Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 4: Eating Raw Chia Seeds
• Method 2 of 4: Eat Cooked Chia Seeds
• Method 3 of 4: Some Facts About Chia Seeds
• Method 4 of 4: Drinking Chia Seed Drinks
• Tips
• Warnings

Chia seeds are a popular health food that has been consumed for centuries, although chia seeds have only recently become popular in the West. These seeds have almost no taste of their own and therefore can be safely added to other dishes. We will show you how you can use chia seeds, both adding them to your usual recipes, and preparing something new with them, like puddings and smoothies.

Steps

Method 1 of 4: Eating Raw Chia Seeds

1. 1 Sprinkle chia seeds over oatmeal, yogurt, or other healthy food. One of the most common ways to consume chia is to add or mix them with other foods. If you add seeds to wet food, they will become soft and gelatinous, which will help "hide" them.
   • Add chia to your breakfast by sprinkling with 1 or 2 tbsp. l. (10 or 20 grams) chia seeds for oatmeal, yogurt, or muesli.
   • For a healthy snack or light lunch, stir 1-2 tbsp. l. (10–20 g) chia seeds in a cup with cottage cheese.
   • Combine chia seeds with wet sandwich ingredients. Tuna salad or egg salad is for hot sandwiches, and peanut butter or peanut butter for sweet sandwiches.
2. 2 Sprinkle chia seeds over food to keep them crisp. If the food is initially dry, the seeds will remain crispy, which some people like. However, even on raw and moist foods, chia seeds may not turn into a gel-like consistency (unless, of course, they are mixed).
   • Season the salad with seeds.
   • Garnish the finished pudding with chia seeds.
3. 3 Hide chia seeds in a meal in one dish. This is especially helpful if you have picky eaters in your home who might scoff at these tiny seeds.
   • Combine chia seeds with potato salad or cold pasta salad. Add 1 or 2 tbsp. l. (10–20 g) chia seeds with a large potato dish or pasta salad and stir thoroughly.
4. 4 Make a chia seed granola bar. Add 2 tbsp. l. (20 g) chia seeds for your granola bar recipe. The no-bake recipe is as follows: Toss seeds with a cup of chopped pitted dates, ¼ cup of peanut butter or other nut butter, 1 ½ cups of rolled oats, 1/4 cup of honey or maple syrup, and 1 cup of chopped nuts. Pour the mixture into a skillet and place in the freezer. In principle, oatmeal can even be slightly fried to slightly change its taste, but you can also find a recipe for granola tiles that still requires baking.
5. 5 Make a delicious chia jelly or jelly. Add chia seeds to the pureed fruit. If you add a lot of chia seeds, you get jelly, and if not very much, then jelly. Experiment with the amount of seeds added to the dish to find the one that appeals to you the most.
   • Combine about 1 1/2 cups (345 g) minced fruit and 1/2 cup (80 g) chia seeds to create a thick jam.

Method 2 of 4: Eat Cooked Chia Seeds

1. 1 Make chia seed porridge. Dissolve 1–2 tablespoons (10–20 g) of chia seeds in a cup (240 ml) of warm milk or equivalent. Leave the mixture on for 10-15 minutes until it thickens to a gel consistency. Stir it from time to time, however, to prevent the seeds from clumping together. This porridge can be eaten raw or warm. By itself, such porridge is tasteless, so it would be quite appropriate to sweeten it with something - fruits, dried fruits, nuts, honey, cinnamon or even sea salt, but this is for your taste.
   • Two tablespoons (30 ml) will make a thick porridge. If you are not a fan of thick porridge, put fewer seeds.
   • You can add liquid or powdered "sweeteners" to your porridge - cocoa, fruit juice, or even malt powder.
2. 2 Grind the chia seeds into flour. Pour the seeds into a food processor, blender or coffee grinder and grind them to a powdery consistency. Use the resulting powder instead of all-purpose flour, replacing it completely or mixing it with flour without protein.
   • If you are using the powder in a fluffy dough, you can substitute equal parts for chia flour.
   • If using powder in batter, mix one part seeds with three parts flour or protein-free flour.
3. 3 Combine chia seeds with bread and baked goods. Instead of grinding chia seeds with flour, you can add them to a variety of baked goods and baked goods. Add 3-4 tbsp. l. (30-40 g) chia seeds with your favorite whole wheat bread, buns, oatmeal cookies, cracker, pancakes and muffins.
4. 4 Add chia seeds to casseroles and similar dishes. If you have picky eaters at home, you can sneakily add chia seeds to your dish by stirring them into your meal. Add 1/4 cup (40 g) chia seeds to your lasagne or casserole, or follow our other tips:
   • Add chia seeds to the meat. Add 1-2 tbsp. l. (10–20 g) chia seeds to 1,450 g of ground beef or to chopped turkey meat. Form meatballs, patties, or tortillas with this mixture.
   • Add 2 tbsp. l. (20 g) chia seeds in scrambled eggs, scrambled eggs, or other egg-based dishes.
   • Add chia seeds to your favorite baked potato recipe.
5. 5 Make a gel for future use from chia seeds. Mix a tablespoon (10 g) of chia seeds with 3-4 tablespoons of water (45-60 ml), and leave the mixture for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it thickens to a thick, dense gel. If you want to get a more liquid gel, then instead of 3-4 tablespoons of water, take 6-9 (up to 130 ml). This gel will last in the refrigerator for two weeks! Prepare the gel to save your time in the future (plus, with the gel, you will know in advance that any chia seeds that you add later to the recipe will not be crispy or dry).
   • Use chia seeds instead of eggs. Mix 1 tbsp. l. (10 g) chia seeds with 3-4 tbsp. l. (45-60 ml) water and leave for 10-30 minutes to form a jelly-like liquid. This amount of jelly is equal to 1 egg. Of course, in those dishes where eggs are the main component (scrambled eggs, omelet), this trick will not work.
6. 6 Thicken soups and sauces with chia seeds. Add 2-4 tbsp. l. (20-40 ml) chia seeds in any soup, stew, sauce, or gravy. Leave it on for 10-30 minutes, or until the dish thickens, but remember to stir it occasionally to keep the seeds from sticking together.

