Superfood Sprinkle

I’m always looking for quick and easy ways to sneak extra nutrients in to our meals and snacks – something that I can add to everything from pastas, salads, soups and eggs to simple steamed vegetables. Enter my superfood savoury sprinkle! It’s packed with protein, healthy fats, B vitamins and minerals and guaranteed to boost the flavour and nutrients of just about everything. Made with only 5 ingredients it’s an easy and delicious way to get more nutrient-bang-for-your-buck when it comes to feeding kids.

WAYS TO USE SUPERFOOD SPRINKLE

Once you start using it, you’ll find ways to incorporate it to everything but here are some ideas to get you started –

Soups: Add to your favorite soup or stew as a topping or stir it through to boost the protein and B vitamins
Salads: If your salad is served as a main dish or a side, boost the protein and nutrients by sprinkling this over as a topping or toss to coast some simple green leaves (note: if you dress with a little EVOO and apple cider vinegar first as the savoury sprinkle will stick nicely to the leaves… yum!)
Pasta: Use the same way as a salad… on days when I don’t have anything ready for Otis’s lunch, I’ll cook up some quinoa & amaranth pasta and toss through a little EVOO and savoury sprinkle to turn up the flavour and nutrients
Poke/Nourish Bowls of-sorts: Use the same way as a salad
Stir-fry: Add as a topping or to the pan when you’re cooking
Popcorn: Make your popcorn, then in a large bowl, add savoury sprinkle and toss to combine – hello cheesy popcorn!
Roasted Veggies: After roasting, give a good dusting of savoury sprinkle and you’ll take this simple dish to the next level
Eggs: Sprinkle over poachies, stir through scrambled or top simple sliced boiled eggs

HEALTH BENEFITS

Nutritional Yeast

An inactive dried form of yeast that tastes kind-of nutty-cheesy doesn’t sound too appealing, but this stuff is incredibly nutritious. It’s a complete protein (contains all essential amino acids) and full of trace minerals like zinc, selenium, manganese and molybdenum (involved in gene regulation, metabolism, growth and immunity). It’s also high in all-important B vitamins (1 Tbsp contains 30–180% of the RDI for B vitamins) and antioxidants (to protect cells against free radical damage and help eliminate environmental toxins from the body). Nutritional yeast is a species of yeast known as Saccharomyces cerevisiae – so it’s the same type of yeast that’s used to bake bread and brew beer, however, nutritional yeast is inactive (or not alive). You’ll find it in the health food stores, usually sold as flakes, granules or powder.

Walnuts

Walnuts are known as brain food quite literally as they contain loads of heart-healthy fats and omega-3 fatty acids which are great for reducing inflammation in the body amongst other health benefits. They also contain phenols (90% are found in the skin, so don’t remove it), minerals like zinc (assists in fighting colds and healing wounds), healthy fats, and a small amount of plant-based protein and fibre – all of which have been shown to lower cholesterol, improve brain and behavioral health, reduce heart disease, improve bone health, help with blood sugar control and type 2 diabetes, provide anti-cancer benefits, and anti-inflammatory benefits.

Turmeric

Curcumin – the active compound found in turmeric that gives it its vibrant bright yellow-orange colour has been used therapeutically in Ayurvedic and Chinese traditional medicine for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties for thousands of years and science has to begun backing this up with over 10,000 published articles citing the many health benefits of curcumin, across a wide range of health areas thanks to it’s powerful anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antiseptic and analgesic (pain-relieving) properties. You can read more about this super-ingredient here.

Hemp Seeds

Hemp seeds are exceptionally nutritious – rich in healthy fats (over 30%, including both omega-6 and omega-3), protein (over 25%) and minerals (phosphorus, potassium, sodium, magnesium, sulfur, calcium, iron and zinc). They are also a great source of vitamin E (antioxidant that supports the immune system, skin and eye health).

MAKES: 2.5 CUPS

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups nutritional yeast
½ cup raw walnuts
½ cup hemp seeds
½ tsp ground black pepper
¼ tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp turmeric
Pinch of sea salt

INSTRUCTIONS:

In a food processor, pulse the walnuts and hemp seeds until you have a ground mixture – not as fine as a powder, you want small chunks in there for chunky texture
Combine all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl and add the ground walnuts and hemp seeds
Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed
Store in a cool, dark place and tightly seal to keep moisture out. Use within 1-2 months (if it lasts that long)