All about Chia

Do you remember Chia Pets? Same stuff. It turns out Chia seeds are an excellent source of nutrition, as well as being fun to watch grow. Chia does tend to be a little expensive, but for the added health benefits, it's worth it's weight. Plus, you don't need a lot, so don't be intimidated by it's price.

Health Benefits:

• more omega 3s than salmon
• 15x more magnesium than brocolli
• 3x more iron than spinach
• 6x more calcium than milk
• 2x more potasium than bananas
• 2 oz. of chia seeds gives you 560mg of vitamin C (almost 1,000 of your daily value)

What Chia seeds are great for:

Chia is virtually tasteless, and it doesn't take much to get the full nutritional benefit, so you can add them to breads, muffins, smoothies--virtually anything! Some people like to soak them in water before they add them to food. Chia seeds absorb 10 times their own weight in water and end up turning into a sort of gel. If you decide to put it in smoothies, I would recommend soaking it before adding it. I only add 1 Tablespoon per serving.

Chia is also great at aiding weight loss. Because it turns into a gel, it slows the progression of foods in your stomach, keeping you full longer.

Click here for my recipes using Chia