Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Chia!

March 16, 2012

Remember the Chia Pet? (Watch it on youtube!)

Well, it turns out that the very same chia seeds you grow a hairy pet with are a power packed superfood. Grown in South America, Chia seeds have a long list of benefits:

A great source of Omega-3.
Can balance your blood sugar.
Chia is said to provide twice the protein of most other seeds and grains.
Very high in antioxidants, almost three times of blueberries.
They are a rich source of calcium and contain the mineral boron which helps with the absorption and utilization of calcium.
High in iron & potassium.
Some also say that it help in lowering blood pressure.
A serving will give you a bigger energy burst than drinking a Red Bull.
They make you feel really full for hours after you eat them (I can confirm that this part is true!).

As if that wasn’t enough, they can also be used in gluten and dairy free baking. Hydrate chia seeds with some water and they will form a gel. Then substitute 1/4 cup of this gel for 1 egg. Buy (or make) Chia Seed flour and use it as a 1 to 1 ration for whole wheat flour. You can buy a mix of chia seed flour and brown rice flour which also can be substituted 1:1 for wheat flour.

There are so many interesting things that can be done with these little seeds. You can make overnight oatmeal with them. See how here.

Photo and Recipe by Pepper Lynn

You can throw them in brownies, muffins, cookies, salads, soups, and on top of your pudding. You can make smoothies with honey, greek yogurt and berries. Or anything. And pizza! Put them in pizza. Why not? See how Gluten Free Girl makes a gluten free crust with chia seeds here:

Photo and Recipe by Gluten Free Girl

Maybe you already knew about Chia seeds, but I didn’t. Initially it struck me as really funny that you could eat them. Once I got over that, the amount of recipes and resources out there on how to use these seeds are endless.

And, even if you don’t want to eat Chia seeds, don’t discount them entirely. Play with them! Grow a magical fairy garden in a week, as shown here.

Photo and Post by Crafting a Green World

I bet something like this could be a really cute Easter craft for kids – substitute the dinosaurs above with little chicks.

Whether you intend to eat or play with your seeds, you can buy them anywhere online. Locally, you can purchase them at Natural Grocers in Montrose for about $3.

How long will it be until I stop saying ch-ch-ch-ch chia! in my head?

SJPmama is the schemer, founder, and the editor at San Juan Parent. She created San Juan Parent because she wanted to find fun activities for families that would tire her kids out and make them go to bed at a decent hour. She has been banging away on computers for longer than she can remember and freelances at various tech jobs. She considers herself extremely lucky to have such awesome friends and family who are willing to let SJP feature their stories on the interwebs.

About Author

SJPmama is the schemer, founder, and the editor at San Juan Parent. She created San Juan Parent because she wanted to find fun activities for families in the San Juan Mountain Region that would tire her kids out and make them go to bed at a decent hour. She has been banging away on computers for longer than she can remember and freelances at various tech jobs. She considers herself extremely lucky to have such awesome friends and family who are willing to let SJP feature their stories on the interwebs.

Tags: chia seeds, egg replacer, gluten free, Natural Grocers, superfood

This entry was posted on March 16, 2012 at 6:29 am and is filed under All Things SJP, Gluten Free, Good Food. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.