Chia seeds are a very popular and healthy food that has been consumed for centuries; only recently, however, have they spread to the West as well. Since they are easy to combine with other foods and have a mild flavor, they are often incorporated into regular meals. Read on to learn the various methods of consuming chia seeds, either by "hiding" them in your daily food or by creating new recipes for smoothies and puddings.
Steps
Part 1 of 4: Eat the Raw Seeds
Step 1. Combine chia with oatmeal, yogurt and other moist foods
The simplest way is to sprinkle the dish with some seeds. You can mix them in moist foods to make the seeds gelatinous and soft so that they are less "perceptible" in the dish.
- Add them to your breakfast by placing 1-2 tablespoons on top of oatmeal, yogurt or cereal.
- For a healthy snack or light lunch, mix 1-2 tablespoons of seeds into one serving of cottage cheese.
- Mix the seeds with the wet ingredients of a sandwich. Make a tuna or egg salad as a filling for the sandwich, spread it with peanut or nut butter if you prefer a sweet snack.
Step 2. Sprinkle the seeds over the plates if you prefer to eat them crunchy
If the food is dry, the seeds don't get mushy just like many people like them. Even in wet foods, if you just sprinkle the seeds without mixing them, the gelling process won't trigger.
- Add them to any type of salad.
- Decorate a pudding with a pinch of chia seeds.
Step 3. Hide them in raw single dishes
This technique is very useful if there are very demanding family members who could avoid eating these seeds if they were too obvious.
Mix them into a potato salad or cold pasta. Add 2 tablespoons of seeds to a large bowl of pasta or potato salad and mix thoroughly
Step 4. Make a granola bar
Add 2 tablespoons to your favorite cereal bar recipe. Here is an example of a recipe that does not involve cooking in the oven: add the seeds to 240 g of chopped and pitted dates, add 60 ml of peanut butter or another type of nut. Incorporate 360g of oat flakes, 60ml of honey or maple syrup, and 240g of chopped walnuts. Spread the mixture on a baking sheet and let it harden in the refrigerator. You can also consider roasting oats first to give your bars a different flavor. Alternatively you can find cooked preparations here.
Step 5. Make a great flavored jelly or jam
Add the seeds to some fruit puree. If you put a lot of them you will get a jelly, otherwise a jam. You can experiment with different proportions between seeds and fruit to find the solution that best suits your tastes.
To be clear, 375ml of fruit puree combined with 40g of seeds will make a crunchy jam
Part 2 of 4: Eat the Cooked Seeds
Step 1. Make a chia seed pudding
Mix 1-2 tablespoons of chia seeds in 240 ml of warm milk (animal or vegetable). Wait 10-15 minutes for the mixture to turn gelatinous. Stir with a whisk from time to time to break up any lumps that form. You can eat this pudding cold or hot. The mixture is rather bland, so you may want to consider adding sliced, dried fruit, nuts, or honey. If you want a strong flavor, add a pinch of cinnamon or sea salt.
- With two tablespoons of seeds, you get a thick pudding, add less if you prefer a more liquid consistency.
- To give the pudding more flavor, add any liquid or powder ingredients you need to flavor as the mixture thickens. You can use cocoa powder, malt, or fruit juice.
Step 2. Grind the seeds to make a flour
Put them in a blender or food processor and pulse it until you get a fine powder. You can add it to normal 00 flour or use it pure as a normal flour.
- If you need to make a thick dough, you can replace the 00 flour with equal amounts of chia flour.
- If you need to make a batter, combine one part of chia flour with three parts of normal flour, even gluten-free.
Step 3. Stir the seeds into the bread and baked goods
Instead of grinding them into flour, you can add them whole to a wide variety of baked goods. Incorporate 3-4 tablespoons into your favorite wholemeal bread, muffins, or oatmeal cookies. Add them to crackers, pancakes, or pie dough.
Step 4. Hide them in timbales and similar dishes
If your family members are difficult eaters, you can incorporate chia seeds into their diet by mixing them with main dishes. Add 20g of seeds to lasagna, timbale or follow these tips:
- Stir in 1-2 tablespoons for every 450g of ground beef you use for burgers or meatballs. It works as a thickener instead of breadcrumbs.
