Chia Seeds: Why and how to eat them

Image retrieved from: http://www.womenshealthmag.com/sites/womenshealthmag.com/files/images/chia-seeds_1.jpg

Chia seeds – While them seem tiny and meaningless, let me tell you why they aren’t. Whether you feel like being more healthy yourself, or want to feed them to your children and family, this article is for you.

Why should you eat them?

According to one of Spoon University’s numerous articles on Chia Seeds, one simple tablespoon of these seeds that come from the plant Salvia Hispanica has 5 grams of fiber and 3 grams of protein. Native to Central and South America, they are considered one of the healthiest foods on Earth. They are also very high in manganese, phosphorus, calcium and magnesium.

Also, making chia gel, by soaking chia seeds in water is a great way of hydration for athletes. Since chia seeds can hold up to 10x their weight, food like chia pudding, detailed below, leaves you feeling full.

A few ideas on how to eat them:

Image retrieved from: http://www.littlebroken.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Vanilla-Greek-Yogurt-Chia-Seed-Pudding-5.jpg

1. Chia seed pudding
   1. You will need
      1. ¼ cup chia seeds
      2. ½ cup your choice of milk

• fruit and granola optional

1. Pour ¼ cup of chia seeds into small glass or bowl
2. Pour milk on top of chia seeds
3. Stir together
4. Place bowl in fridge for at least 2 hours. Leave overnight for a great breakfast!
5. Add fresh fruit/granola, and enjoy

Image retrieved from: http://dontmissdairy.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Spinach_Salad2.png

2. Simply pour them in along with any salad dressing or olive oil! If there’s no dressing it’s a bit hard to avoid them falling to the bottom of the bowl.

Image retrieved from; http://media1.popsugar-assets.com/files/thumbor/pe_WNj2l2u_OgyJTLaW6EOvoluc/fit-in/1024×1024/filters:format_auto-!!-:strip_icc-!!-/2013/03/11/3/192/1922729/35ed9000eedbe773_chia-berry-smoothie.jpg

3. Put it in your smoothies! Give it a crunch

Image retrieved from: http://media1.popsugar-assets.com/files/2011/07/29/3/192/1922729/image.jpg

4. Put in in cookie dough – make cookies healthier for your loved ones.

For a longer list of chia seed benefits, visit this webpage.

By  Anna Arteaga