Method 3 of 4: Some Facts About Chia Seeds

1. 1 What are the benefits of eating chia seeds? Good question. All the jokes and hype surrounding chia seeds aside, the fact that chia seeds are high in calories (in part because they are really high in fat) and good sources of nutrients can be noted. Just 2 tablespoons (20 grams) of dry chia seeds contain 138 calories (138 kcal), 5 grams of protein, 9 grams of fat, and 10 grams of fiber. Plus, chia seeds are rich in calcium, magnesium and potassium, even in small portions.Chia seeds, among other things, are also a good source of antioxidants, as well as a huge amount of omega-3 fatty acids (digestible), that is, substances that are extremely important for health.
2. 2 All other miraculous properties of chia seeds should be treated with some skepticism. Losing weight, improving heart health, improving athletic performance and performance are all still to be confirmed by scientists. Not one or even two studies have not found anything in chia seeds that could lead to the above results. This, of course, does not mean that chia seeds are not healthy food - they are, you just don't have to wait for miracles from them, without doing anything else.
3. 3 Eat chia seeds in small portions. Chia seeds are rich in fat and calories, especially for their seed size. Accordingly, even a small serving of chia seeds will be quite a nutritious treat. If you eat a large portion of the seeds, you may encounter some problems with the gastrointestinal tract ... In general, it is recommended to limit the consumption of 20-40 grams (2-4 tablespoons) of chia seeds per day, especially if you are adding them to your diet for the first time.
4. 4 Know what to expect from flavor and texture. Chia seeds are soft and have a light aroma. In addition, they take on a jelly-like structure when combined with various liquids, which some people dislike. Fortunately, these properties make chia seeds great for mixing with other foods. Chia seeds can be eaten both dry (as a sprinkle for dishes), and, in fact, as part of other dishes (that is, when the dish is cooked with chia seeds). All of these methods are equivalent in terms of the amount of nutrients obtained from the seeds.
   • When consumed neat, chia seeds actually combine with saliva and begin to take on their characteristic gel-like consistency.
5. 5 Buy quality, nutritious chia seeds. Yes, the seeds we are talking about are the same seeds that are used in gardening. However, it is best to eat the exact seeds that are produced, packaged, and sold for human consumption. If you are going to eat those chia seeds that are intended for planting, at least make sure that they are grown without the use of pesticides or other harmful substances.
   • Chia seeds can be purchased from the wholesale or complementary section of many health food stores. However, you can also find them online.
   • Chia seeds, of course, are more expensive than many other seeds, but remember that if you eat 1-2 small portions a day, even a large package will last for a long time.
6. 6 Chia seeds should be used with caution if you suffer from kidney problems. Kidney failure, like any other pathology that interferes with kidney function, is an indication to either not eat chia seeds at all, or to eat them in very moderation, as indicated by your doctor. The plant proteins in chia break down, releasing more toxins than diseased kidneys can handle. In addition, chia seeds are rich in phosphorus and potassium, which, with kidney disease, can lead to itchy skin, irregular heartbeats, and even muscle weakness.

Method 4 of 4: Drinking Chia Seed Drinks

1. 1 Add chia seeds to smoothies. When preparing any single cocktail or shake, add 1-2 tbsp. l. (10–20 g) chia seeds with the rest of the ingredients and stir well.
2. 2 Make chia fresca. Mix 2 tsp. (7 g) chia seeds with 310 ml water, juice of 1 lemon or lime, and a little honey or agave syrup. Try it!
3. 3 Add chia seeds to juice or tea. Add 1 tbsp. l. (10 g) chia seeds in a 250 ml glass of juice, tea, or any other warm or hot beverage.Let the drink sit for a few minutes so that the seeds can absorb some of the liquid, creating a thicker drink.

Tips

• Chia seeds are very small and can get stuck between your teeth while eating. They can be removed with a toothpick or dental floss.
• Sprouted chia seeds can be consumed like alfalfa. Add it to salads and sandwiches.

Warnings

• If you suffer from kidney disease, talk to your doctor about the appropriateness of consuming chia seeds.