I’ve sent out chia seeds and hemp seeds through my product review club previously so I’m very excited to be able to complete the trilogy and send out flax seeds – probably the most common one out of all of them.
Flax seeds gained popularity by being a plant based source of omega-3 fatty acids. There are brown flax seeds, golden flax seeds and flax seed oil. Flax seeds are often sold whole or ground. They need to be ground up before eating otherwise they pass through mostly undigested.
However, there is a product called Omega Crunch which are shelled flax seeds. They are available in a shaker bottle making it an easy way to add flax seeds to your meals. Because they are shelled, you don’t even need to grind them up – just sprinkle and use in your favourite recipes and enjoy.
Omega Crunch can be found in health food stores, some grocery stores and online. A 175 g shaker bottle retails for approximately $9.95. They come in a variety of flavours.
We sent out samples of the following flavours of Omega Crunch Flax Toppings to members of the product review club: Regular flax, Roasted Garlic, Roasted Maple and Sweet Cinnamon.
Check out what they had to say in the comments below.
Have you tried Omega Crunch Flax Topping? How did you use it? What did you think of it?
For more information about flax, go to http://www.flaxcouncil.ca/
I’ve been a loyal customer of Omega Crunch shelled (de-hulled) flax since 2008, when I first saw and tasted their amazing product at the Good Food Show in Mississauga. I absolutely love the taste and texture of the flax, and will even eat a spoonful of it just on its own The fact that the flax is unground, not only lends a delicious crunch but it also has a less mild and subtle “flax oil” taste, that some may find unappealing when eating ground flax.
Here are a few of my favourite ways of enjoying this fabulous and oh-so versatile product. I like changing up the flavours, but hands down my favourite flavour of omega crunch is the maple!
– Sprinkled on top of my ultra-thick green and icy smoothies
(perfect for those who like “eating” their smoothies vs. “drinking”)
– Garnish on salads
– Tossed into quinoa or rice pilafs
– Coating for my “pick-me up bites”
Here is the link to my Chocolate Goji Berry Pick-Me Up Bite featured on the Omega Crunch Website: http://www.omegacrunch.com/blog/chocolate-goji-berry-pickmeup-bites/
– Mixed into my morning cereal; hot/cold
– Coating for my chicken fingers, fish and tofu steaks
– Dusted on top of my almond butter slathered toast
For anyone trying to increase their intake of omega-3 fatty acids and fibre; Omega Crunch is an easy, simple and tasty solution! Perfect for leaving on the countertop so you can sprinkle, sprinkle and sprinkle some more on top of your breakfast, lunch and dinner meals
Thanks Amanda, You have been a long time valued customer. We appreciate your kind words and great ideas for use.
Flax on Everything!
Brent Larsen
Omega Crunch
http://www.omegacrunch.com
1-888-539-4716
Thanks for the samples! This is my first Confessions of a Dietitian post and I am happy to share my experience with Omega Crunch flax topping.
Since we were provided with 4 different flavours, I made sure to use them in a variety of different ways. I enjoyed the cinnamon flax on my morning greek yogurt and fruit (which happened to be pear recently) which gave it a nice bit of crunch. I shared the garlic flax with my husband for salads we made on the weekend. The maple flax was a nice addition to toast with peanut butter and a banana and the regular ended up in soup, salads, and on mashed potatoes.
The product definitely smells great and adds a light flavour to your food. I found it to be very convenient to use – no need to pull out the coffee grinder to prep whole flax seeds! I was curious about the shelf life since they are shelled, but the website’s FAQs were able to give the answers I was looking for. Like any seed I play around with in the kitchen, they can be expensive, but I find that you use small amounts and thus they last a long time.
Before receiving the samples I was not familiar with this product, but I would definitely consider purchasing it due to the convenience and versatility. Since many people don’t consume adequate omega-3s or fibre, it would be easy to recommend this product as an option.
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to try this product. I have to admit that I never tried flax seeds before because I couldn’t be bothered to grind them up. This product is great because I don’t have to do that.
The flax seeds tasted delicious on their own! I really liked the sweet cinnamon flavour. It went really well with my oatmeal, offering a hint of sweetness without requiring me to use any additional sugar. I used the plain flax topping in yogurt, the roasted garlic over mashed potatoes and the roasted maple in a sweet potato and quinoa salad and in butternut squash soup. It provided a nice ‘chefy’ garnish on top of the soup and mashed potatoes and added a crunchy texture. It definitely elevated the dishes over all. Plus it’s healthy!
