Ch Ch Ch Chia!

I know what some of you are thinking, those little clay pets that grow hair from the commercials right??

That's not what I'm referring to.  Although the chia sprouts from Chia Pets are edible, they taste like watercress, and also provide the same benefits I will be talking about today.

The chia plant is in the mint family, originating in the central valley of Mexico and cultivated by the Aztecs.  A chia seed consists of 20% protein, 34% oil and 25% fiber.  Thirty percent of the oil in chia seeds is Omega-3 and forty percent is Omega-6.  It is actually said to be the richest known source of Omega-3 fatty acids and water soluble dietary fiber.  These tiny seeds are packed with vitamins B, C, E and calcium.  Sounds too good to be true right??

Wrong.

Not only are these tiny seeds nutritional powerhouses but they are also amazingly versatile.  Their taste is almost indistinguishable when combined with foods/beverages.  Meaning they can be used in a myriad of different ways, such as: ground and put into baked goods, made into a gel and added to any recipe, made into pudding, sprinkled onto cereal, salads, yogurt, sauces or even smoothies.  And, like I mentioned above, you can eat the sprouts too.

Chia seeds are (in my mind) similar to flax seeds.  Although there are a few notable differences between the two.  Chia seeds do not need to be ground up for easy digestion, unlike the flax seed.  They are also highly hydrophilic.  Meaning they can absorb large amounts of water making hydration easier.  Chia seeds can actually absorb 10 times their weight in water, creating a gel that helps hold water inside our bodies for longer periods of time.

Some studies even suggest that these little seeds can help with weight loss.  The chia seed gels when wet and this gel, when in our digestive systems, can help prevent some of the calories we eat from being absorbed by our bodies.  They may even help slow down the rate at which our bodies convert carbohydrate calories into simple sugars.  Since these seeds contain 4 grams of fiber per tablespoon, they can help us feel fuller faster.

So why am I touting the benefits of these little seeds on the internet??  No reason, really.   I just like educating people about nutrition.  I'm not being paid nor have I received any incentives or free products.  I truly think that everyone should know about these amazing little guys.

I have been experimenting a little bit with chia seeds over the past couple days.  The first thing I made was chia pudding or as I like to call it:


"Better Than Tapioca" Pudding

Ingredients:

• 1 cup almond milk (I used unsweetened vanilla almond breeze)
• 4 Tbs chia seeds
• 2 Tbs agave nectar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• sprinkle of cinnamon

Let it sit for at least 3 hours (or overnight, as I did) in the fridge and enjoy!

Don't be put off by the dark color - the taste and texture are so similar to tapioca it's amazing.  I'm excited to try it with different spices and flavorings.  Maybe a chocolate peanut butter chia pudding?  So many possibilities...

I also made a batch of chia gel to keep in my fridge to add to recipes or dishes.  It's made with 1/3 cup chia seeds and 2 cups water.  Although it is completely tasteless, I'm not sure how open my husband will be to eating this gel.  I might have to hide it in a few recipes!  He's really opposed to the texture of tapioca for some reason...

I've only eaten the gel once so far, I used it in one of my yogurt messes for a snack yesterday afternoon.  I layered plain Greek yogurt, cinnamon, about 1/3 cup chia gel, a chickpea blondie and some Sunbutter all together in a bowl.

It was surprisingly filling, I ate this around 4:30 and the only thing I ate for the rest of the night was a small bowl of cereal around 8:00.

So tell me, have you tried chia seeds yet?  How do you like to eat them?  I'm looking forward to eating the chia gel mixed into oatmeal and blended into smoothies.