Saturday, October 11, 2014

Ch-Ch-Ch-Chia!

 We have all heard about Chia Pets, but did you know that the little black seeds that create the magic of the Chia Pet have amazing health benefits? In fact, chia seeds are one of the many superfood secrets that have exploded in the health community in the past few years. Originating in South America, these seeds were a huge dietary staple of the Aztecs and Mayans. The Aztecs and Mayans prized the seeds because of their ability to provide sustainable energy; however, these seeds provide more than energy.


One serving (one ounce) of seeds is filled with protein, fiber, fat (5 grams of which are Omega-3s), Calcium, Manganese, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Zinc, Vitamin B3 (Niacin), Potassium, Vitamin B1 (Thiamine), and Vitamin B2. They are also a great source of antioxidants and claimed to help control hunger. Just to add to all of these pros, a whole ounce is only 137 calories. 
But enough about facts, I am sure you are wondering how you are supposed to eat these tiny packages of nutrition and the answer is simple; you can eat chia seeds any way you want. When I eat chia seeds I typically put them in my yogurt with granola, or I like to put them in smoothies. Chia seeds have a very similar size and texture to seeds from marion berries. Although I typically include them in my breakfast, there are a million more ways to include chia seeds in your diet. You can put chia seeds in your breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert. You can even use chia seeds as an egg replacement in baking! So, in order to help you in your journey with the Chia Seed I have put together five of my favorite chia seed recipes! Enjoy!


"Jam" bars made with fresh fruit!!  Uses chia seeds, less sugar, less butter, and they're GLUTEN FREE!









Chia Seed Pudding



Closeup of Banana-Peanut Butter Chia Seed Muffins







4 comments:

  1. Fascinating! Chia seeds are now on my shopping list!

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  2. This entire post made me hungry ;___;
    I agree with Mary!^^ Time to buy chia seeds!

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  3. I bought chia seeds two months ago and I still have bunch of them because I didn't how to use it for my healthy meals. I appreciate to get some information how to use chia seeds. I am not sure, but I want to give some comments to help your writing. You can develop your idea to relate the nutrients and benefits. For example, Manganese has a bone production, skin something. I attached the link or you can find your own research source.

    http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=nutrient&dbid=77

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  4. I loooove chia seeds. I'm actually eating them in my oatmeal for breakfast as I write this! haha! Have you ever tried over night oats? they're fantastic with some chia seeds and mango. here's a recipe: http://deliciouslyella.com/recipe/creamy-mango-banana-overnight-oats-vegan/ You should check out some of her other recipes too! They're really amazing and lots of stuff I'm sure you'd like. Have you tried Hemp seeds? You can buy them shelled in a bag and they're super good in yogurt and oatmeal, and are actually said to have more benefits than flax seeds and chia seeds combined! I'm not sure if that's true, but it's worth looking into. I've got lots of other food suggestions if you're interested.. It's a pretty big part of my life!
    Also, have you heard of juicing? It's kind of like green smoothies except you use a juicer instead of a blender, and it's just pure fruits and veggies. I do it every morning, and the clean energy is insane. You should try it! :) There are tons of health benefits and it's an easy way to get fast nutrients.
    Nice job on your blog :) Keep it up!

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