Chia Seeds

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mhiggi02
mhiggi02 Posts: 5,988 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hi, are you using them? How?

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  • kgal41
    kgal41 Posts: 17
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    I do! I'm not very creative in my use, though. I sprinkle them on sandwiches, mix them in yogurt, throw them in cereal, etc. I will warn you--they get slimy when wet, so I try to have something textural in there with them.
  • stephgas
    stephgas Posts: 159 Member
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    i mix them in my yogurt. hubby puts them in his protein shakes.
  • EmmaKarney
    EmmaKarney Posts: 690 Member
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    chocolate chia seed pudding:

    http://www.shape.com/healthy-eating/meal-ideas/quick-and-easy-chia-seed-recipes?page=4
  • dennism2013
    dennism2013 Posts: 5
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    I use them to make chia fresca. Put one tablespoon of seeds in a glass of water and let them soak for at least an hour. I stir them up a couple times so they don't get stuck together. You'll be amazed by how much they expand as they soak up water. The tiny amount of seeds that barely covered the bottom of the glass when dry will fill the same glass when fully saturated. My hope is that they'll help keep me hydrated. I'll squirt some of that water flavoring stuff in there occasionally. Mostly I just drink it plain.
  • MissFuchsia
    MissFuchsia Posts: 526 Member
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    I mix them in overnight oatmeal
  • ktsmom430
    ktsmom430 Posts: 1,100 Member
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    I sprinkle them on my salad, mix them in my yogurt, sprinkle on top of my steel cut oatmeal, sprinkle on my poached egg.
    You can sprout them and put in salad too. Smoothies. The possibilities are endless.
  • ktp6
    ktp6 Posts: 19 Member
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    I was a bit obsessed with chocolate/chai protein chia pudding at some point! Now I use them sometime to replace eggs in any food I plan to freeze. They gel up really nice when wet which can help bind things in your normal recipes. You can google it.
  • justagirlgeek
    justagirlgeek Posts: 49 Member
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    I can't handle the texture when they gel, so I usually put them in yogurt.
    I've also sprinkled them on sandwiches and in omelettes.
  • jill2136
    jill2136 Posts: 1
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    Can you tell me more about how to have them in overnight oatmeal? I put them in oatmeal too because of the texture but I wasnt sure if i let them sit long enough-Thanks
  • Lisa__Michelle
    Lisa__Michelle Posts: 845 Member
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    What are the health benefits of chia seeds. I've never heard of then!
  • Princess4Run
    Princess4Run Posts: 135 Member
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    High in fiber, iron, and good fats Omega 3 and 6. They have good amount of protein as well. They expand in liquid and help with the feeling of fullness once eaten. I add them to my green smoothies.
  • 6mimi
    6mimi Posts: 1,439 Member
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    Here is a recipe from skinnytaste.com for overnight oatmeal. I made it last night and ate it today... it was terrific!

    Skinny Overnight Oats in a Jar
    Skinnytaste.com
    Servings: 1 • Serving Size: 1 jar • Old Points: 5 pts • Points+: 6 pts
    Calories: 244.9 • Fat: 10.8 g • Carbs: 35.4 g • Fiber: 8.5 g • Protein: 6 g • Sugar: 12 g
    Sodium: 94.7 mg


    Ingredients:
    1/4 cup quick oats
    1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk (or skim, soy)
    1/4 medium banana, sliced (freeze the rest for smoothies!)
    1/2 tbsp chia seeds
    1/2 cup blueberries
    4-5 drops NuNaturals liquid vanilla stevia (or your favorite sweetener)
    pinch cinnamon

    optional toppings:

    1 tbsp chopped pecans (or any nut)

    Directions:

    Place all the ingredient in a jar, shake, cover and refrigerate overnight. Add your favorite crunchy toppings such as nuts, granola, etc and enjoy the next day!
  • zorreena
    zorreena Posts: 267 Member
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    I make my own cereal with them. Serving size is 4 tbsp so super quick to eat on the go. I put about 1/8c milk with them let it sit for 10 minutes and eat like cold porridge.
  • Xiaolongbao
    Xiaolongbao Posts: 854 Member
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    If you google "Chia Seed recipes" you'll find heaps of ideas. My favourite is the cauliflower soup found here

    http://www.chiaseedrecipes.com/quick-and-easy-cauliflower-chia-soup.php

    The main thing I use them for though is to bulk out my breakfast. I put a spoon of seads in about 50mL of soy milk. While that sits for around 10 minutes I cook up a whole heap of capsicum, mushrooms, tofu, spring onions. I just "fry" it all with no oil, just water and a non-stick pan. I mix up about 4 egg whites and one whole egg, dump in the chia seeds and milk, dump in all the stuff I fried and then cook it all in the pan I did the frying in.

    Eat with some avocado and tomatoes and you've got a killer breakfast.
  • Xiaolongbao
    Xiaolongbao Posts: 854 Member
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    What are the health benefits of chia seeds. I've never heard of then!

    Are you too young to remember the craze for Chia Pets? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chia_Pet

    Seeds that are super nutritional and have the added benefit of being like eating your crazy 1980s pretend pet.
  • mhiggi02
    mhiggi02 Posts: 5,988 Member
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    Thanks for all of the ideas and responses. I made some chia gel last night and put a tablespoon in my protein shake this morning. I've got a vitamix on the way so plan to use the gel extensively in my smoothies.

    Can't wait to try the overnight oatmeal recipe.
  • melsinct
    melsinct Posts: 3,512 Member
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    I use this recipe as the base but I have made it with cow's milk, without lemon zest, maple syrup instead of agave...basically I use their proportion of seed/liquid/sweetener and get creative with it. It ends up kind of like tapioca pudding, which I love.

    http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/chia-seed-pudding

    Chia seed pudding
    TOTAL TIME: 15 MIN PLUS 4 HR CHILLING
    SERVINGS: 4
    2 1/2 cups almond milk
    3 tablespoons agave nectar
    1/2 cup chia seeds (3 ounces)
    1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

    In a 1-quart jar, combine the almond milk with the agave nectar. Close the jar and shake to combine. Add the chia seeds and lemon zest to the jar, then close and shake well. Refrigerate until very thick and pudding-like, at least 4 hours or overnight, shaking or stirring occasionally. Serve the pudding in bowls.

    MAKE AHEAD
    The pudding can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.

    SERVE WITH
    Citrus sections, diced mango, almonds and extra agave nectar.

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