This tiny little seed truly is a vitamin powerhouse packed with numerous health benefits for you and your entire family. Since this little seed is a bit expensive, I would love to explain why it is worth the expense and how to use it in ways in which you can receive every single benefit thatchia offers.
All over town, on Instagram, Facebook and in the media I notice all kinds of advertisements for chia seed puddings that contain chopped fruit and muesli. This is great but the seeds are so small that our stomach and digestive system can’t really break them down. What can usually end up happening is that they will shoot through your body or get trapped in your colon walls on the way down. So in reality we are buying and making all these chia seeds without getting all the very best of it’s amazing benefits.
Chia seeds are loaded with all the omega-3 essential fatty acids. They are also an excellent source of fiber, antioxidants, calcium, complete protein and minerals. Some researchers say that it contains more omega-3 than salmon, 3x moreiron than spinach, higher calcium than milk and more potassium than a banana. I find these all to be excellent reasons to consume this wonderful seed. I believe the reason they have been in the spotlight for so long is because people really can feel and see a difference after eating them. These seeds move the digestive track (very well, just to point out) , provide great energy, help your blood sugar stay steady and keep you full and satisfied until lunchtime.
I would now love to explain how to prepare chia seeds in the way that you can reap it’s benefits while all it’s glory dances throughout your body.
– I always start by soaking mine in water before use. I add a tablespoon of seeds in a glass and stir it in water overnight. I stir for awhile so that the seeds stay separated and don’t just sink down to the bottom of the glass. They will swell up a little and the texture will become a bit jellylike.
– In the morning I use my blender to blend them well. I always do this because in this way they are already broken down and when you are ready to consume them your body can very easily soak in all of the seeds glorious benefits.
– I then add my favorite fruit and power foods – HERE you can find a recipe for my favorite breakfast smoothie, or you can make your own. I also adore adding kale to my smoothies because I think that it’s a wonderful option for some extra super power.
I make these every single morning for my family, my sons drink a bit here at home in the morning then I send them to nursery with the rest in a jar. They snack on it later on in the morning or afternoon… sipping it through a straw as they are such big cool dudes now 🙂
If you are doing this for your baby (which I think is a wonderful idea ! ) you can add just one fruit at a time. When my boys were 7 months + I started to give them the chia seeds soaked and blended with either apple, pear or papaya and sometimes hemp seeds and a hint of organic cinnamon. I would then feed them this as a pudding with a spoon. You can also make it and put it in a little jar to bring with you while travelling.
Now you can make your smoothies much more exciting – play and explore with this. We all have different taste buds so my tastes may not be the same as yours and that is why it’s important to explore the smoothie world. Let your children get involved in the game by allowing them to choose their favorites. This will have them curious in the kitchen and stimulate their appetites so they eat up all the good stuff!
Love JM