These flax seed toppings were a lot of fun to use. I would definitely choose this product over buying regular flax seeds just because they are so easy to use and the different flavours make a nice addition to many dishes. It’s also an easy and tasty way to get more fibre and omega-3s into the diet.
True, it’s more expensive than just getting plain flax seeds at a bulk food store but I see myself using this product a lot more than regular flax seeds (which would have to be ground up and used before they go rancid) which makes it worth it.
I would definitely recommend it as an option to people who are interested in trying to get some additional fibre and omega-3s in their diet since they are so versatile.
Hmmm… I opened the samples and thought they had a lovely aroma, subtle but nice. Immediately my mind went in gear to creative ways to use this product. The first idea was to incorporate the roasted garlic flavour into a seedy slaw. I put them into a nutritious creamy version along with toasted sunflower seeds. The result was that the flavour was lost and the texture of the crunch in the amount provided was lost too. Because the flavour was lost and the sample size was small, I put both the Roasted Maple and Sweet Cinnamon flavours into my steel cut oats, with walnuts and skim milk. Sorry to report the flavour was way too subtle to none and the crunch became a tad chewy. Did not float my boat.
People have the option to purchase whole flax seed or even the ground version at bulk food stores. I prefer to grind my own product. I don’t feel this product lends to that much more of a convenience, although I do appreciate the producer’s efforts to supply a body soluble friendly version. As spices are a big part of my brand, I prefer to add freshly ground spice to my dishes and encourage my clients to do the same. The flavour intensifies and you always have fresh spice.
It is for these reasons, I do see the point of the product, but I do not see the overall enhanced benefits of a commercial flaxseed with flavour in the marketplace. It is my belief that the bang for our buck is best spent purchasing flaxseed on deal and adding our own creative flavour profiles. This product is not worth the expense for the retail price. I fell the overall health benefits in terms of convenience is not worth the expense. I would only recommend this product, when my clients were opposed to grinding their own flax.
I was excited to try flavoured ground flax, and was a bit disappointed with the Omega Crunch product. I enjoyed the texture of Omega Crunch, and with a great nutrition profile, this product is a convenient way to boost omega 3 intake. However, I found the taste a bit too subtle. I used the Omega Crunch in my oatmeal, and as a salad topper, and found very little (if any) flavour, so I ended up having to add additional herbs and spices as a flavour boost.
To be cost effective, I would likely just buy the plain ground flax and flavour it myself.
These were delicious! I was surprised when I heard of flavoured flax seeds but they were so good – the cinnamon one added such a nice flavour to my yogurt. I used them on toast, salad, and oatmeal. All flavours were great, I highly recommend them.
Because they’re shelled they’re convenient to use and a good way for people who may be hesitant on incorporating flax into their diet can do so with ease.
Despite their higher price, the flavour and convenience are great selling features of this price and I recommend them to those who want to try something different as a garnish for their meals.
I had tried flax seeds before, but either I ground myself or I bought ground flax seeds.
This Omega Crunch flax topping came with 4 flavours, and you could enjoy the convenience of just sprinkling.
As they came with different flavours, I used them in different ways.
I put sweet cinnamon on my yogurt, but I couldn’t really taste them sweet with yogurt as the taste is not strong. I could smell and taste cinnamon, but that’s it. I used roasted maple on oatmeal because I like sometimes sweet oatmeal. But again, I couldn’t quite tell the taste difference. I sprinkled roasted garlic on top of a garden salad, which was stronger garlic flavour than I had expected when I tried it on its own by accident while preparation. And I used regular flax on top in waffles. Maybe because all of the things I used for contains quite water/humidity, I couldn’t experience “crunch” as I had expected. I mean, I could get the shell texture, but it wasn’t “crunch.” It was in the name of the product, so I was anticipating more of crunch texture from it. All of the taste were subtle, so it can be used for various ways easily.
From a healthy eating aspect, this will be a great addition of Omega-3 to your diet without hustle. But I would grind flax seeds on my own and I will be okay with it. I’m not sure if flax seeds will be oxidized after a while, and I wouldn’t mind grinding instead of paying extra.
Thank you for sending me this product to try! I like the concept of the flax seed being shelled. I often tell clients to mix together whole flax for insoluble fibre with ground flax for soluble fibre. This product is a way to do it conveniently in one product. Although, I find the price point very expensive! Flax seed in bulk is about 1/3 of the cost. I can see this product being successful in a gourmet specialty food shop. From my experience, I find that most people look for flaxseed in the bulk food stores and then grind it themselves.
