Chia Seeds- who knew??

ReenieHJ
ReenieHJ Posts: 9,724 Member
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/11-proven-health-benefits-of-chia-seeds#section5

I've heard of them, of course though have never used them. They seem to be the ultimate healthy little morsels in many many ways so I'll definitely be adding them to my grocery list. I found a recipe for making overnight pumpkin pie oats which sounds pretty good and different. I need to do different now, to re-excite my eating plan. :/

https://www.tablespoon.com/recipes/pumpkin-pie-overnight-oats/bc04ff57-5078-4264-91d3-636d6cc5ee6b

Replies

  • nenelove
    nenelove Posts: 25 Member
    You can also make Chia pudding. It’s pretty delicious.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,427 MFP Moderator
    nenelove wrote: »
    You can also make Chia pudding. It’s pretty delicious.

    Hell yea they do.
  • KarenSmith2018
    KarenSmith2018 Posts: 302 Member

    Love chia seeds. Put them in porridge and yogurt too for a healthy little extra
  • wendyheath32
    wendyheath32 Posts: 74 Member
    Love chia seeds. Use them in baking to instead of eggs
  • Terytha
    Terytha Posts: 2,097 Member
    I tried them a couple times and they were so bitter and vile. I don't get it.
  • spzjlb
    spzjlb Posts: 599 Member
    Terytha wrote: »
    I tried them a couple times and they were so bitter and vile. I don't get it.

    They may have been rancid. They are high in unsaturated fatty acids and so are particularly vulnerable. Flax, walnuts, etc also have the same issue. But perhaps you just don’t like chia!

  • Darren225g
    Darren225g Posts: 214 Member
    I usually soak them overnight and toss them in my oatmeal for breakfast. Everyone around me thinks it's gross, but screw them :p
  • RCPV
    RCPV Posts: 342 Member
    Terytha wrote: »
    I tried them a couple times and they were so bitter and vile. I don't get it.

    Try some of these others: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/6-healthiest-seeds

    I really like the hemp seeds and sesame seeds. I put them on everything to add a little bit of punch.
  • littlegreenparrot1
    littlegreenparrot1 Posts: 702 Member
    I don't like them on their own, but will chuck a spoonful into overnight oats.

    Chia pudding though is evil 😨
  • ReenieHJ
    ReenieHJ Posts: 9,724 Member
    My sister just told me today, that in order to get the benefits of the chia seeds, you have to grind them?? I was just going to make overnight oats and not grind them; won't that be good enough?
  • mockchoc
    mockchoc Posts: 6,573 Member
    ReenieHJ wrote: »
    My sister just told me today, that in order to get the benefits of the chia seeds, you have to grind them?? I was just going to make overnight oats and not grind them; won't that be good enough?

    Your sister is wrong. Flax though I've read should be ground. Google "should chia seeds be ground to get the benifits" and you'll see they are good as is.

    LOVE chia pudding!
  • NicbPNW
    NicbPNW Posts: 47 Member
    I put them in my smoothies and can't even taste them!
  • ReenieHJ
    ReenieHJ Posts: 9,724 Member
    mockchoc wrote: »
    ReenieHJ wrote: »
    My sister just told me today, that in order to get the benefits of the chia seeds, you have to grind them?? I was just going to make overnight oats and not grind them; won't that be good enough?

    Your sister is wrong. Flax though I've read should be ground. Google "should chia seeds be ground to get the benifits" and you'll see they are good as is.

    LOVE chia pudding!

    Evidently, she was talking with her dh's VA dr. and she's the one that told her but I did read something in my search where it's not necessary to grind them. Either way, mine aren't getting ground. :) I did look up chia pudding too and found a chocolate one I'm going to try, looks delicious. But I've got 4 mason jars of overnight oats in the fridge that I'll be eating up first. Can't wait for breakfast!
  • mockchoc
    mockchoc Posts: 6,573 Member
    ReenieHJ wrote: »
    mockchoc wrote: »
    ReenieHJ wrote: »
    My sister just told me today, that in order to get the benefits of the chia seeds, you have to grind them?? I was just going to make overnight oats and not grind them; won't that be good enough?

    Your sister is wrong. Flax though I've read should be ground. Google "should chia seeds be ground to get the benifits" and you'll see they are good as is.

    LOVE chia pudding!

