CHIA SEEDS

by | May 12, 2014 | Healthy Eating | 19 comments

Whole302010 – SUPERfood SPOTLIGHT

Chia

Why we like it

Helps you get full, faster and keeps you feeling satisfied until your next meal.

Packed with a high dose of omega 3 fats, fibre, calcium, phosphorus, manganese, protein and antioxidants

Has a host of great health benefits including stabilizing blood sugars, helping digestion, lowering cholesterol and boosting energy

Improves heart health and blood pressure

Milled, ground or seeds – all have the same nutritional value and health benefits

5 ways to use it

  1. Sprinkle chia seeds on yogurt, applesauce, salads or in smoothies
  2. Use chia seeds in pancakes, muffins, cookies or granola
  3. Substitute “chia gel” in baking recipes in replace of eggs or butter
  4. Enjoy a refreshing summer “chia lemonade” by mixing 1 tbsp + 1L water and lemon
  5. Make chia pudding a staple grain free, on the go breakfast option
Chia bars
Serves: 6
Ingredients
  • 1 banana
  • 250ml unsweetened almond milk
  • 2 scoop proteins powder
  • 2 tbsp chia seeds
  • 3 dates
  • 3 tbsp almond butter
  • ½ tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 cup oats
  • ¼ cup chocolate chips
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350F
  2. Mix all ingredients in a food processor
  3. Line baking sheet with parchment paper
  4. Place mixture on baking sheet and flatten
  5. Bake for 20 min at 350F
  6. When browned and crisp, remove from oven and cut in to 6 squares.
Serving size: 6 Calories: 177 Fat: 7 Carbohydrates: 27 Fiber: 5 Protein: 7

 

If you have already used this superfood before – let us and your fellow challengers know how you add it to your MCC meals.  If you have never used it – what has been your favourite way to incorporate Chia Seeds into your everyday? 

19 Comments

  1. Anne S on May 12, 2014 at 10:01 pm

    I’ve only used Chia seeds in my overnight oatmeal, which I love by the way.
    I look forward to trying the bars.

  2. roxanne keats on May 12, 2014 at 10:51 pm

    I started to use chia seeds a few years ago because a doctor told me it would help guard against memory loss. I usually put it in my yogurt, but sometimes I put it on random things because I don’t find it has any taste. I am using a blueberry chia mix right now because it is supposed to have the extra benefit of antioxidants.

  3. sonia on May 13, 2014 at 8:27 am

    I like the idea that they guard against memory loss. I will have to start to incorporate chia into muffins and on salads. I have made the bars and they were good.

  4. Lillian on May 13, 2014 at 8:41 am

    I started using Chia seeds just with the overnight oats or fibre bowl in the mornings. I then made muffins and added them to that as well. My daughter is a vegetarian so I add them to the sauce for the cheesy spaghetti as extra protein. I look forward to making the bars! Thank you for the recipe.
    I have a new shelf of all of my bulk barn products and recently bought cute little containers to put them in. I love it 🙂

  5. Jeannine on May 13, 2014 at 2:47 pm

    I have been using the Chia seeds in the overnight Oats. I find that they really fill you up so it makes for a good breakfast! I am going to try the pudding in the next week as I’ve heard good things about that as well.

  6. Didi on May 13, 2014 at 7:36 pm

    I really like the recipe for the Chia bars and I will definitely make it this weekend.

  7. sandra on May 13, 2014 at 8:24 pm

    I love using the Chia seeds in my overnight oats. I can’t make enough if that recipe though since my family is always eating it with me, more and more each time! My two year ate half my serving today. Is there a limit to how much Chia seeds the little ones should have? I’ve also used Chia in my smoothies but I wasn’t too big of a fan of it because I prefer a smoother texture for my smoothies.

  8. Aileen on May 14, 2014 at 12:00 pm

    I lilke the overnight breakfast, too. How do you substitute chia gel for eggs and butter (what’s that, anyway?!)?

