It was quinoa, then pomegranites, then açai berries. The "it" superfood to eat changes every year and becomes the one thing your diet is missing. This years trend: chia seeds.
Upon hearing this for the first time, I was convinced there was some sort of mistake. Chia seeds were what you planted in a ceramic pot shaped like Homer Simpson, and then grew out as "hair," as you watered it. This is was meal I intended to enjoy.
However, chia seeds won me over as that last little something to sprinkle on my cereal, or to throw into my fruit smoothie. They have a very neautral flavor but are packed with nutritional values. There are 11 grams of fiber in one ounce of chia seeds, causing you to feel full more quickly and therefor stopping you from over eating. Chia seeds are also a source of omega-3 fatty acids, found in fish, and proteins, found in meat and eggs. If veganism is your dietary way of life, chia seeds may be the answer to finding nutrition most commonly found in animal products.
Chia seeds can be used in an infinite number of dishes. Due to their fiber they can easily thicken a soup or a sauce when ground. When wet, the seeds develop a gelatinous shell around them that results in a creamier soup or suace. The seeds can also be sprinkled on fresh fruits, salads, granola, cereal, or even ice cream. My personal favorite way of getting my daily dose of chia is to blend them into my morning smoothie: Frozen blueberries, a banana, grapes, almond milk, a leaf of swiss chard, and a dash of chia. I'm full for hours and feel good about what I'm eating.
Chia seeds are a trend that I expect to stick around even after the next "it" superfood is flying off the shelves of grocery stores.
Upon hearing this for the first time, I was convinced there was some sort of mistake. Chia seeds were what you planted in a ceramic pot shaped like Homer Simpson, and then grew out as "hair," as you watered it. This is was meal I intended to enjoy.
However, chia seeds won me over as that last little something to sprinkle on my cereal, or to throw into my fruit smoothie. They have a very neautral flavor but are packed with nutritional values. There are 11 grams of fiber in one ounce of chia seeds, causing you to feel full more quickly and therefor stopping you from over eating. Chia seeds are also a source of omega-3 fatty acids, found in fish, and proteins, found in meat and eggs. If veganism is your dietary way of life, chia seeds may be the answer to finding nutrition most commonly found in animal products.
Chia seeds can be used in an infinite number of dishes. Due to their fiber they can easily thicken a soup or a sauce when ground. When wet, the seeds develop a gelatinous shell around them that results in a creamier soup or suace. The seeds can also be sprinkled on fresh fruits, salads, granola, cereal, or even ice cream. My personal favorite way of getting my daily dose of chia is to blend them into my morning smoothie: Frozen blueberries, a banana, grapes, almond milk, a leaf of swiss chard, and a dash of chia. I'm full for hours and feel good about what I'm eating.
Chia seeds are a trend that I expect to stick around even after the next "it" superfood is flying off the shelves of grocery stores.