Hulled hemp seeds can be added in any way.Indigo wrote: How do those various seeds work in salads or in soups? Are they pretty simple to work with?
Chia and flax seeds have shells, and they'll pass right through you, so they have to be cut or ground up. Add a little to a smoothie to do this, or you can use a coffee grinder, and then sprinkle the powder on a salad or pasta or anything.
These should all be kept refrigerated to keep them fresh, and once you grind flax or chia, it should be eaten soon because grinding it exposes it to the air and accelerates spoilage. I'd eat it that day, or in the next couple days (refrigerated) after grinding flax or chia.
These will really thicken liquids, so be careful how much you add to a smoothie.
I've actually used them to thicken dips (like hummus) if it's too runny. Just add the dry ground up flax or chia to the wet hummus and mix (not in a blender, it will be too thick).
If you get some flax seeds that taste fishy or smell like crayons, they're probably bad. Flax seeds go bad quickly, so I recommend chia, hemp, and walnuts more (they don't go bad as fast).