Whether your goal is to add a daily dose of chia to your diet, or you’re simply trying to use up that bag of seeds in the fridge, you’re undoubtedly wondering…
…what is the best way to eat chia seeds? Stirring chia seeds into breakfast food is the easiest way to make them a regular part of one’s diet. Added to fruit, chia makes a surprisingly good jam. Chia seeds can even substitute for eggs in baked goods.
The good news is that you can skip the other articles with 10, 11, or 21 ways to use chia seeds – These are the three you’re looking for:
Best Way to Get Chia Seeds into Your Daily Diet
If your goal is to eat chia seeds every day, the very best way to do so is to add them to your breakfast.
Here are the ones I enjoy the most:
- A topping of chia seeds over peanut butter and honey on toast. It makes the toast crunchy on the top and the bottom, which is really fun.
- Chia seeds stirred into oatmeal. Even though people think of chia seeds as being flavorless, the heat of the oatmeal brings out a mild nuttiness, which enhances its flavor.
- Sometimes, I just down a teaspoonful of chia seeds with my coffee!
Funnest Thing to Do with Chia Seeds
The most fun thing you can do with chia seeds is to create a fruit preserve with them. It’s likely that you have observed the gel-like coating that forms on chia, when they get wet. This coating gels up the added fruit, as well, eliminating the need for pectin or other added thickeners.
My favorite chia jam to stir together is:
- 3/4c frozen blueberries (thawed)
- 1T chia seeds
- 1T sugar
The recipe with the sugar uses less fruit, because sugar draws additional water out of the fruit, which thins the jam. A sugar-free alternative is:
- 1c frozen blueberries
- 1T chia seeds
It’s great to be able to make your own jam, any time you want to; without having to buy pectin, or do any canning.
Chia jam is a perfect first recipe for a child, since no heat is required. What a great way to get them to enjoy something healthy!
The Best Chia Seed Kitchen Hack
An amazing use for versatile chia seeds, which may not have occured to you, is as an egg substitute. Whether you’re baking to please a vegan, or you need an egg for a recipe, but don’t have one, chia seeds can help you out.
To substitute one egg, simply stir 1T. of chia seeds into 2 1/2 Tablespoons of water, in a small bowl. Let the seeds hydrate for about 10 minutes. If the “egg” looks too solid, add another 1-2 teaspoons of water to achieve a more egg-like consistency.
Why Do People Eat Chia Seeds, Anyway?
Harvard Medical School gives a good nutritional snapshot. Here is an excerpt:
The small, black seeds are among the richest plant sources of the omega-3 fatty acid known as alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). Diets high in ALA have been linked to a lower risk of heart disease. Chia seeds are also high in insoluble fiber, which may help lower harmful LDL cholesterol levels.”
Harvard Medical School
Trouble finding chia in the store? Anya Guy, a registered dietitian with the Mayo Clinic, has this helpful advice:
They’re small, round, black, and they’re typically found in bags — maybe in the baking section,”
Anya Guy, a Mayo Clinic dietitian and nutrition expert
Remember that chia may be healthy, but it is not a low-calorie food. A Tablespoon of chia seeds has 70 calories, more than two pats of butter (based on one-teaspoon pats at 33 calories each).
Even More Ways to Enjoy Chia for Healing and Food
I’ve gotten a lot out of two books, in particular:
Using chia, as instructed in Chia Seed Remedies, has done wonders for my digestion. Chia is a gentle way to stay “regular,” without any nasty side effects.
Chia Crazy Cookbook: Clean Eating with the World’s Greatest Superfood
My go-to recipes in Chia Crazy are the lemon salad dressing (reminds me of poppy seed dressing), and the Almond Joy smoothie. This book is especially helpful, if you are trying to get the whole family on board with chia.
