Chia (Salvia hispanica) is a tiny, nutrient-dense seed with a long history of use from ancient Aztecs to the modern day. Chia seeds are easy to add to your favourite dishes and can provide a tasty and healthy boost to any meal.

Chia Seeds Nutritional information

(Serving size 30g / 2 tablespoons)

 

  • Calories 140
  • Protein 5g
  • Fat 8.7 grams with 5g of Omega 3
  • Carbohydrate 12g
  • Fibre 9g

 

Chia also contains reasonable amounts of the minerals iron, zinc and magnesium. They are an excellent plant-based source of alpha-linolenic acid (omega -3).

 

Chia seeds are gluten-free.

 

Health benefits of chia seeds

 

As part of a balanced plant-rich diet, chia seeds may help to:

  • Support healthy bloody sugar
  • Reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease
  • Improve bone health
  • Help promote regular bowel motions

 

 

How to add chia seeds to your diet

  • Add to smoothies and cereals
  • Chia puddings
  • Chia Fresca – the energy drink mentioned in Christopher McDougall’s Book “Born to Run”.
  • Add to muffins, homemade slices and cakes
  • Sprinkle on salads
  • Thickener for soups or sauces

 

For chia puddings, the standard ratio is 1 part chia to 4 parts water. Leave to thicken for 15 minutes (overnight is better).

a glass of chia pudding with blueberries and strawberries

 

Make an egg substitute with one tablespoon of chia seeds to 3 parts water. Let sit for 10 minutes before adding to your recipe.

 

Consume chia seeds, either whole or ground.

 

Storage

Store the whole seeds in a cool, dry, dark place for up to 2 years.

 

Refrigerate ground chia seeds and use them within a week.

 

Cautions

 

Because chia seeds can hold up to 10 times their weight in fluid, consume adequate fluids when you enjoy them.

Need help with your health?

Norelle Hentschel is an experienced naturopath with a clinic in Stones Corner, Brisbane and Telehealth consults Australia wide. She has helped many clients improve their health and wellbeing using herbal medicines.

$

Want more articles like this?

Receive a monthly digest of natural health information to help you become “health” sufficient!

PS. Your inbox real estate is precious, and we will never annoy you with sales pitches or share your details with anyone else. One email a month — that’s it.


Fatal error: Uncaught Error: Class 'DOMDocument' not found in /home/yourreme/public_html/wp-content/plugins/wp-rocket/inc/Engine/Optimization/LazyRenderContent/Frontend/Processor/Dom.php:81 Stack trace: #0 /home/yourreme/public_html/wp-content/plugins/wp-rocket/inc/Engine/Optimization/LazyRenderContent/Frontend/Controller.php(155): WP_Rocket\Engine\Optimization\LazyRenderContent\Frontend\Processor\Dom->add_hashes('<!DOCTYPE html>...') #1 /home/yourreme/public_html/wp-content/plugins/wp-rocket/inc/Engine/Optimization/LazyRenderContent/Frontend/Controller.php(128): WP_Rocket\Engine\Optimization\LazyRenderContent\Frontend\Controller->add_hashes('<!DOCTYPE html>...') #2 /home/yourreme/public_html/wp-content/plugins/wp-rocket/inc/Engine/Optimization/LazyRenderContent/Frontend/Subscriber.php(45): WP_Rocket\Engine\Optimization\LazyRenderContent\Frontend\Controller->add_hashes_when_allowed('<!DOCTYPE html>...') #3 /home/yourreme/public_html/wp-includes/class-wp-hook.php(324): WP_Rocket\Engine\Optimization\LazyRenderContent\Fronte in /home/yourreme/public_html/wp-content/plugins/wp-rocket/inc/Engine/Optimization/LazyRenderContent/Frontend/Processor/Dom.php on line 81