They say big surprises sometimes come in small packages! You could say that about Chia seeds as well! Chia seeds, also known as Salvia Hispanica, is amongst the most sought after health food items for the last few decades.
Known as a nutrient-dense superfood, chia seeds come packed with a long list of health benefits. The ability of chia seeds to form a jelly like mix when in contact with any liquid is something that sets them apart from the rest.
Found to be a rich source of fiber, omega-3s, and vitamin B, chia seeds are a part of every health conscious person’s diet. But, is there a way to consume chia seeds in more user-friendly or creative way? We’ve got the answers for you.
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How To Eat Chia Seeds | Creative Ways To Eat Chia Seeds
There are various fascinating and useful ways in which you can make chia seeds a part of your diet without compromising on its beneficial nature. Some of these ways are listed below:
1. Drink Chia Seeds Along With Fruit Juices
This is one of the most popular ways of consuming your daily requirement of chia seeds, and also quite simple to do.
All you have to do is soak a small batch of chia seeds in water overnight, and in the morning, a thick jelly-like substance will cover the surfaces of the seeds, you can add them your morning glass of juice, as the jelly-like exterior makes it easier for them to go down your throat.
2. Use Chia Seeds As Dressing For Salads
There are many health benefits of eating chia seeds everyday. If you are a health conscious person, then chances are that salads must be a regular part of your meals, be it vegetable or fruit salads.
Now, the best thing about chia seeds is that they have no particular taste of their own, thus by adding them as a dressing over your salad will probably increase your nutrient intake for the better.
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3. Use Chia Seeds In Baking
Just as oats when baked in dough, forms oat bread that is very much healthier than normal bread that uses maida or refined flour, chia seeds can also increase the nutrient quotient of your baked goodies. Chia seeds can be thoroughly mixed in the dough before baking it.
However, if you are bored with eating bread, with chia seeds, you can take it one step ahead and mix the chia seeds in your cake batter, which by the way would be quite filled with calories but still healthier than an actual cake.
Also Read: 10 Best Health Benefits Of Eating Almonds
4. Chia Seeds Based Energy Bar
One thing to be noted carefully about energy bars is that you should never eat them before going to bed. Even when they are packed with chia seeds, and therefore nutrient rich, it is not a good idea to consume these at bedtime. Most energy bars based on chia seeds are quite highly packed with energy since chia seeds are a good source of protein.
Since the recent sky-rocketing demand of chia seeds, many manufacturers have come up with their own chia seed filled energy bars in the market. So, if you are looking to satisfy your sweet tooth with a healthy snack, all you have to do is go to your nearest supermarket.
5. Along With Your Breakfast Cereal
The best and the most efficient time to eat chia seed is on an empty stomach in the morning. Another option to enjoy chia seeds in the morning is to add them to your bowl of cereals. Speaking of cereals, chia seeds are commonly added to a bowl of muesli, adding to its nutritional value.
6. Chia Water
The easiest way to add chia seeds in your diet is to add them in water. In order to make chia water, you must soak ¼ cup of chia seeds in 1 liter of water for 20-30 minutes. To add a dash of flavor to the chia water, you can add chopped fruits in it or you can squeeze a lemon, lime or orange in it.
7. Chia Salad
You can sprinkle some chia seeds on your salad to get a good texture and to make the salad healthier. If you don’t want to sprinkle chia seeds on your salad, then you can mix it in your salad dressing. Instead of using commercially prepared salad dressings, you can make your own healthy salad dressing at home.
8. Chia With Other Grains
This alternative is for those who don’t like the gooey texture of the chia seeds. All you have to do is mix 1 tbsp of chia seeds in a 180 g cup of rice or quinoa.
9. Chia Seeds In Jam
Chia seeds have the ability to absorb 10 times their dry weight in water, hence they can be used as an alternative for pectin in jams. Jams have lots of added sugar in them because the taste of pectin is bitter. To avoid adding sugars, you can simply use chia seeds instead of pectin.
10. Chia Gravy
Chia seeds are a great option for thickening of gravy. Instead of flour, you can soak chia seeds and allow it turn into gel and then you can add it in gravies or soups to make it thick.
11. Egg Replacement
Any dish that you like but can’t eat because it has eggs, then you can replace eggs with chia seeds and snack on your favorite dish. To replace 1 egg, you must add 1 tbsp of chia seeds, soaked in 2 tbsp of water.
Now, don’t be disappointed if you still haven’t found a perfect way to include chia seeds in your daily diet, because chia seeds go along with any sort of recipe and can also act as one of the side-ingredients, which probably means that there are infinite possibilities of making a chia seeds filled meal that would please your tongue as well as your health.
How To Store Chia Seeds?
Even though storing is not what people think of all the time before adding chia seeds in their diet. But storage of chia seeds is an important factor which you must know about. It can be stored in the following ways:
- You can store chia seeds in glass jars as it will be easy for you to identify them and the glass is non-reactive so you don’t need to worry about decaying of chia seeds.
- You can also store chia seeds in mason jars as they are pocket friendly.
- You can store chia seeds in glass jars but in the refrigerator. Storage in refrigerators increases their shelf life.
- Glass jars in the refrigerator are better than opaque jars, if you don’t use chia seeds regularly, the opaque jar will be pushed back into the fridge.
- You can also store them in the fridge in mason jars.
