Chia seeds are among the healthiest foods in your diet. They are loaded with nutrients, with few calories.
Chia seed are tiny black seeds from the plant Salvia Hispanica, which is related to the mint. Chia seeds are an important food for the Aztecs and Mayans back in the day. Today, it is recognized as a superfood and is considered a nutrient-dense food due to this fact: 28 grams (about 2 tablespoons) supplies 137 calories and one gram of digestible carbohydrate.
If you subtract the fiber (most of which does not end up as usable calories for your body- Chia seeds only contain 101 calories per 28 grams.
This makes them one of the world's best sources of several important nutrients, calorie for calorie, therefore, it's a potent nutrient-dense food.
Many reasons why you should eat chia seeds
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Chia seeds are a whole-grain food, usually grown organically, they're non-GMO, naturally free of gluten
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The high fiber and protein content in chia seeds may help you lose weight
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High in omega-3 fatty acids and various micronutrients.
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Chia seeds ae loaded with antioxidants
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High in many important bone nutrients such as calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium
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May help reduce blood sugar levels and chronic inflammation
How to incorporate in your diet?
• Can be eaten raw: Whole or ground
• Soaked in juice, smoothies or water
• Added to any food
My favourite way to eat chia seed?
Our household loves chia seeds. I can actually be an entire meal. For ease of digestion, we like to soak the seeds with a bit of water for about 30 minutes. It seems to go faster when placed in the fridge. Although, if I'm in a hurry, I will soak them for only 5-10 minutes. The longer the seeds are soaked, and the more water you add, the thicker and jellyer the seeds will become.
In the photo above:
- 2 tablespoons of chia seeds soaked in water
- Cut fruits; pears, raspberries and bananas
- Topped with coconut milk
- Very often, I will add Hemp Heart Seeds (from Costco) to create a morning cereal
A 28 grams serving of chia seeds contains
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Fiber: 11 grams.
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Protein: 4 grams.
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Fat: 9 grams (5 of which are omega-3s).
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Calcium: 18% of the RDI.
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Manganese: 30% of the RDI.
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Magnesium: 30% of the RDI.
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Phosphorus: 27% of the RDI.
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They also contain a decent amount of zinc, vitamin B3 (niacin), potassium, vitamin B1 (thiamine) and vitamin B2.
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Source: healthline.com