Chia seeds are known as the ‘superfood of the 21st century’ but, unlike some other ‘superfoods’ such as spirulina, chia seeds are tasteless, so you get all the nutrition without any of that ‘I’m only eating this because it’s good for me’ nonsense. (My apologies to anyone who thinks spirulina tastes nice.)
Because chia seeds are so high in omega 3, protein, fibre and antioxidants, people use them for:
- digestive disorders
- heart health
- increased energy levels
- joint pain or arthritis
- improved memory and concentration
- weight loss
- lowered cholesterol
- increased endurance
- hydration
- protection against muscle cramping
- reduced fatigue
And, because chia seeds are tasteless, that means you can use them in all sorts of ways such as adding them to flapjacks, sprinkling over your breakfast cereal, stirring into yoghurt and – something I do every day – adding them to smoothies.
I’d bought a load of single-use sachets of chia seeds that had been reduced in price from 65p to 16p in Tesco the other week but, coincidentally, just as they were about to run out, Chia Bia (the leading supplier of high quality chia seed products in Europe) asked if I’d like to try their range of chia seeds which includes not just the whole seeds but also milled chia seeds and chia seeds in powder form, including cranberry and blueberry.
I used some of Chia Bia’s powdered chia & cranberry mix in today’s lunch of a tropical smoothie of banana, mango, pineapple and soya milk. Another benefit of chia is that it absorbs up to ten times its weight in water so, as well as keeping you hydrated for longer, it also keeps you fuller for longer, too.
Chia seed recipes
If you fancy doing something other than bunging them in your smoothies, here are a few more ways to use chia seeds.
- Vanilla Chia Oats with Maple Pears from Hungry Healthy Happy
- Chia Seed Flapjacks from Planet Veggie
- Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding from Rough Measures
- Chia Seed Muffins from Tin and Thyme
- No Bake Chia and Coconut Bars from Celery & Cupcakes
For more information on the Chia Bia range and on chia seeds in general, visit the Chia Bia website.
3 comments
I’ve not come across this chia seed brand before and had no idea you could even buy them in supermarkets. I use them pretty much every day in smoothies too – they are a great thickening agent 🙂
I love the Chia Bia ground seeds, I use the plain ones in waffles in place of eggs all the time! The flavoured ones are great too – your tropical smoothie sounds delicious 🙂
I love the idea of using chia seeds in place of eggs – great tip!