Content

• Steps
• Advice
• Warning

Chia seeds are a popular health food that has been consumed for centuries but has only recently become popular in Western countries. Chia seeds are easy to combine with other foods and do not seem to taste their own, so they can be incorporated into daily meals. This article will guide you through many ways to eat chia seeds, from "hiding" chia seeds in normal dishes to discovering new recipes for making Pudding or Chia seed smoothies.

Steps

Method 1 of 4: Eat uncooked chia seeds

1. 

   Mix chia seeds with oats, yogurt, or other wet foods. The most common way to eat raw chia seeds is to sprinkle or mix it with other dishes. Stir the chia seeds in a wet dish to turn the dried seeds into a soft gel, thus making them less visible in the dish.
   • For breakfast, sprinkle 1-2 tablespoons (15-30 ml) of seeds over oats, yogurt, or breakfast cereals.
   • To prepare a healthy snack or lunch, stir 1-2 tablespoons (15-30 ml) of chia seeds into a cup of cottage cheese.
   • Mix chia seeds with wet ingredients for a sandwich. Use tuna salad or egg salad for savory sandwiches, or peanut butter or hazelnut sauce for sweet sandwiches.

2. 

   
   
   Sprinkle chia seeds over food to keep them crisp. The dry dish will help retain the crispness of the chia seeds that many people love. Or even for wet dishes, you can sprinkle a few seeds on top instead of mixing to form a gel.
   • Sprinkle chia seeds over any salad.
   • Garnish some chia seeds on Pudding.

3. 

   Hide chia seeds for a one-course meal. This is especially helpful if you are a fussy eater and don't want to see small particles in your dish.
   • Mix chia seeds into a cold potato or pasta salad. Add 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of chia seeds to a large bowl of potato or pasta salad and mix well.

4. 

   
   
   Make Granola cake with Chia seeds. Mix 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of chia seeds into your favorite granola recipe.For non-baked pastries, you can mix chia seeds into 1 cup de-ground date, minced, 1/2 cup peanut butter or other nut sauce, 1 1/2 cup rolled oats, 1/4 cup honey or maple syrup, and 1 cup chopped seeds. Spread the mixture evenly over the pan and place in the refrigerator to wait for freezing. You can bake the oats before you add them to a recipe for a different flavor, or explore the recipe for the baking granola yourself.

5. 

   
   
   Create a chia seed jelly dish with added flavor. Add chia seeds to pureed fruit. More chia seeds will help create more gel. You can try giving and adjusting the amount of chia seeds to find the proportions that best suit the type of fruit or hobby.
   • In general, about 1 1/2 cup (375 ml) of pureed fruit, combined with 1/2 cup (125 ml) of chia seeds will produce a medium-solid jelly.
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Method 2 of 4: Eat cooked chia seeds

1. 

   Cook chia seed porridge. Stir 1-2 tablespoons (15-30 ml) of chia seeds into 1 cup (240 ml) of warm milk or milk substitute. Wait 10-15 minutes for the mixture to form a gel, stirring occasionally to break the clumping particles. Serve cool or reheat before eating. This mixture is quite bland, so you can eat it with sliced ​​fruit, dried fruit, nuts or honey. Add a pinch of cinnamon powder or salt for flavor, if desired.
   • 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of chia seeds will create a thick porridge. Reduce the amount of chia seeds if you like to eat liquid porridge.
   • Stir in any liquid or powdered seasonings you love while the mixture is gelling for added flavor. You can try cocoa powder, malt powder or fruit juice.

2. 

   Grind chia seeds into powder. Place the chia seeds in a food processor or coffee grinder and grind it into a fine powder. Use chia flour as a substitute for all-purpose flour by replacing all or part of the flour with Chia seed flour.
   • If using chia seeds in a thick dough mixture, you can mix chia seeds with flour in a 1: 1 ratio.
   • If using chia seeds in a more liquid dough mixture, you can mix chia seeds with regular flour or gluten-free flour in a 1: 3 ratio.

3. 

   Mix chia seeds into bread and baked goods. Instead of grinding the seeds into flour, you can add whole grains to a variety of flour-based baked goods. Add 3-4 tablespoons (45-60 ml) of chia seeds to your favorite bakery dough like whole grain bread, muffins, oat biscuits, whole grain biscuits, pancakes or cream pies.

4. 

   Add chia seeds to stews and similar dishes. If you are a picky eater, you can find a way to incorporate chia seeds into your meals by mixing them into one dish. Add 1/4 cup (60 ml) of chia seeds to a Lasagna or casserole dish placed in a standard deep dish, or follow these suggestions:
   • Instead of breadcrumbs, use 1-2 tablespoons (15 - 30 ml) of chia seeds to thicken a 450 gram blend of ground meat used as a meatball or a Burger.
   • Mix 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of chia seeds into scrambled eggs, scrambled eggs, and other egg-based dishes.
   • Add some chia seeds to your favorite stir fry.