    Evidently, she was talking with her dh's VA dr. and she's the one that told her but I did read something in my search where it's not necessary to grind them. Either way, mine aren't getting ground. :) I did look up chia pudding too and found a chocolate one I'm going to try, looks delicious. But I've got 4 mason jars of overnight oats in the fridge that I'll be eating up first. Can't wait for breakfast!

    Chocolate chia pudding is great. I'd like to try it with a little coffee added to it next time too. If you like coconut it'd be nice with coconut milk too.
  • fitoverfortymom
    fitoverfortymom Posts: 3,452 Member
    They help me poop.
  • tontondam
    tontondam Posts: 7 Member
    Chia seeds are great to decrease blood sugar, went from 106 to 95 without changing my diet. Lowering carbs to 40% of total daily calories lowered blood glucose further to 83. I have 2 tbsp chia seeds in my overnight oats.
  • SchweddyGirl
    SchweddyGirl Posts: 244 Member
    I am not big on chia pudding...maybe because I just haven't found a recipe I like yet. But I do put them in my smoothies and in my yogurt. I will also sprinkle them on top of muffins.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,204 Member
    I am not big on chia pudding...maybe because I just haven't found a recipe I like yet. But I do put them in my smoothies and in my yogurt. I will also sprinkle them on top of muffins.

    Yeah, me too. Nutrition's good, but not enough to overcome the sort of "crunchy tapioca" perception, for me.

    I'm sticking with other foods (including hemp & milled flax seeds, walnuts) that are tastier, to me. To each her own. :drinker:

    Gotta say, Healthline's standards for "proven" are often quite different from mine. Like I said, to each her own. ;)
  • SchweddyGirl
    SchweddyGirl Posts: 244 Member
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    I am not big on chia pudding...maybe because I just haven't found a recipe I like yet. But I do put them in my smoothies and in my yogurt. I will also sprinkle them on top of muffins.

    Yeah, me too. Nutrition's good, but not enough to overcome the sort of "crunchy tapioca" perception, for me.

    I'm sticking with other foods (including hemp & milled flax seeds, walnuts) that are tastier, to me. To each her own. :drinker:

    Gotta say, Healthline's standards for "proven" are often quite different from mine. Like I said, to each her own. ;)

    While I love hemp seed, I have to limit my use of it since I am still active duty and it can cause issues with my urinalysis if I consume too much. Every once in a while, I will throw some hemp into my breakfast smoothies.
  • claireychn074
    claireychn074 Posts: 1,604 Member
    I’m sorry but they just remind me of frog spawn 🤢
  • ReenieHJ
    ReenieHJ Posts: 9,724 Member
    I’m sorry but they just remind me of frog spawn 🤢

    Ewww, I'll try not to remember what you said when I eat my pumpkin pie oats this a.m. Lol

    I'm just wondering if all these 'good for you' extras are worth the extra cost. 8 bucks for a little bag of chia seeds? Haven't made up my mind yet. I think 1 of the things that drew me to them was their ability to help fill you up. Hoping that's a little bit true? :)
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,204 Member
    ReenieHJ wrote: »
    I’m sorry but they just remind me of frog spawn 🤢

    Ewww, I'll try not to remember what you said when I eat my pumpkin pie oats this a.m. Lol

    I'm just wondering if all these 'good for you' extras are worth the extra cost. 8 bucks for a little bag of chia seeds? Haven't made up my mind yet. I think 1 of the things that drew me to them was their ability to help fill you up. Hoping that's a little bit true? :)

    To the bolded: Satiation's going to be almost entirely individual, so you'll soon know. :flowerforyou:
  • Kimmotion5783
    Kimmotion5783 Posts: 417 Member
    ReenieHJ wrote: »
    https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/11-proven-health-benefits-of-chia-seeds#section5

    I've heard of them, of course though have never used them. They seem to be the ultimate healthy little morsels in many many ways so I'll definitely be adding them to my grocery list. I found a recipe for making overnight pumpkin pie oats which sounds pretty good and different. I need to do different now, to re-excite my eating plan. :/

    https://www.tablespoon.com/recipes/pumpkin-pie-overnight-oats/bc04ff57-5078-4264-91d3-636d6cc5ee6b

    I wonder how they would go in things like protein muffins?
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    Terytha wrote: »
    I tried them a couple times and they were so bitter and vile. I don't get it.

