish

From the Kitchen: blender, coffee grinder and bowls, ramekins or espresso cups for serving

In a blender add all the ingredients. Blend well, 1-2 minutes on high. As the ground flax seeds begin to absorb the liquid the mixture will gradually thicken into a pudding. Add more banana, almond butter, almond milk or flax to achieve the flavor and consistency you desire. Garnish with fresh almonds and serve!

Time Saver Tip: You can double or triple the recipe and pour leftover pudding into ramekins, cover with plastic wrap and keep in the fridge for breakfast or snack the next day. You can also try warming the pudding in the oven at 250º for approximately 15-20 minutes for a warm, comforting sweet treat.

Makes 2 servings for a breakfast treat or 4 smaller servings for dessert

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FLAX SEED: Health Benefits

Its high content of alpha linolenic acids has made the ancient flax seed become our modern miracle food. Alpha linolenic acid is a type of plant-derived omega 3 fatty acid, similar to those found in fish such as salmon. Benefits of flax seed as shown in many studies include lowering total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol (the Bad cholesterol) levels. Other benefits show that flax seed may also help lower blood triglyceride and blood pressure. It may also keep platelets from becoming sticky therefore reducing the risk of a heart attack.

Other Benefits of Flax seed
Aside from alpha linolenic acid, flax seed is rich in lignan. Lignan is a type phytoestrogen (antioxidant) and also provides fiber. Researches reveal that lignan in flax seed shows a lot of promise in fighting disease -- including a possible role in cancer prevention especially breast cancer. It is thought that lignan metabolites can bind to estrogen receptors, hence inhibiting the onset of estrogen-stimulated breast cancer.

Recent studies also showed positive benefits of flax seed oil in IBD (Crohn's Disease and Colitis). Flax seed oil seems to be able to heal the inner lining of the inflamed intestines.

How to Select and Store flax seeds: Flaxseeds can be purchased either whole or already ground. The two different forms offer distinct benefits. Although ground flaxseeds may be more convenient, whole flaxseeds feature a longer shelf life.

Whole flaxseeds are generally available in prepackaged containers as well as bulk bins. Just as with any other food that you may purchase in the bulk section, make sure that the bins containing the flaxseeds are covered and that the store has a good product turnover so as to ensure their maximal freshness. Whether purchasing flaxseeds in bulk or in a packaged container, make sure that there is no evidence of moisture. Because flax seeds are sensitive to light and heat, the best place to store your whole flaxseeds is in an airtight container in the freezer to prevent the oils from oxidizing and the seeds from going rancid. In the freezer they will stay fresh for several months.

HealthCastle.com and whfoods.com

For more nutritional information on flax seeds visit:
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=81