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In the mid 20^th century Johanna Budwig a biochemist developed the famous Budwig Protocol to fight cancer, heart disease, diabetes, arthritis and other inflammatory disease. Also known as the Budwig Diet it is based on an unlikely-sounding combination of cold-pressed linseed (flax seed) oil and low-fat quark which is a bland-tasting smooth German cottage cheese but ordinary low-fat cottage cheese or even yoghurt will do. We have had many requests for how to use our linseed (flaxseed) oil for the Budwig diet. 

It is very important that the cold-pressed linseed (flax seed) oil you use is fresh and delicately nutty-flavoured, mild-tasting such as Flax Farm's. The light flavour and mildness show that the oil is unrefined and really fresh and the omega-3 is perfect; this means it is healthier for you and you will enjoy it more. When you are following the Budwig Protocol you are going to be using a lot of linseed (flaxseed) oil so it's much better that you can enjoy it.  

My aim is to make quark and linseed oil into lovely food that the whole family will want to eat, then everyone will get the benefits of this health-giving diet.

Quark , Cottage Cheese or Yoghurt

I have been working on using this combination of linseed oil and various different options. The original diet recommends quark, a German smooth low fat (almost fat-free) cottage cheese.  

The nicest quark I have found comes from Waitrose, this has a very light bland flavour but with the linseed oil/flax oil added to it ungoes a magical transformation and becomes delicious and creamy suitable for an almost endless variety of dishes. Other supermarkets usually carry quark which can be sharper in flavour and taste more like yoghurt. These sharper quarks are great if you want an end result more like crème fraiche.
Ordinary fat-free cottage cheese can also be used, and as you will be blending it with the flax oil, it is just as good as quark though tastes a little different.
Fat-free yoghurt can be used instead, it is sharper in flavour but is sweetened by the flax oil. Use about 50% more than when using quark.
I am enjoying these experiments, it's great to have developing these recipes as an excuse to add quark into my meals again. This is the page where I am going to share delicious Budwig Diet recipes.

There are lots more suitable recipes for using linseed/flax seed oil and ground linseeds on Flax Farm's recipes pages

Books for Budwig Diet

Joanna Budwig, the German doctor who did the pioneering work on fats/fatty acids in the fight against cancer and other Western diseases wrote several books a few have been translated into English. The best is The Oil Protein Cookbook available from Amazon. her other books are not as helpful.

Tips for using "Flax Oil and Cottage Cheese" Diet:

• You don’t just have to eat the ground seed in the same dish as your quark/cottage cheese/yoghurt and oil mixi. You can make gorgeorus seperate dishes from the oil-cheese mix and the ground seeds that you will love and even dinner party guests will be impressed with.
• Cold-pressed Flax or Linseed Oil  should always taste nice, mild and creamy without bitterness.
• Enjoy the cold-pressed linseed (flaxseed) oil and cottage cheese mix as a dressing or dip for vegetables
• Use one of the allowed sweeteners with the cold-pressed linseed (flaxseed) oil and cottage cheese mix and enjoy it as to alternative to cream!
• Use the cold-pressed linseed (flaxseed) oil and cottage cheese mix in mashed potatoes or with pasta.
• Have the ground linseed meal separately with fruit as a dessert or a snack.
• Put the meal into soup and have the cold-pressed linseed (flaxseed) oil and cottage cheese mix with fresh or cooked fruit for desseert.
• The ground linseed meal and the cold-pressed linseed (flaxseed) oil and cottage cheese mix are delicious and versatile. Enjoy them.

Recipes for the Budwig Diet

Cold-pressed Linseed Oil and Quark Mustard Sauce
• 2 tablespoons Flax Farm Cold-Pressed Linseed Oil
• 4 tablespoons Quark/cottage cheese/yoghurt
. Mix the oil and quark as usual, add a good tablespoon of your best seedy wholegrain mustard, stir and use to top hot or cold vegetables . Great with potatoes, broccoli, squash and celery.

Cinnamon Apples with Cold-pressed linseed oil, quark and ground linseed meal.
• 2 tablespoons Flax Farm Cold-Pressed Linseed Oil
• 4 tablespoons Quark/cottage cheese/yoghurt
• 2 heaped dessertspoons freshly ground linseed meal
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon – or to taste
• Non-Sugar Sweetener (optional) to taste
• One baking apple cut into quarters
Cook the apple in microwave or oven until soft. When cooked stir in the linseed meal and sweeten to taste. Mix the oil and quark as usual, add sweetener and a little cinnamon and place on top of the apple linseed mix.
 

Seasonal Fruity Breakfast: Spiced Cranberries and Fruit – and Happy New Year!

Quantities are vague here as they were what was to hand – and not important.
1-2 tablespoons unsweetened cranberries (I bought packs of these in the supermarket for pence – seemed to good to leave – even though I have never really enjoyed them until today) cooked in water until well soft. (If you don’t have any cranberries use a Satsuma or other citrus fruit, peeled and segmented.

• 1-2 tablespoons mixed dried fruits, currants, raisins, sultanas, apricots, etc.
• 1-2 dessertspoons mixed whole seeds
• A few whole nuts.
• 2 tablespoons Flax Farm Cold-Pressed Linseed Oil
• 4 tablespoons Quark
• 2 heaped dessertspoons freshly ground linseed meal
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Non-Sugar Sweetener (optional) to taste

Combine the quark and oil really thoroughly (best use a blender). Add a little water or milk to make it a bit softer. Stir in ground linseed meal, cinnamon, sweetener and cranberries (or citrus fruit)dried fruit, nuts and seeds.
At long last I found something really good to make with cranberries.  Their sharpness was delicious in this breakfast - it's another recipe that would make a great dessert..

Creamed Quark with Flax Farm Cold-pressed Linseed (Flaxseed) Oil with fresh ginger and blackcurrants.

• 2 tablespoons Flax Farm Cold-pressed Linseed Oil.
• 4 tablespoons quark, cottage cheese or 6 tablespoons fat-free yoghurt.
• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger grated finely and mashed with the flat side of a knife.
• 1 tablespoon blackcurrants brought quickly and briefly to the boil in 1 tablespoon water.
• Almonds and Brazil nuts. Optional.
• Xylitol, stevia or other suitable sweetener to taste.

Blend the cheese and oil thoroughly, preferably using an electric blender, add a few teaspoons of water to give a soft consistency. Stir in the mashed ginger and sweetener to taste, place in a desert dish. Sweeten the cooked blackcurrants slightly and place on top of quark-linseed/flaxseed oil mix. Add nuts if required.
It was very quick to make. It was rather like a firm syllabub. The mildness of the Flax Farm linseed oil and cheese combine to a lovely creaminess that I easily prefer to actual cream, the ginger gives it an exotic lemony lift which with is an unusual combination but does something wonderful for the blackcurrants - as well as the cheese. It is so good it would impress as a as a dinner-party or family dessert - I think it is better without the ground linseed meal.  You can incorporate the ground linseed meal into this breakfast or have the ground linseed meal in another snack such as with fruit compote mid morning.