In terms of the different flavours, I must say that I enjoyed the plain one the most! The roasted maple and sweet cinnamon were nice, but I would much rather use my own cinnamon and maple syrup! I really didn’t like the roasted garlic variety. I found that there was an after taste. Again, I would much rather use fresh garlic! I tried the sweet samples on yogurt and the roasted garlic one on a lentil/rice mixture.
I think that I am going to stick with buying my flaxseed in bulk and grind it myself!!! For my clients who are interested in a convenient gourmet type product and who are willing to pay the steep price, I would definitely have no problem recommending this product to them!
I personally like to get my omegas from fish, so when I got these toppings in the mail to try, I was curious how they were going to pan out.
I liked how these flax seeds were shelled for easy absorption of the omegas, eliminating the step of grinding to increase absorption. However, I was a bit concerned that the clear packaging and unshelled state would cause the omegas to oxidize out faster than unshelled flax in an opaque package.
I found that the sweet toppings (cinnamon and maple) had a bit of an aftertaste when taken on their own, but they were perfect in yogurt and mixed into oatmeal. I liked the plain and roasted garlic flavour on steamed vegetables and in mashed potatoes.
The price point is a bit high, but if someone asked, I would recommend the product. I would recommend though that the company package it differently – like in an opaque package – to prevent the oxidation of the omegas.
Thanks to Confessions of a Dietitian for sending me product samples of Omega Crunch.
I used my 4 (small, sniff sniff, could have used more ) samples in a variety of ways. I sprinkled the roasted garlic on fresh tomatoes and bocconcini cheese, which tasted amazing (not like fresh garlic would, but more like garlic powder…no breath mints needed). I incorporated the regular/plain flavour flax into some gluten free cheese crackers that I made for my baby (and she gobbled them up) and there was no significant flavor that stood out. I mixed in the roasted maple flax in with a serving of my homemade granola. The maple flax gave the granola a little more crunch with a subtle maple favour (not the same punch a tsp. of maple syrup would give, but the maple flavor did stand out). The last sample was the cinnamon flax. I was starting to realize (after reading some other reviews) that the product seems to work much better as a “topper” rather than mixing it into foods (which I am use to doing). I sprinkled the cinnamon flax on some homemade oatmeal cookies rather than mixing it in, and the cinnamon flavor was able to stand out (with a little extra crunch).
Overall the flavours tasted great and were true to their flavour. They were subtle to mild, and you were still able to taste the flax taste of the seed. Sometimes I find that flavour infused foods taste artificial, and lack the real ingredient taste, but that is not the case with the Omega Crunch flavours.
I would use the product again and definitely would recommend it to clients and friends. Unfortunately, Omega Crunch Flax Topping doesn’t seem to be available in my local stores in the Winnipeg area…yet. Hopefully one day soon. Would I order it online? …probably not, too much hassle.
My overall thoughts about the product from a healthy eating standpoint is that it is really just a novelty food product item…if you like to spend your money on novelty food items (like I do), then go for it because I do think consuming this product will contribute to good health. But if you can’t afford it, then plain ground flax seeds will do fine.
For weight management, adding 2 tsp of Roasted garlic to say, a salad, would add an extra 30 calories, 2.5 grams fat (only 0.2g saturated), 0g sodium. Not too significant. However, depending on how much you are “shaking” on your food, the calories could add up. This product could also be a good flavour enhancer for someone on a salt/sugar restricted diet, and is looking for other options to add flavor to their foods.
I think the shaker bottles would make great gifts, or would be a great way to get someone to try flax seeds that may have an aversion to them.
Susan Watson, RD
Twitter: @LittleNutrition
Note: This is a condensed version of my full product review. Please check out my full product review with pictures on my blog: https://alittlenutrition.wordpress.com/2014/10/16/grind-no-more-with-omega-crunch-product-review/
Thank you for the opportunity to sample a product I likely wouldn’t have tried on my own. I used the different flax toppings in a variety of ways: I added the roasted garlic flavour to rice, sprinkled the roasted maple topping over salmon, and added the regular flaxseed to my fruit-flavoured yogurt. Tasting the seeds on their own, they had a nice mild flavour; however, mixed in to different dishes, the flavours were lost. Though they didn’t give my food any extra “crunch”, I didn’t find them overly chewy and felt the texture went well in all of the cooked dishes I tried. From a health perspective, I don’t know if it’s a necessity – you need a good amount of the product to get just 1g of fibre, and I prefer omega-3 from fish. The cost would also be a deterrent. However, for someone looking for a more convenient way to add flax in their diet who didn’t mind the cost, this would be an option.
