Cha Cha Cha Chia

No joke, the once beloved chia pets of the 80’s grew to their distinct shapes by way of chia seeds.  Fast forward to today and you are likely seeing them everywhere, except in chia pets.  Natural food manufacturers are adding them to everything from bars, to smoothies, crackers, chips, raw, gluten-free, and vegan dishes, desserts, and even kombucha.

You may ask, “Is this just another ploy to ‘sell’ a trendy, not-that-healthy food?”  Absolutely not.  This is a craze you ought to be buying into.  These little miracle seeds (that resemble poppy or black sesame seeds) have 6 grams of protein, 10 grams of fiber (nice!) and 5 grams of omega-3 fatty acids per two tablespoons.

Another really cool nutritional benefit of chia seeds is that they expand to nine times their size in liquid so when blended with hydrating beverages like coconut water and plant milks, they support hydration homeostasis and are excellent for endurance training and hot yoga fanatics.

When they expand, they created a gel-like consistency, and this gel is ideal for thickening dressings, sauces, creamy desserts like cheesecakes, and smoothies.  This enhances volume and creamy textures without adding calories from oil and other fats.

 

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