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The Power of Chia Seeds

in The Too Busy to Diet Blog on October 9, 2014

Written by Claire Allen, Graduate Dietetic student at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

In today’s day in age, most people are constantly multi-tasking and juggling many angles in their lives, and the quality food and nutrition they consume often is put on the back-burner.  In an effort to boost your nutrient intake in this hectic world we live in, I’d recommend adding chia seeds your meals to increase your fiber, protein and omega-3-fatty acid content, as well as to reap their other health benefits.  The beauty of these seeds is that they can be added to smoothies, sprinkled on salads, yogurt or cereal, or incorporated into sauces or baked goods.

Chia seeds have a mild nutty flavor and can be eaten whole, which makes them easy to add to foods and beverages.  Just two tablespoons of chia seeds provides 10g of fiber, 4g of protein and about 5.7g of omega-3-fatty acids.  Emerging evidence shows that as part of a healthy diet chia seeds can help reduce inflammation and lower cholesterol, triglycerides and blood pressure.  Because chia seeds are very absorbent, they can easily be mixed into cooked dishes.  When combined with liquids, they take on a gelatinous texture which some people enjoy but others find unpleasant. Fortunately, these qualities make them easy to mix into other foods. In addition, they do not have a strong flavor, therefore they can easily be sprinkled on a variety of dishes. Chia seeds are often more expensive than other seeds, but keep in mind that a large pack should last you a few weeks if you limit your serving size to one or two tablespoons a day.