- Mix two tablespoons of chia seeds into scrambled eggs, omelettes, and other egg dishes.
- Add a pinch of it to your favorite stir-fries.
Step 5. Soak them to form a gel that can be useful later
Mix one tablespoon of seeds in 45-60ml of water and wait for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they gel. If you prefer a smoother consistency, use 130ml of water. You can keep it in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Preparing the gel in advance saves you time and ensures there are no crunchy or dry seeds when adding it to another preparation.
You can use it to replace eggs in baked goods. 75ml of gel is equivalent to one egg, however if you have to make an omelette or other similar food, you cannot rely on the gel
Step 6. Thicken soups with chia seeds
Place 2-4 tablespoons in a bowl of soup, stew, gravy, or gravy. Wait 10-30 minutes for the gelling process to thicken the mixture. Stir occasionally to break up the lumps of seeds.
Part 3 of 4: Learn More About Chia Seeds
Step 1. Know the nutritional benefits
Their beneficial effects are often overestimated by the people who use them or by the newspapers; however, their ability to increase energy levels (thanks to the fat content) and their nutrient content is undoubted. Two tablespoons of dry seeds contain about 138 kcal, 5 g of protein, 9 g of fat and 10 g of fiber. They provide significant amounts of calcium, magnesium and potassium even in small portions. They are an excellent source of antioxidants but low in Omega-3 fatty acids digestible by the human body. The latter have beneficial effects on health.
Step 2. Ponder any other type of news very carefully
Those who claim that chia seeds cause weight loss, improve heart health and athletic performance, do not avail themselves of any scientific support. This doesn't mean chia seeds aren't a healthy food, but don't expect them to be able to drastically change your health or condition without you making any changes to your diet and exercise habits.
Step 3. Choose small portions
Chia seeds are high in fat and calories in proportion to their size, which means they have beneficial effects when taken only in small doses. If you eat a lot of them, they could cause digestive problems. There is no official recommended ration, but it would be advisable not to exceed 2-4 tablespoons per day, especially if you are recently introducing them into your diet.
Step 4. Know what to expect in terms of flavor and texture
Chia seeds have a rather neutral flavor. When mixed with liquid, they become gelatinous, a consistency much loved by some people but which others find unpleasant. Fortunately, these qualities make them a simple food to combine with other ingredients. You can consume them dry, mixed in other preparations or cooked in recipes. None of these methods make the seeds more or less nutritious.
If you eat them plain, they react with saliva and begin to gel
Step 5. Buy high quality chia seeds for human consumption
Even though these are the same type of seeds that are used in "animal feed" and garden work, it is better to rely on products intended for human consumption. If you want to eat seeds suitable for gardening, make sure they are organic, without pesticides or other substances that could make them unsuitable.
- You can buy them in the health food department of many well-stocked supermarkets, in organic shops or online.
- Although chia seeds are quite expensive when compared to other seeds, remember that a large package will last a long time if you limit yourself to the amounts per serving described above.
Step 6. Approach the consumption of chia seeds with caution if you have kidney problems
If you have kidney failure, avoid this food or only eat the amount recommended by your doctor. They are high in protein, but they produce much more waste than other protein foods, so already damaged kidneys may not be able to handle them. The high content of phosphorus and potassium could cause itching, irregular heartbeat or muscle weakness if they are not well digested.
Part 4 of 4: Drink the Seeds
Step 1. Add seeds to smoothies
When making a single serving of smoothie or milkshake, mix 1-2 tablespoons of seeds in the blender with the other ingredients before processing.
Step 2. Make a "fresh chia"
Mix 2 tablespoons of seeds in 310 ml of water, add the juice of a lemon or lime and a small amount of raw honey or agave syrup, according to your taste.
Step 3. Mix the seeds into a juice or herbal tea
Add about a tablespoon for every 250ml of juice, herbal tea or hot or cold drink. Let the mixture sit for several minutes to allow the seeds to absorb the liquid and turn the drink into something thicker.
Advice
- Chia seeds are very small and have a tendency to get stuck in your teeth when you eat them. It may be helpful to use a toothpick or floss after eating them.
- Chia sprouts can be used the same way alfalfa (alpha-alpha) is used. Add them to your salads or sandwiches.
