One of the fastest-growing health trend is the chia seed. Sure, you can grow it into a pet plant via some crazy late night television offer, but it can also provide lots of good nutrients into your diet.
An Aztec super food, chia seeds are high in protein, antioxidants, omega fatty acids and calcium. You can buy them ground, or whole and organic. Since hearing the latest buzz, I decided to give chia seeds a try by replacing my usual protein powder in my smoothies or oatmeal every morning.
Mango and Coconut Chia Smoothie. ©Reel Chow
Chia seeds. ©Reel Chow
Mango & Coconut Chia Smoothie Ingredients:
- 1 cup of frozen mango chunks
- 1 banana
- 1 tablespoon of chia seeds. I use whole but you can use ground, too.
- 1 cup of coconut milk
In a blender, add all the ingredients and blend until smooth. Pour into a glass and drink up! If you prefer your smoothie thick or thin, add as much or little of coconut milk, depending on how you prefer it. I like mine on the thick side. The Silk brand is a nice coconut milk.
Maple & Chia Oatmeal. ©Reel Chow
Maple and Chia Oatmeal Ingredients:
- 1 box of oatmeal, whichever you prefer
- 1 tablespoon of chia seeds, whole or ground, per cup of oatmeal
- 1/2 to 1 tablespoon of real maple syrup, not the imitation kind.
Follow the cooking instructions on the oatmeal package. When done cooking, add in the chia seeds and maple syrup. Mix well with a spoon. Eat up!
Close up of chia seeds. ©Reel Chow
By substituting my protein powder with chia seeds, I noticed no drop or change in energy. The chia seeds kept me well-fueled during an hour workout at my gym. I do like the crunch of the seeds, the texture reminds me of strawberry seeds.
I highly recommend incorporating chia seeds into your daily diet. There are many ways to add it to dishes, such as sprinkling them over salads. You can coat fish or poultry using the chia seeds mixed with herbs and bread crumbs for baking. Add them to your breakfast muffins, if you’re more into carbs for your breakfast.
There are many options for employing chia seeds into your diet, and in the past few months I’ve only begun to experiment with them. Feel free to write if you have any thoughts or recipes you’d like to share with our readers. Until then, here’s keeping your energy up and your food’s flavor robust!