  9. Preet on May 14, 2014 at 12:35 pm

    I’ve been using chia seeds for awhile now. I find them very easy to throw into a baked goods recipe or on top of a salad as they have a crunch to them. I’ve tried them in seed cookies and sunflower bars. They pack a lot of fibre – 5g in a tablespoon. I was worried about my fibre intake having eliminated grains, but having a spoonful of chia seeds a day has alleviated this concern. I really like the almond flour blueberry muffins, I’m planning to throw some chia seeds in this recipe today.

  10. KJones on May 14, 2014 at 4:33 pm

    I think I’ve mentioned before, I love, love, LOVE my chia pudding in the morning! Will be so nice and light for summer. And I really appreciate being able to make it the night before and just grabbing it in the morning. I tried making 4 morning’s worth, but I think I might limit it to just making two batches…the taste lost something by day 4 (and I think things start sprouting by that time! LOL). I’ve been shaking chia seeds and hemp hearts into my seed cookies previously, so now realize I can just shake them into any of my bar/cookie/muffin recipes to give them a boost.
    Have to admit, I think the hemp hearts fill me up more than the chia seeds (I tried the hemp hearts in applesauce that everyone’s talking about, and found I felt full until lunch), but neither leaves me craving in the morning.

  11. Debbie Johnson on May 14, 2014 at 5:06 pm

    I too love the chia pudding. I do also love chocolate so I am looking for a chocolate chia pudding recipe. I will share when I find one.

  12. Debbie Johnson on May 15, 2014 at 9:42 am

    Hi I’m back. I made the MCC Chia Pudding and substituted the cinnamon with 1 Tbsp of Cocoa and it was awesome! Banana Chocolate Chia Pudding!

    • Jeanne Mitchell on May 15, 2014 at 10:09 pm

      OMG – have to try that!!! I love the chia pudding too.

  13. Weezie on May 15, 2014 at 9:52 am

    I love the chia pudding also. I has been my go to breakfast. I have tried it with mixed berries, and with a variety of fruits. I also have tired it with coconut milk and mangos. When I want something warm for breakfast, I usually make scramble eggs and I had chia seeds to them.
    My kids think it hilarious because they remember the chia pets commercials. They said with all the water I drink, I must have a huge pet inside of me!

    • Jeanne Mitchell on May 15, 2014 at 10:10 pm

      I sing that commercial in my head everytime I make my pudding…it has really stuck over the years…chachachachia!

  14. Jeanne Mitchell on May 15, 2014 at 10:18 pm

    I like the chia pudding as an afternoon snack…we tend to eat kind of late so it really fills me up until dinner and most times, I still feel full so I’m eating less at dinner and not snacking in the late evening (which has always been my down fall). I haven’t tried the overnight oats everyone is raving about; that requires to much forethought and I’m more spontaneous…maybe that’s one of my problems too…spontaneous eating. Looking forward to trying some of the bar recipes over the long weekend.

    Question: do any of these bar / ball recipes (maca/ hemp/ chia) freeze well? I need to stock up for good spontaneous food choices.

    Have a good weekend everyone!

  15. Blue Skies on May 15, 2014 at 11:59 pm

    Looking forward to using the chia suggestions. Before the challenge, I had tried chia bread.

  16. Rosa on May 16, 2014 at 6:51 pm

    I have used the chia seeds with yogurt and smoothies. Didn’t realize all the benefits till I read the above. Going to try making the bars and the chia lemonade!

  17. Odile Bartlett on May 19, 2014 at 3:11 pm

    I have used chia for a long time. I put it in my smoothie in the mornings along with hemp hearts. I love the chia pudding, however, I don’t bother making it the night before. I throw everything in the vitamix in the morning and give it a whirl. It’s thick enough to eat with a spoon and I don’t get bits stuck in my teeth. I also make it with pumpkin puree and pumpkin spice mix and sweetner for a yummy pumpkin pie like filling!