A flax egg was made popular by a desire for a vegan egg substitute in recipes. What is a flax egg you might be asking? It’s a natural completely vegan, gluten free, dairy free egg substitute made from 1 tablespoon flaxseed meal and 3 tablespoons water. When these two ingredients are mixed together, then allowed to sit in the frig for 15 minutes, they gel to form an egg like consistency that is loaded with nutrients from the flax seeds.

However, much like eating a raw egg it’s not recommended to consume the flax egg mixture by itself. It’s not going to offer much flavor or enjoyment. The 1 tablespoon flaxseed meal and 3 tablespoons water is equivalent to one egg. Double for a recipes that calls for 2 eggs. In general this ratio works best as an egg substitute in most baked goods particularly muffins, quick breads and pancakes. It also works well in veggie burger recipes.

You don’t have to be vegan to give flax eggs a try. Flax seeds are high in fiber, omega-3 fatty acids and they offer a plant based protein. It’s always beneficial to offer your body a wide range of natural seeds, nuts, produce and wholesome grains. That is why I find implementing flax eggs, or flaxseed meal into my nutrition plan as a healthy way to achieve balance, variety and moderation in my daily routine.