5. 

   Soak chia seeds to gel and use gradually. Mix 1 teaspoon (15 ml) of chia seeds with 3-4 tablespoons (45 - 60 ml) of water and leave for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, and wait until thick gel forms. You can mix with 9 tablespoons (130 ml) of water if you want the gel to be more liquid. This gel can be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks before eating. Soaking chia seeds to gel first helps to save time and ensure that there are no dry, crisp seeds left in the dish.
   • Chia seed gel can be used in place of eggs in baked goods. 5 tablespoons (75 ml) of gel equals 1 egg. However, the Chia seed gel cannot be used in place of eggs in fried eggs or other dishes where eggs are not mixed with other ingredients.

6. 

   Use chia seeds to thicken soups and sauces. Add 2-4 tablespoons (30 - 60 ml) of chia seeds to a bowl of soups, stews, sauces, or gravy. Leave on for 10-30 minutes or until mixture thickens. Stir occasionally to break up clumped particles. advertisement

Method 3 of 4: Learn about chia seeds

1. 

   Learn about nutritional value. Although the health benefits of chia seeds are sometimes overstated, they are actually very energetic (partly due to their high fat content) and are a rich source of nutrients. 30 ml or 2 tablespoons of dried chia seeds contain about 138 calories, 5 g protein, 9 g fat and 10 g fiber. Small amounts of chia seeds also provide significant amounts of beneficial nutrients like calcium, magnesium and potassium. In addition, chia seeds are a rich source of antioxidants and contain a small amount of (digestible) omega-3 fatty acids that provide many health benefits.

2. 

   Unconfirmed information about chia seeds. The opinion that chia seeds help with weight loss, improve heart health, and improve physical performance have not been scientifically proven. There are many studies that have failed to confirm any of these benefits when incorporating chia seeds into your diet. This does not mean that chia seeds are unhealthy. However, do not assume that chia seeds can help make a significant change in health or fitness if you do not incorporate changes in diet and exercise.

3. 

   Choose small servings. Chia seeds are small but contain a lot of fat and calories and provide a lot of nutritional value even in a small serving. The high fiber content in chia seeds can cause digestive problems if consumed in large amounts. There is currently no "official" recommended serving for chia seeds, but you can limit it to 2-4 tablespoons or 30-60 ml of chia seeds per day, especially if you are new to chia seeds. on the diet for the first time.

4. 

   Know what to expect in terms of flavor and texture. Chia seeds are relatively pale, with no distinct flavor. When combined with the liquid, chia seeds become a gel-like texture that some people like, others don't. Fortunately, these properties of chia seeds make them easy to combine with other dishes. You can eat dried chia seeds, mixed or processed together with other dishes, and each food brings the same nutritional value.
   • If not eaten, the chia seeds will begin to combine with the saliva in the mouth and gradually transition to a separate gel-like texture.

5. 

   Buy high quality, edible chia seeds. Ordinary chia seeds are the same as those used for "nursery" or garden planting. However, you should eat chia seeds that are packaged and sold separately for consumption. If you eat chia seeds for growing plants, make sure they are from an organically grown plant, free from pesticides or other chemicals that are unsafe for human consumption.
   • Chia seeds can be found at the seed or supplement stand in most supermarkets, health food stores, or online.
   • Although it is more expensive than other nuts, large-bag chia seeds can last a long time if you only eat 1-2 small servings per day as described above.

6. 

   Use caution when consuming chia seeds if you have kidney problems. People with kidney failure or conditions affecting kidney function should avoid eating chia seeds or only eat in amounts as recommended by a doctor or dietitian. The high content of plant protein in chia seeds produces more waste than other protein sources that the impaired kidney cannot handle. The high levels of phosphorus and potassium in the seeds can also cause itchy skin, irregular heartbeat, or muscle weakness if not handled successfully by the body. advertisement

Method 4 of 4: Drink Chia seeds

1. 

   Add chia seeds to a smoothie. When preparing smoothies or shakes, you can add 1-2 tablespoons (15-30 ml) of chia seeds to the blender and other ingredients before blending.

2. 

   Make a "chia seed juice". Mix 2 teaspoons (10 ml) of chia seeds with 310 ml of water, 1 lemon juice and some pure honey or Agave syrup for flavor.

3. 

   Stir the chia seeds into fruit juice or tea. Add 1 teaspoon (15 ml) of chia seeds to 250 ml of juice, tea, or any other warm / hot beverage. Leave for a few minutes for the seeds to absorb water and form a concentrated drink. advertisement

Advice

• Chia seeds are small and tend to stick to your teeth when you eat them. So, have a toothpick or floss to brush your teeth after eating chia seeds, especially dried seeds.
• The sprouted chia seeds can be eaten like alfalfa. Add the sprouted chia seeds to salads or sandwiches.

Warning

• People with impaired kidney function need to talk to their doctor or dietitian before attempting to incorporate chia seeds into their diet.