This nut and seed loaf will make your kitchen smell so good, you won’t be able to wait for it to cool before devouring it.
This Nut and Seed Loaf is the perfect snack
It’s been a while since I’ve posted a recipe! Bad nutritionist…
I have to be honest – I’ve been making a lot of the same foods recently. Mike and I have been in a bit of a food rut, so it’s been hard to get any new recipes on here. But in the past few weeks I’ve been following an anti-candida diet, so many of my typical go-to’s have been replaced with experiments.
I’ve been making this nut and seed loaf the last three weekends in a row. It’s that good. It resembles bread (though it’s far more dense), and tastes delicious even though it’s not sweetened. It’s grain-free and sugar-free which makes it candida-friendly for anyone following an anti-candida protocol. This also makes it paleo-friendly and keto-friendly. It’s also vegan because I used flax-eggs instead of regular eggs!
Why am I following an anti-candida diet?
I’m sure many of my nutritionist friends would agree – sometimes it’s fun to do experiments on yourself. For years I’ve struggled with cystic acne on my chin. Usually this is an issue with the gut/hormones, and it flares up when I eat foods that are inflammatory. I’ve also noticed it coincides with my menstrual cycle hormones. I’ve done a number of things to try to alleviate it, and while a few things have helped, nothing has fully cleared it up.
I decided to follow an anti-candida protocol because I’ve had chronic cystic acne for years, and I’ve also always had a sweet tooth. And I don’t mean a small one – I mean eat-the-entire-pantry-full-of-chocolate-in-one-sitting kind of sweet tooth. As a kid, I grew up surrounded by sugar and I am a recovering sugar addict. Sugar is said to be eight times more addictive than cocaine. It boosts our dopamine and serotonin levels making us feel real good, until it wears off and we feel like garbage again. Sugar gives us a hit of happiness, plus it’s easy to access and very very inexpensive.
My addiction to sugar
As a child, I didn’t realize the depth of my sugar addiction. It wasn’t until I moved out of my parents house did I notice how much I consumed. When I started diving into health and wellness, I started to consume more fruits (natural sugars) and less refined sugar. The more and more I limited my sugar intake, the better I felt.
However, I’ve never been able to shake sugar cravings. I have noticed that they often correlate with anxiety and stress (which is a natural response), but I also have certain habits that are hard to break. When I’m bored, I want to munch on junk food. After dinner, I always want sugar or junk food to “settle” my stomach.
Since I’m a nutritionist, I know how to achieve balance. Most of my snacks are lower in sugar than conventional junk food. But not always, and some days I can’t help the binge or the cravings. Sometimes it feels like they control me.
A lot of intuitive eaters would say to listen to your body and avoid restriction since it can be even more damaging. While I agree in many cases, I wanted to learn if these sugar cravings were tied to emotions or habits, or if candida was controlling them. We know that gut dysbiosis (an overgrowth of bad bacteria) can alter our cravings and lead us to consume more junk food.
Was this what was happening to me?
My anti-candida experience so far
I will write a full post on my anti-candida experience once I’ve gone through the full protocol. I’m happy to report that most of my junk food cravings are gone. I still get cravings daily, but they’re not as intense or as frequent.
I am lucky to be going through this protocol while I’ve been so healthy. The dietary changes aren’t as drastic and I haven’t experienced any strong die-off or herxheimer reactions. If you’re not familiar, die-off reactions can range from nausea, digestive upset, mood issues, fatigue, headaches and more. They’re often triggered by the toxins released as candida dies off during initial stages of an anti-candida diet. The goal is to experience as little die-off as possible by priming and supporting the liver and other elimination organs.
Back to the nut and seed loaf…
As I’ve said before, this has become my favourite snack. It’s a very high-fat snack, but it’s perfect for when I’m hungry between meals. It’s highly nutritious and made with whole foods to support overall health. Because of the high amount of healthy fats, it’s great for supporting our hormones too. Oh – and if you’re weirded out by the little green spots, don’t be. It’s just the chemical reaction that happens when sunflower seeds are cooked!
- 1/2 cup raw walnuts
- 1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds
- 1/4 cup raw sesame seeds
- 1/4 cup flax seeds
- 1/4 cup hemp seeds
- 2 cups almond flour (almond meal - I use Bob's Red Mill)
- 2 tbsp coconut flour
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3 flax eggs
- 1/3 cup soft, almost-melted coconut oil
- 1/2 cup almond milk
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- Set your oven to 350F.
- Combine all nuts and seeds into a food processor and pulse until ground.
- Add almond flour, coconut flour, baking soda and salt. Pulse to combine.
- Separately, make your flax eggs (see notes for instructions). Add coconut oil, almond milk, and apple cider vinegar. Mix.
- Add wet mixture into the food processor and process until dough forms. Let it sit for 5 minutes.
- Grab your loaf pan and line it with parchment paper. Once the dough has sat for a few minutes, transfer it to your pan and top it with additional nuts and seeds if you wish.
- Put the loaf in the oven and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. I usually put it in for an hour and then check it every 10 to 15 minutes.
- Once it's cooked, let it sit and cool fully before slicing into it.
- To make flax eggs: 1 flax egg = mix 1 tbsp ground flax + 3 tbsp water and allow it to sit for a few minutes to absorb the liquid. For this recipe, I did 3 tbsp ground flax + 8 tbsp water.
- You can try substituting flax eggs for regular eggs, but I haven't tried it in this specific recipe.
- Weirded out about the little green spots? It's just the colour that sunflower seeds make once they're cooked! Feel free to omit them if you find them a little weird.
- Store in the fridge for a few days, or freezer for a few weeks.
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