What are chia seeds anyways?

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TiffanyLoveG
TiffanyLoveG Posts: 76 Member
in Food and Nutrition
What's the hype about chia seeds? Are hey good to include in a diet?

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  • Gisel2015
    Gisel2015 Posts: 4,144 Member
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    I can't eat seeds, popcorn, or too many nuts due to diverticulits, so it doesn't matter how good they are or the hype about them because they are not part of my diet. You can Google for health benefits of chia seeds if you are interested but I am sure that you will get many responses.
  • CorneliusPhoton
    CorneliusPhoton Posts: 965 Member
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    I add them to my breakfasts solely for the extra fiber.
  • annacole94
    annacole94 Posts: 997 Member
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    They are seeds. Of chia. They make a cool gel if you put them in liquid. They're high in fiber and healthy fats.

    I use them in my overnight oats, to improve the texture and add fiber. They're not magic, but they can be a healthy part of a diet if you want. I don't actually love the flavour and I'm not sure if I'll buy more (but I bought the bag at Costco, so it's going to take a while to eat it).
  • LuckyNumbers
    LuckyNumbers Posts: 208 Member
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    I like to add chia seeds to my morning yogurt for some crunch, and I've also used them in salads and shakes. I use them because they add quite a bit of fiber to my meals without also adding a bunch of calories. They are not a magic weight loss supplement, otherwise, I'd be at goal by now.
  • comptonelizabeth
    comptonelizabeth Posts: 1,701 Member
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    I have IBD so seeds of any kind are the equivalent of ground glass.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,576 Member
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    They are high fiber seeds of a plant. Good to add to a diet if you are looking to add more fiber and don't have a problem eating seeds.

    I add them to most grains that I eat (rice, kasha, quinoa, etc.) to up the fiber content. I also usually add flax for the omega-3 and more fiber. I like to eat a high fiber diet.
  • rosebarnalice
    rosebarnalice Posts: 3,488 Member
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    I don't really need them for fiber, but I do add them to salads for the Omega-3 fats. I also use them mixed with water as an egg substitute in holiday baking (about the only time I really bake any more) since I have several friends who are vegan.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
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    They're a good source of fiber and Omega-3...I don't eat them as I get plenty of fiber elsewhere and I eat a lot of fish.
  • DanyellMcGinnis
    DanyellMcGinnis Posts: 315 Member
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    I find chia seeds annoying because of the gelling behavior. I used to put them in smoothies but they would stick to the blender cup or my glass and be hard to clean out, but of course my dishwasher would manage to get the unnoticed ones from the cup and promptly stick them to plates and other items.

    You can bake them into bread if you soak them in water first. They do have healthful fats and fiber but I find ground flax seed or hulled help seeds easier to use in smoothies. I have eaten chia seeds and put them on a chia pet from the same bag (that is actually one way to tell if they are fresh -- sprouting them).

    Sometimes they are found in energy or protein bars. The ones with a ton of chia are gritty; anything with too much dry chia is gritty.

    I liked chia seeds for a long time, and there is nothing wrong with them, nutritionally, but now that I have explored more options, I find I prefer other types of seeds.
  • evileen99
    evileen99 Posts: 1,564 Member
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    CorneliusPhoton wrote: »
    I add them to my breakfasts solely for the extra fiber.

    Ditto.
  • josette06
    josette06 Posts: 119 Member
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    I once doubled the recommended serving size of them one morning. It took a mere 10 minutes for me to regret that decision.
  • amusedmonkey
    amusedmonkey Posts: 10,330 Member
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    I don't need them for the fiber, and I don't find myself having them often because they are kind of high in calories and there are plenty of lower calorie fiber sources, but I like their gelling property. Feels like eating tiny tapioca bubbles so it makes me happy to add them every now and then.
  • mallory_2014
    mallory_2014 Posts: 173 Member
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    I use them for the protein, fibre, and healthy fats. I also use them as a vegan egg substitute in baking
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,182 Member
    edited February 2017
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    I add 1 oz chia seeds and 1 oz flax seeds to my homemade wheat bread. The macro profile of it is nice, the texture and taste is nice. I will keep doing it.

    While I'm at it, 1 cup KA bread flout, 1 cup KA whole wheat flour, along with the water, butter, milk and yeast makes a 1 lb loaf.

    Rather, 137 g of the flours.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
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    Protein, fibre and fat. I use them to thicken up my smoothies. I also love chia pudding.
  • GottaBurnEmAll
    GottaBurnEmAll Posts: 7,722 Member
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    I vastly prefer flax meal for the same benefit.

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