Chia seeds are superfoods
rich in omega-3 fatty acids, packed with nutrition and low in calories.
They can be added to almost anything, and are safe for paleo,
vegetarian, vegan and low-glycemic diets.
Although inflammation can literally be a pain, you can actually fight
it by eating more of these little seeds. New studies have shown that
the omega-3 fatty acids in chia seeds can actually help reduce the
symptoms of inflammation, digestive disorders and autoimmune diseases.
Here are 25 ways you can
incorporate more chia seeds into your diet so you can start to heal your body from within today.
Health benefits of chia seeds
The reason chia seeds are so healthy
is because they are packed with essential vitamins and minerals. Just
one ounce of chia seeds contains 11 grams of fiber, 5 grams of omega-3
fatty acids and 4 grams of protein. They also have 30 percent of your
daily requirement of manganese and magnesium, 27 percent of your
recommended daily intake of phosphorus, and 18 percent of your
recommended calcium intake!
Chia seeds are abundant in other
nutrients too, such as niacin, thiamine, vitamin B2, antioxidants,
potassium and zinc. Chia seeds are rich in omega-3 fatty acids without
the cholesterol commonly associated with omega-3 foods, such as tuna and
sardines. They are safe for people on low-carb, low-glycemic,
plant-based and raw diets and can be added to just about anything! Here
are some ideas to get you started.
Want some healthy fats with your
high-quality proteins? Try adding chia seeds to a gluten-free crust
before baking or sautéeing your meats. The taste goes well with any meat
and will add a satisfying crunch to your crust.
Chia seeds can be enjoyed raw on top of pies, frozen yogurt, smoothies, juices, anything!
Seed crackers are some of the
healthiest crackers you could ever put in your mouth. Let your chia
and/or flax seeds soak for 15 minutes to plump, season the seeds however
you want, spread them out on a baking sheet and pop them in the oven at
350°F for an hour or two, or until hard. If you have a dehydrator,
leave them in there overnight.
Make raw, baked, or dehydrated granola or granola bars
according to your preferred recipe. Just add some chia seeds for extra
nutrition and energy. They work well in both crunchy and chewy granola
varieties.
Turn your oven to its lowest setting
or preheat your dehydrator. Mix flax seeds and chia seeds and let them
soak in water for 15 minutes or until they are gooey. Then spread the
mixture out and heat for 5 or 6 hours. Take it out earlier if you want
your bread to be more gooey or chewy.
Instead of using artificial powders,
try blending in some chia seeds! They will add vitamins and minerals and
make your smoothies thicker and creamier.
Cover your chia seeds with water and
let them sit for 15 minutes. Leave them whole for texture or grind them
up to make the mixture smooth. Either way, you can use this simple
concoction to replace eggs in any recipe. The healthy fat from chia
seeds is full of vitamins and minerals and contains no cholesterol.
Use the same technique for making
chia eggs, except instead of water, combine the seeds with almond milk,
juice, or coconut milk. Add cocoa powder to make chocolate pudding,
non-alcoholic vanilla extract for vanilla, or mint extract for mint
pudding. Top the pudding with fresh berries, mint leaves, chocolate
shavings or a scrape of vanilla bean.
Can’t eat meat but want a healthy
protein alternative? Try using chia seeds — leave the chia seeds whole
and add mashed beans, gluten-free flour and seasoning. Stir together in a
sauté pan over a medium-low heat until the mixture begins to clump into
a healthy, gluten-free, preservative- and additive-free meatless ground
beef.
Soak dates overnight. The next
morning, add them to a blender and pulse until smooth. Add in your
favorite fruits and blend some more. Stir in the chia seeds and let the
mixture sit for 15 minutes in the refrigerator. Ta-da, you’ve got
healthy, naturally-sweet jam!
Add chia seeds to your quinoa after
they have cooked to add extra texture and health benefits to your meal.
Chia seeds are delicious on both sweet and savory quinoa dishes.
Grind chia seeds and place them in
your oatmeal before cooking the oats. This will make it thicker and more
creamy. If you want some texture, leave them whole.
Add chia seeds to your favorite
juice. Give them time to plump — it’s like enjoying a fruit drink with
tiny tapioca pearls at the bottom, except these little balls aren’t full
of empty calories. They are also refreshing in iced mint tea and
lemonade.
Making mousse from chia seeds is
actually really easy. Follow the directions to make chia pudding, but
grind the chia seeds. Mix with coconut cream and add some coconut
powder. This mousse is full of healthy fats and antioxidants.
Add these to your gluten-free muffin
recipes for a crunch in every bite. It’s a great way to get extra
energy, protein and fiber in the morning.
Thickening agent
Most thickening agents are either
highly refined, genetically modified or full of empty calories. Grind
chia seeds and add them to a broth or sauce of your choosing to thicken
it.
- Textured gluten-free breads
In gluten-free breads that have
texture already, such as corn bread or poppy seed bread, add some chia
seeds for extra texture. You can also top your bread with these seeds
instead of using sesame seeds on a bun or poppy seeds on a roll.
Asian food is renown for having rice
dishes with seeds. Even sushi has sesame seeds in the rice mixture. You
can replace these seeds with chia seeds or have both! It’ll add a pop of
color to your sushi or fried rice.
Another Asian dish that sometimes has
nuts and seeds is pad Thai. Instead of rice, rice noodles are used.
Beautify your pad Thai with chia seeds or a seed blend for a variety of
textures, colors and flavors.
Sometimes casserole crusts come out
soggy. Prevent that by adding some chia seeds on top. For a fool-proof
recipe, stir some chai seeds in with the crust and finish by adding some
more on top so that the crust will be sure to have a crunch. It works
for sweet potato casserole, corn casserole, green bean casserole and
even mac-and-cheese (gluten-free of course!).
A quick and delicious way to ensure a
variety of nutrients in the most important meal of the day is to make a
breakfast bowl. Just blend some frozen bananas and fruit for the base
and add fresh and dried fruit, nuts and seeds as toppings. Arrange them
in a beautiful design or eat it as is. Incorporating chia seeds to your
morning breakfast bowl will give you an extra boost with few calories.
Earlier we mentioned blending chia
seeds into your smoothie to make it thicker. You can also use chia seeds
as a crunchy topping. Layer coconut or cashew cream on top of your
smoothie and use the chia seeds as sprinkles.
You can make a myriad of parfaits
with chia seeds. You can layer chia pudding and chia jam, and top it all
off with some chia seeds.
Chop up your favorite fruit and add
it to coconut water or regular water. Add fresh mint or rosemary too if
you think they will mesh well with your flavor choices. Then add your
chia seeds and let it chill for a few hours (or overnight) in the
refrigerator. The longer it sits, the more the flavor is enhanced. Drink
it for breakfast and eat the fruit, or have it as a refreshment after a
workout.
Glaze is often very unhealthy and
made from high-calorie, high-fat, and very sugary substances. Blend chia
seeds with almond milk or coconut milk. Stir in vanilla extract or
vanilla bean and natural sweeteners to taste. Let it sit until it
thickens and pour it on top of a gluten-free cake or doughnut.
It’s amazing how such a tiny seed can pack such a nutritional punch!
What’s even more surprising is how easy it is to incorporate chia seeds
into your daily diet! How do you eat your chia seeds? Share with us some
of your favorite recipes below.
— Nicole Manuel
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