    Hmm, I never notice a taste. I soak them, and then use them in smoothies. Like said above, maybe they were rancid.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    Best price I've seen for chia seeds was a giant jug by Badia that I got at Walmart.
  • lemurcat2
    lemurcat2 Posts: 7,885 Member
    edited January 2020
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    I am not big on chia pudding...maybe because I just haven't found a recipe I like yet. But I do put them in my smoothies and in my yogurt. I will also sprinkle them on top of muffins.

    Yeah, me too. Nutrition's good, but not enough to overcome the sort of "crunchy tapioca" perception, for me.

    I'm sticking with other foods (including hemp & milled flax seeds, walnuts) that are tastier, to me. To each her own. :drinker:

    Gotta say, Healthline's standards for "proven" are often quite different from mine. Like I said, to each her own. ;)

    I love chia pudding (it's the only way I ever have chia seeds, and only rarely). It's not crunchy IME. But for full disclosure I actually like tapioca pudding and also bubble teas. I don't add them to smoothies (I often add other kinds of nuts and seeds), because I think they'd make it too thick.
  • lemurcat2
    lemurcat2 Posts: 7,885 Member
    ReenieHJ wrote: »
    I’m sorry but they just remind me of frog spawn 🤢

    Ewww, I'll try not to remember what you said when I eat my pumpkin pie oats this a.m. Lol

    I'm just wondering if all these 'good for you' extras are worth the extra cost. 8 bucks for a little bag of chia seeds? Haven't made up my mind yet. I think 1 of the things that drew me to them was their ability to help fill you up. Hoping that's a little bit true? :)

    I think chia aren't really worth it for the nutritional benefits unless you like them. The main thing seems to be healthy fats generally (and for that I am happy with plenty of other nuts and seeds, as well as other sources), and then omega-3, but they are ALA, which we normally can get plenty of, and DHA/EPA seems to be what we are more likely to be short on. You can in theory make them from ALA, but it doesn't seem to be a reliable conversion, so IMO absent fatty fish, supplementing DHA/EPA is probably worth it, whatever ALA sources one has.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,427 MFP Moderator
    lemurcat2 wrote: »
    ReenieHJ wrote: »
    I’m sorry but they just remind me of frog spawn 🤢

    Ewww, I'll try not to remember what you said when I eat my pumpkin pie oats this a.m. Lol

    I'm just wondering if all these 'good for you' extras are worth the extra cost. 8 bucks for a little bag of chia seeds? Haven't made up my mind yet. I think 1 of the things that drew me to them was their ability to help fill you up. Hoping that's a little bit true? :)

    I think chia aren't really worth it for the nutritional benefits unless you like them. The main thing seems to be healthy fats generally (and for that I am happy with plenty of other nuts and seeds, as well as other sources), and then omega-3, but they are ALA, which we normally can get plenty of, and DHA/EPA seems to be what we are more likely to be short on. You can in theory make them from ALA, but it doesn't seem to be a reliable conversion, so IMO absent fatty fish, supplementing DHA/EPA is probably worth it, whatever ALA sources one has.

    Some recent stuff i have seen on supplementation on DHA/EPA isn't showing much effect. Examine.com has it on IG recently
  • Terytha
    Terytha Posts: 2,097 Member
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    Terytha wrote: »
    I tried them a couple times and they were so bitter and vile. I don't get it.

    Hmm, I never notice a taste. I soak them, and then use them in smoothies. Like said above, maybe they were rancid.

    I mean, not only were they fresh from the store, I've tried a few times with the same results.
  • lemurcat2
    lemurcat2 Posts: 7,885 Member
    edited January 2020
    I see a 2018 Examine.com article about a study showing little effect of fish oil on CVD in older subjects, but also Examine.com articles suggesting other positive effects and agreeing that ALA is likely not going to be sufficient (if omega-3 is a concern).

    I am skeptical about supplementation to some extent (in general, vs relying on foods), but I am not convinced the only potential benefit of omega-3s would be CVD-related, and I also am thinking specifically of populations not getting DHA through foods (i.e., those who don't consume fatty fish or other sources). I think it's a reasonable precaution for the latter, and I don't think just consuming ALA is going to substitute, necessarily.

    But it's certainly focusing on the minors, I'd agree (I just find some of the minors interesting).