? about counting carbs in flaxseed

[skinnymom!]

I bought a bag of flaxseed at the store to get some more fiber (that is trouble for me even with all the veggies ) and I see it has 4 carbs and 4 fiber. I keep seeing posts about making sure the adjust the carb count in recipes that have add-ins of flaxseed. Wouldn't the carbs and fiber cancel out to zero? Thanks!

[tryingagain]

Re: ? about counting carbs in flaxseed

Yes I would think so since Net carbs are what counts by subtracting the fiber from the carbs, they should have 0 net carbs

[skinnymom!]

Re: ? about counting carbs in flaxseed

Thanks! I tried to make the muffin in a minute and while it tasted fine I just couldn't eat more than a few bites of it. Flaxmeal must be an acquired taste, the mouthfeel gagged me I just kept chewing and chewing and had to force it down - blech! I wonder if cream cheese would help, I buttered it instead.

[guekjian]

Re: ? about counting carbs in flaxseed

You're funny! Actually I understand what you mean. I bought the flax "oatmeal" and couldn't get past the first few bites either. It just kept rolling over and over in my mouth and I finally had maybe an eight of a serving! LOL!!!

[skinnymom!]

Re: ? about counting carbs in flaxseed

Glad I'm not alone then LOL! I really WANT to eat it for the health benefits but man, it really triggered my gag reflex. I had to spit the first bite out because I took a big bite and shudder - couldn't get it down. I wonder if there are other ways to eat it in a more concealed fashion? I tried making flax bread last time too and could NOT eat it. Not even with practically a whole block of cream cheese on it

[diwitch]

Re: ? about counting carbs in flaxseed

skinnymom,

What kind of flax are you using? There is whole flax seed, ground flax seed and flax meal. And what brand? If it's not vaccum sealed it should be refrigerated. It goes rancid on the shelf very quickly. The brand can make a huge diffence, some of that stuff out there is just nasty.

Having spent 8 long months on the fat flush plan, which will never happen again, I was forced to become somewhat of an expert on flax, lol. I have a recipe for flax crackers which is decent. They work great to get salsa from bowl to mouth, cheese dip too.

[skinnymom!]

Re: ? about counting carbs in flaxseed

The flax I got is Bob's Red Mill whole ground flaxseed meal and I put it in the fridge immediately after I got home with it. Is that a good kind?

[Justwannaloseafewlbs]

Re: ? about counting carbs in flaxseed

You might try eating fewer actual flax seeds and supplementing with flax seed oil, which has zero carbs on fitday. Here is the trade-off, with the oil, you would lose all of the fiber, but your body would actually be able to utilize the omega 3s. I hear that the omega 3s in whole flaxseeds do not benefit your body at all as the seeds are not digestible.

[diwitch]

Re: ? about counting carbs in flaxseed

The flax I got is Bob's Red Mill whole ground flaxseed meal and I put it in the fridge immediately after I got home with it. Is that a good kind?

Bob's Red Mill is okay, was it refrigerated when you bought it? It's not vaccum sealed so should be refrigerated even before it's opened. I used Bob's mainly for baking, the dh says it has an aftertaste. Spectrum is the best brand I have ever found. Perhaps because it is vaccum packed. I never tried it as a cereal, mainly in muffins, crackers etc. To me, it doesn't really have much taste at all.

I hear that the omega 3s in whole flaxseeds do not benefit your body at all as the seeds are not digestible.

It is true, whole flaxseeds are not digestible, they must be ground first. No matter how much you chew it is pretty much impossible to chew the whole ones up enough to do you any good. But once they are ground you can get both the fiber benefits (you don't get any fiber from the whole ones either, they just sort of pass through, lol) as well as the omegas.

You can grind the whole ones yourself, I use a coffee grinder.

It's true you can get the omega benefits from the oil, of course you don't get any of the fiber, which seems to be what you are looking for as well as the omegas. If you decide to try the oil, the only brands worth buying are Barleans or Spectrum and they MUST be refrigerated when you buy them. I know of few things that are more nasty than rancid flax seed oil. Also be sure you shake it well before you use it.

[skinnymom!]

Re: ? about counting carbs in flaxseed

No it was on the shelf when I bought it - glad to hear there may be a reason for the ickiness! I will have to hunt around for a health food grocery, I am wanting to try that Fage greek yogurt too and my local stores don't carry it. Thanks for tips! And I'll also try some of the oil!

[Sheepie]

Re: ? about counting carbs in flaxseed

I buy the whole seeds and grind them in a coffee grinder. I've never made anything with them, just sprinkle them on saladl

[diwitch]

Re: ? about counting carbs in flaxseed

I buy the whole seeds and grind them in a coffee grinder. I've never made anything with them, just sprinkle them on saladl

I used to do that too, less expensive that way too.