This is the first time I have tried shelled flaxseed. I usually just grind up plain flaxseed and sprinkle it onto oatmeal or in my smoothies. I have never really “cooked” with them until now. I did like how there were some flavours to choose from. I added the Roasted Garlic packet to my seasonings for roasted potatoes. Because the samples were quite small, I don’t know if I had enough to make a difference to the taste of the dish. Perhaps it’s my fault for always cooking large dishes!
I did have more luck using the Sweet Cinnamon packet when making pancakes. This time, I used the entire packet in a small portion of the batter. The Omega Crunch added some texture and cinnamon flavour to the pancakes. I thought this was a nice change from other plain pancakes.
I am going to try the same strategy again tomorrow night and use the entire Roasted Maple sample packet on just one or two salmon fillets rather than a whole tray of them. I suspect it will turn out great!
Would I use this product again? If I can get a hold of a whole bottle, I would be much more generous with the amount when using it in family-size dishes so that it is actually making a good impact on the flavour, texture and nutritional value of the foods. I think it’s great to try and incorporate plant-based omega-3s and dietary fibre in a variety of ways, and Omega Crunch can definitely be an option to do so.
I enjoyed using the packages of Omega Crunch.
I found I needed almost the whole sample package to actually get the taste of the flavorings, which is fine since it increases the amount of omega 3 . I used the flavorings in yogurt and oatmeal except the garlic flavor which was added to veggies. Nutritionally speaking, I tried to read the nutrition label on the web site but found it very difficult to read. I did request it from the web site and I immediately received a picture of the labels. The added sugar and salt may not be significant if one is using a sprinkle as a “topper” . I would recommend this product to anyone who was interested in specialty gourmet foods where money was no object. It is a convenient and fun way to add omega 3 to food. However, the same effect could be achieved at a far less expense .
Thank you for sending me the Omega Crunch flax seed samples!
I have only seen ground and whole flax seeds, so I was intrigued when I saw they were shelled, which let the nutrient rich centre of the seed shine through.
I used the Roasted Maple and Sweet Cinnamon to top off my daily yogurt, muesli and berries, which was delicious. As some have already said, the flavour is subtle, but I could still tell it was there, and it tasted great. I used the Roasted Garlic to top off my ‘Glory Bowl’ and salad. I tend to use fairly light tasting dressings, with apple cider vinegar and olive oil or something of the sort, so I could definitely taste the flax seed’s garlic flavour in my salads. The flavour was definitely more of a garlic powder though, and not a pungent raw garlic flavour, which I’m sure some will appreciate. I just used the Regular Flax in my yogurt, and I couldn’t tell it was there. I typically used flax or chia anyhow, so it wasn’t anything new.
Overall, the flavoured flax seeds tasted great, and were slightly crunchy as a last-minute topper to dishes. I probably wouldn’t recommend mixing them in a batter or anything if you still wanted to taste them and have the crunch, but the nutrition would still hold.
I would use them again, and it seems like it would be nice to have on the table in place of salt or pepper (at least the garlic one), to add fiber, omega 3s and flavour to food without the added sodium. I’m just not sure how long it would last since I use flax seeds daily, and tend to mix them into my food when I pack it up for lunch, so the $9.95 container would be gone within a few weeks, and I wouldn’t enjoy the crunch it has to offer unless I brought the whole shaker with me to work. I will likely stay with my usual whole flax or ground flax because I usually just add them for nutrition and not flavour, but if I wanted something a bit different to try for added flavour, I would try this product again.
This was my first try at shelled flax products and omega crunch. I have to admit I was a tad dissapointed by the texture and lack of nutritional information provided to us in the package or the company website. I used the shelled flax on my oatmeal in the morning and also just ate it simply out of the packaging- it was nice, the flavor was definitely very subtle (even the sweetened ones- which is not that bad actually) but the texture was a bit too crunchy/hard for me personally and your swallowing most of them whole. I like that the company offers different flavor combinations or plain so they can be used many different ways. I would probably not use or buy this product because I like the ground flax better and like how it helps thicken things too which doesn’t happen with the shelled version. I think the price is a bit steep too and don’t like that we cannot get it in stores. Omega crunch has to be shipped and so you have to consider shipping costs on top of that. Overall I would have liked to be offered more nutrition information and better access to it on the omega crunch website. I do like that this is a Canadian product however and the different flavors it comes in. Out of 5 stars I would rate it a 2.5.
