We're talking superfoods on the blog today and more specifically, my favourite superfood. Chia seeds. I'd say chia seeds are one of the more versatile of health foods and I am here today to share some of my favourite ways with chia seeds. Chia seeds are especially high in protein (20% in fact), naturally gluten-free and they are also one of the highest known vegetarian sources of omega-3 in the world. Additionally, they are also incredibly easy to incorporate in to your diet as they are tiny, tasteless and dense in the nutrients of which they possess (which also include fibre, selenium, iron and calcium). So let's great straight in to how you can use these super seeds:
Bulking out porridge or oats: Adding chia seeds to your morning oats is a great way of getting a sure-fire protein kick. My favourite recipe is oat & chia overnight oats. Just combine equal parts rolled oats and chia, add your favourite plant-based mylk, and leave in the fridge overnight. The next day, you'll be left with a nutritious, fluffy base for your porridge toppings of choice. I'm thinking blueberries, bananas and agave...
Making healthy jam: Chia seeds are great ingredient when it comes to making a slightly healthier jam. Traditional recipes are loaded with excess sugar in order to thicken the brew - which can be easily replaced by chia seeds and a sweetener of choice. Check out this post on Nouvelle (by the lovely Annabel) for a divine suggestion.
Adding some crunch: Okay, you're going to have to stay with me for this one - now we're thinking outside the box. I'm a fan of crunchy nut butters. However, I'm not a big fan of whole nuts. I know, it's extremely weird. The only raw nut I kind-of like is cashews. So, when I'm craving some crunchy peanut or almond butter, I spread away as normal and then add a sprinkling of chia seeds. Just try it, it's good.
Adding to cakes/cookies/crepes: Chia seeds are an awesome item to add to your favourite cake or cookie recipes in place of regular flours. My choice would be plan oat/chia cinnamon cookies. I promise I'll do a recipe soon! In the mean time, a quick google will leave you with more than enough sweet recipes containing this wonderful seed. They also work really well in crepes... if you haven't had the chia crepe with cashew cream from InSpiral then you're doing it wrong.
Dressing salads: Finally, I love adding chia-based dressings to my salads. You can stay simple with just lemon juice and some chia, or get fancy by blending some cherry tomatoes, romaine lettuce, chia seeds and a very ripe mango. Delicious. Inventive salad dressings is one of my passions, but that's for another post.
How do you like to use chia seeds?