Chia seeds are everywhere these days!  These little seeds pack a superfood punch, are naturally gluten free, and have so many uses.  Here’s a few of their nutritional benefits:

They are high in fiber…super high.

They lower cholesterol…they decrease LDL, the “bad” cholesterol, and triglycerides, and raise HDL, the “good” cholesterol.

They help lower blood pressure.

And they are a fantastic source of Omega 3 fatty acids…way more than flax seeds, and way healthier.

Here’s how to get them into your diet:

Soaking chia seeds for at least 10 minutes releases their full nutritional bounty.  They will expand and turn into a sort of gel.  Although you can sprinkle them on your food, they will not provide all the nutrients this way, and may not be digested at all.   You can soak them in water and store in the fridge to use later (up to three weeks), or blend the seeds into your smoothies (no need to soak first), or toss into your bowl of soup, where they will quickly expand.  Start slow, like maybe a tablespoon or less a day and work up to a couple tablespoons or more.  Here are a couple quick recipes to get you started:

Basic Chia “gel” 

1/3 cup chia seeds

2 cups water

Stir, then place in sealed container in fridge and use as needed, for dressings, soups, yogurt etc

Chai Pudding

2 Tbl chia seeds

1 C almond or coconut milk (or milk of choice)

Splash of vanilla

Dash of cinnamon

Honey, stevia, agave or sweetener of choice

Mix together (a wisk helps), and store in fridge for a least 10 minutes. Waiting a few hours or overnight yields a nice, firm pudding.

You can add other things to pudding…raspberry jam, mashed or cut up banana, grated coconut, mango or other fruit, cacao powder.…experiment!  You can top with sliced banana, berries, whipped cream and chocolate shavings (for a desserty treat) or just eat as is.

Enjoy!