LSA, or ground linseed (flaxseed), sunflower seeds and almonds, is amazingly good for you and so easy to make at home.
I first heard of LSA more than 10 years ago, when a friend was reading a popular liver detox book and following its diet recommendations. I can't say I ever read the book, but I liked the idea of the LSA it touted as a healthy addition to your diet, a way to support your liver and an excellent source of omega fatty acids.
Since then I've usually had a bag of LSA tucked away in my fridge, and regularly add it to porridge, smoothies and baking. It's nutty, sweet, and easy to add to your diet without feeling like you're eating birdseed.
And why would you want to add it to your diet? LSA is a mixture of ground raw linseed (also known as flaxseed), sunflower seeds and almonds. Altogether, this mixture is a good source of omega fatty acids, dietary fibre, vitamin E (alpha tocopherol), thiamin, magnesium, phosphorus and copper, and a very good source of manganese.
The proportions in commercial LSA blends are three parts linseed, two parts sunflower seeds, and one part almonds. There's nothing else to it, so I'm not sure why it's taken me so long to get around to making it at home.
If you have a high speed blender there's absolutely no excuse, but you can still make it with a decent food processor or even a coffee grinder. Using my Optimum 9400, it took about 20 seconds to make. The final result is soft, finely ground and most importantly - fresh. Much as I like LSA, I don't use it every day, so I'm really happy about being able to make smaller quantities, with fresher ingredients, more often.
If you buy LSA already, I encourage you to try making it yourself, and if you've never tried it, give it a go! Now that I have a fresh batch made, I'll have a few recipes with LSA coming up soon.
Get the recipe
INGREDIENTS
- 3 parts raw linseed (flaxseed)
- 2 parts raw sunflower seeds
- 1 part raw almonds
INSTRUCTIONS
- Put linseed, sunflower seeds and almonds into your blender or food processor. Blend at a high speed for 10-20 seconds, or until finely ground. You may need to stop and stir it around a bit to ensure you don't have any chunky bits.
- If you're using a coffee grinder, do it one ingredient at a time and in small quantities, then mix ground ingredients together.
- Store in a sealed jar in the refrigerator.
Gaye Hatfield
I did it with a stick blender and the container that came with it. Unfortunately by the time the linseeds were blended I had LSA paste😁
Amber
Unfortunately a stick blender isn't the right tool for the job, I hope you found a use for the LSA paste though!
Ann Hunt
This is so helpful! Thank you. How much LSA do you add to your breakfast cereal?
Amber
I'd sprinkle over about a tablespoon.
michelle
hi,
what does 3 par or 2 part mean?
can i buy whole flaxseeds and pumkin seeds?
Amber
Hi Michelle, it means you can use make any quantity of LSA using the correct proportions. For example if 'one part' is half a cup, you would use one and a half cups of linseed/flaxseed, one cup of sunflower seeds, and half a cup of almonds. Using 'parts' in the recipe makes it easy to scale up or down to meet your needs. And yes you can buy whole seeds (this recipe uses whole seeds).
sonjah farmer
what do you use the lynseed sunflower and almond for what do you put it in
Thank you
Amber
Hi Sonjah, one of the easiest ways to use LSA is to add a sprinkle over the top of a bowl of cereal or porridge, or add a spoonful to a smoothie.
Denise
Should the ingredients all be raw?
I saw raw linseed or flax seed, but I didn’t see anything about the other ingredients.
I assume they shouldn’t be roasted or salted. I also saw on another site that the almonds should have the brown coat and should not be broken before using in this recipe as that outer layer keeps it fresh and from going rancid. Also this should be kept in the freezer as light, oxygen and heat will destroy the benefits of the oils.
Amber
Hi Denise, yes the ingredients should be raw - I've updated the recipe to make this clear.
Heather
Is that tablespoon of almonds, whole almonds or something smaller, like sliced or slivered almonds?
Amber
Hi Heather, I used whole raw almonds 🙂
Amanda
How long will it keep in the fridge please
Amber
Hi Amanda, I'm not sure of the maximum storage time but it will keep for a long time in the fridge. I would think at least a month.
Gustav jan
Hallo, is this mix like a psykedelic trip like lsa seeds?
Amber
No, this mix is not a psychedelic trip - just a health food.
Anne Spode
What quantity should be taken and should it be everyday? My reason is for increased fibre in my diet.
Amber
Hi Anne, I don't think there's any specific amount or frequency that is recommended. I'd start by adding 1 tablespoon to your oatmeal or other cereals and see how you enjoy it 🙂 It's also easy to add in to smoothies or cookies, you could stir it through yoghurt, or add some to a home made burger pattie mixture.
Ryan
Should the sunflower seeds be raw?
Amber
Yes 🙂
elena
does it has to be keep in a glass or plastic container?
Amber
Hi Elena, no it just needs to be in a sealed container to help it stay fresh 🙂