Chia Seeds

My latest discovery used to be spread all over a clay sheep sculpture to create a lovely green pet. Cha-cha-cha-chia! Believe it or not, these exact same chia seeds are a delicious and healthy addition to your diet!

I first read about chia seeds in the book Carrots 'n' Cake by Tina Haupert. This books is mostly memoir, based on the author's weight loss blog, with about 50 recipes thrown in. Not all the recipes are low calorie or anywhere near Zone-compliant. But the idea of using chia seeds sounded interesting to me. So I went out and bought some at my local Weis supermarket. I have since seen them at Trader Joe's as well.

I had no idea these seeds were such a superfood! Apparently they are the richest vegetable source of Omega-3 fatty acids on earth. They are extremely hydrophillic, absorbing 12 times their weight in water. This makes chia seeds an awesome addition to a pre-workout shake or smoothie. If you let them sit in a glass of water, they will completely dissolve, creating a thick gel. They are also very high in soluble fiber which is great for filling up the belly with a small amount of calories. They help to slow down the release of sugars into the bloodstream, keeping blood sugar levels steady, and making this a perfect addition to a diet for the diabetic. Because they absorb and hold so much water, they are also great before a workout to help with hydration.

"Okay," you're thinking,"all this sounds great, but how do these little suckers TASTE?"

Really yummy! I tried them this morning before bootcamp in my shake. They have a bit of a nutty flavor, nothing overwhelming, and a slight chewiness which I really liked. A few got stuck in my teeth, but they were not nearly as annoying as raspberry seeds.

Here is my peach shake recipe:

Into the blender, measure out 4 ounces of unsweetened plain Greek Yogurt, 1/2 cup of unsweetened vanilla almond milk, 1 whole peach, and 1 teaspoon of chia seeds. Blend well. This is a 2-block breakfast or snack-sized shake, perfect before an intense workout.

I will be experimenting with chia seeds and trying out some other recipes in the upcoming weeks, so I'll keep you posted as I (hopefully) develop a repertoire of delicious dishes!

Here are the nutritional facts which I swiped from Nuts.com:

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 28g (~1 oz.) (Approx. 16.2 Servings/Pound) Calories 137   Fat Cal. 72

Amount/serving %DV* Amount/serving %DV* Total Fat 9g 13% Total Carb. 12g 4% Saturated Fat 1g 4% Dietary Fiber 11g 42% Cholesterol 0mg 0% Sugars 0g Sodium 5mg 0% Protein 4g Vitamin A 0% • Vitamin C 0% • Calcium 18% • Iron 0% * Percent Daily Values (DV) are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.