I’ve never heard of Omega Crunch before so I was looking forward to trying this product. I enjoyed trying the different flavours, they were all quite mild in flavour so I ended up sprinkling more than I thought I needed. I used the sweet maple and sweet cinnamon in my morning smoothies and cold cereals, the roasted garlic and regular in my stir-fried noodles and rice. I like that they are easy to use and very versatile. I’d definitely use these again though the price is pretty steep given there are plenty of other sources of omega-3 fatty acids and plain flaxseed (both whole and ground can be bought in bulk). These are certainly convenient as they are already shelled and come in easy to use shakers. I’d recommend these as an alternative to regular flaxseed for people looking for a simple and convenient way to add omega-3 and fibre to their diet.
Flax seeds are a product I am very familiar with – I add them to my oatmeal every time I make it, and use them in baking, either to add some extra nutrition, or as a vegan egg substitute. But I have always purchased regular ol’ ground flax seed (which I store in the freezer to keep from going rancid), so I figured it would be fun to try some flavoured flax seed products.
The Sweet Cinnamon flavour was my favourite – I added it to some plain, local greek yogurt, and it gave it a nice subtle apple pie flavour. It was also the first one I tried, so it left me with high hopes for the remaining 2 flavours. Sadly, I wasn’t as impressed with the others. I used the Roasted Garlic to top a quinoa salad, and I found that the flavour got lost in with the other ingredients. I tried the Roasted Maple flavour on their own, and honestly, I couldn’t really even taste the flavour there.
I did enjoy the texture these shelled flax seeds added to my foods – they give you more crunch and presence compared to ground flax seeds – but I too worry about the clear packaging and shelf life. Since they come in a shaker, you would probably want to keep them visible so you use them often, but with the light hitting the product, I can’t see they staying fresh long. And I also echo other concerns with price point – seems like a lot of money for a small amount of flax, small amount of extra flavour, and a product that might not keep as well as other flax products.
Would I recommend them? I doubt it. But it someone told me they were using them and liked them, I wouldn’t discourage them from doing so, because at least they are choosing a product that is adding fibre and omega-3 fatty acids to their diet. I just don’t think I could justify the cost based on taste, convenience, and shelf life.
Thanks for the opportunity to try out another product!
Marianne Bloudoff, RD
Twitter: @Evergreen_RD
Thanks for the chance to try this new product. I have used flax seed in cooking before but this was the first time I have tried flavoured flax seed. The Garlic one was my favourite. It really added delicious flavour and a nice teexture to plain vegetables. The cinnamon flavour was a nice addition to my soup as well. I really liked them. I’m not sure I would buy them on a regular basis, it would depend on the price point.
Thanks for sending me this new product. I have tried the 4 flavours on my salad, yoghurt, oatmeal, on my chicken and vegetables and I really loved the taste of it !!. The garlic one was definitly my favourite it add up lot of flavours to my dish.
It is full of omega-3 and fibers and way better than the regular plain flax seeds. It could be a great idea to offer this product to someone who wants the benefice of flax seeds with a good flavor.
It was my first try and I’m not sure if it is available in Québec. If it is, it is probably really expensive and I would probably recommende regular Flax ou chia seeds.
I’ve never tried shelled flax seed and was looking forward to it. I tried it in yogurt and rice. I really enjoyed the garlic one in the rice. You could taste the garlic – this one was my favourite. I didn’t notice the texture of the flax seeds, not that this would have bothered me. I would buy this one and use it again this way and in other dishes.
The flax in the yogurt added a nice crunch. You could taste the maple a bit.
It’s convenient to sprinkle it on things without having to grind it which is nice when you’re busy. I would use it again (how often depends on cost) and would recommend it.
Thanks for the opportunity to try this product!
Thank you for the opportunity to try Omega 3 shelled flax seeds. I use flax seeds (and hemp) seeds as a source of omega 3. I am used to grinding flax seeds which is inconvenient. When I first saw this product, I was excited about the convince and flavor options. I had so many ideas for the roasted garlic flavor but had one packet of this flavor. I used the packet of each per use to try the full flavor.
Love the idea that I can sprinkle the flax on my food without the step of grinding. Makes it easy to use at for lunches or snacks at work. Met my needs easily.
In terms of value for the price, I did not receive a full bottle so I am unable to see the full size of the bottle for the prices listed on the website. Doing calculations based on the volume/weight of flax seeds (100ml is 71g based on the Canadian nutrient file. The bottles of seeds are 175-200g.) It does seem that bulk flaxseeds would be much cheaper than this product. However, then the step of grinding the bulk flax seeds would be needed. Some customers are more likely to use seeds ready to be used. The Omega 3 shaker would last awhile when sprinkled on foods.
Overall, a great product that I did not know about until this product review. I am likely to use this product again based on the convenience of using it vs. using bulk flax seeds. A good use for me would be keeping a shaker at my desk at work.