Cha Cha Chia

One of our accidentally discovered super-foods is chia seeds.

We guess you have already heard at least something about this magic seed!
It has this nice poppy-seedy crunch to it and looks a bit like poppy-seeds. The ways we use them are sooo various…

First, it has the property of becoming a jelly! Isn’t it cool?(:
So it creates a jelly-like substance while soaking in water and swells a little bit. If you put them into cup with water and leave them for a while.. You’ll come back and see a healthy jell-o in your cup. We once even tried to put them into juice and we got real jelly with chia seeds! But if you make a huge glass of juice every day or make a morning smoothie, it would be a good habit to add them to your juice and drink it shortly after. If it’s your only breakfast, it will make you feel more satiated as they swell in your belly (:

Another way to introduce them into your daily diet is to sprinkle them on your salad. Like a tablespoon at the last moment. It doesn’t have time to swell and soften down, so you get this pleasant crunch to your salad.

We also put them into our morning müsli along with grains, fresh fruit, berries, other seeds and nuts! I doesn’t affect the taste too much but boosts the nutrient value!

We named the post Cha Cha Chia as we also got hooked on to the Chunks of Energy that you can buy in any health food store or online. Among vegan-friendly ones there are Carob+Supergreens, Cacao+Goji berries, and what not…and, of course, Cha Cha Chia. Have some more info on ingredients, variety and nutrition labels here: https://chunksofenergy.com/shop/category/vegan/
They are soooo nutritive, delicious, addictive, ease-to-replicate and must-try! So, if you have never tried them, go and check at your nearest health food store. They usually can even order them for you!

Chia makes a great egg replacement. Just combine with water to form a gel, and add it to recipes that call for egg.

One more thing we do with chia seeds is a salad dressing! You can mix whatever you feel like and add chia seeds. They will incorporate all the ingredients together in a few seconds. When we make a dressing like this, we don’t even have to add oil – it’s so much lighter! And the dressing consistency is great.

So, now… Why so much fuss around those chia?
Well…..
As we read the other day:
“Chia seeds, nutrition-wise, seems to be the latest magic bullet.”
—Sophia Ratliff.

As taken from Food Matters website:

Chia – A Nutrient Powerhouse – is notable for:

– Chia is gluten free *for those who are on a gluten-free diet
– It is super high in dietary fibre, making it great for digestion and healing digestion issues. *whoa…here, guys, be careful… You will run to the bathroom much more often, believe us (: sometimes we even need a break from them (:
– It contains 20% Omega 3 ALA, making it a super food for the brain and heart. They provide health benefits on par with fish and fish oil, yet are appropriate for a vegan diet. Chia has eight times more Omega 3 than salmon! *isn’t a great news for vegans?(:
– It contains 20% protein
– It is high in antioxidants (It has a four times higher ORAC value than blueberries)
– Chia contains five times more calcium than milk *did you know that??(:
– Chia contains seven times more vitamin C than oranges
– It contains three times more iron than spinach
– It contains twice the potassium content of banana
– It is food for healthy skin, hair and nails
– It has a positive impact balancing blood glucose levels (making it awesome for diabetics)
– it’s also known for its hydrating and endurance properties.

It couldn’t sound any better, huh?(:

We think, by now, you are ready to go to the health food store (:
Yes-yes, it’s a Must-have in the kitchen.

Enjoy!

Thanks for reading,
S & H