I’ll admit, when I first heard of chia seeds and their benefits I was quite skeptical. These tiny little seeds are a nutritional gold mine? Yeahhh right. But then I did my research and did the best thing I could’ve done, I tried chia seeds out for myself. Let just say I went from ‘yeah right’ to ‘I need to pack my chia seeds for my weekend trip’ very quickly. So maybe you’re a bit skeptical too, maybe you like chia seeds but have no idea what they’re doing for your body, or maybe you just need some chia seed recipe inspo… if thats the case, stay with me!
What are chia seeds?
Chia seeds are edible seeds from a flowering plant that is a member of the mint family, originating from Mexico and Guatemala. They were historically used by ancient Aztec and Maya cultures as a staple part of their diet. Now chia seeds are widely recognised as a nutritionally dense food, with many health benefit supported by research.
Now onto some of the key reasons why chia seeds should be one of your staple foods in a healthy diet!
1. Highly nutritious
Chia seeds might look boring, but their nutritional value certainly isn’t. Here is a snapshot of what 2 tablespoons (28g) of chia seeds contains:
- protein: 4.7 grams
- fiber: 10 grams
- fat: 9 grams (Of which 8g are heart-healthy fats)
- alpha-linolenic acid (ALA): 5 grams
- carbs: 12 grams
- calcium: 14% of the Daily Value (DV)
- iron: 12% of DV
- magnesium: 23% of DV
- phosphorus: 20% of DV
- zinc: 12% of DV
- vitamin B1 (thiamine): 15% of DV
- vitamin B3 (niacin): 16% of DV
Quite impressive that just 2 tablespoons of chia seeds provides so much nutritional value!
ALA is a type of Omega-3 Fatty acid that plays a vital role in reducing inflammation, maintaining heart health and overall brain function.
2. Reduce blood sugar levels
Chia seeds have a high fiber, fat and protein content, all of which slow down the process of breaking down carbohydrates. This means that chia seeds can help to balance our blood sugar levels as they act as a buffer to blood sugar spikes from carbohydrate based food. I like to always have a chia pudding in the fridge so I can have a few spoonfuls before a meal. This helps reduce my blood sugar spike and keeps me full for longer!
3. Improve digestion
Chia seeds contain soluble and insoluble fiber which can help in relieving constipation. It’s never fun when this happens but chia seeds have often been my saving grace in those uncomfortable times. Next time you feel like things are a bit ‘stuck’, try my go-to trick:
Mix 1 tablespoon or so of chia seeds into a glass of water. Stir well and let chia seeds sit for 30-60mins until they have absorbed the liquid and have a gel like consistency. Drink up!
Chia seeds can also work as prebiotics and help your stomach produce substances which protect the intestinal lining and maintain overall gut health.
4. Contain antioxidants
Similar to spirulina, Chia seeds are packed with antioxidants such as chlorogenic and caffeic acid. Antioxidants fight off and protect our cells from the effects of nasty free radicals! These antioxidants and Omega-3 fatty acids are also great for fighting inflammation, protecting your heart and lowering blood pressure. Endless benefits for our body!
5. Skin benefits
As if there aren’t already enough positives, chia seeds also provide great skin benefits. If you want to maintain healthy and glowy skin then chia seeds are the way to go!
The high level of antioxidants in chia seeds helps protect our skin from sun damage, wrinkles and fine lines. Chia seeds can also help reduce skin inflammation, which is often the root of many skin problems. The big variety of vitamins and nutrients in chia seeds can also help with skin elasticity and give you a healthy glow! The skin benefits of chia seeds can come from including them in your diet OR skin care routine, like a DIY face mask
How to use chia seeds
Okay so you now know of alll the benefits chia seeds provide, but maybe you’re stumped on how to incorporate chia seeds into your everyday diet. I’ve personally found that chia seeds make great additions to endless recipes as they don’t have a strong flavour profile. Here are my top chia recipe ideas, starting with the most common chia recipe:
- Chia seed pudding – this doesn’t have to be boring! There are plenty of add ins to play around with such as type of milk base, natural sweeteners like honey or maple syrup or toppings such as dried fruits or granola. Try the ratio of around 2 tablespoons of chia seeds to 1/2 cup of milk of choice, and then play around with the ratio to find the consistency you love. Here is a simple chia pudding recipe to get you started!
- Smoothies- I’m a huge fan of berry smoothies, especially in the morning when I don’t feel like eating much but still want to nourish my body. Whichever smoothie is your favourite, try adding a tablespoon of chia seeds before blending next time! this is also a great hack if you’re put off by chia seed’s gel like consistency.
- Energy balls- Whichever energy or bliss balls I make, I always add a spoonful of dry chia seeds in to give a nutrition boost! Easy way to sneak in some chia seeds
- Egg substitute in baked goods- if you want to make a recipe vegan and add some nutritional value try and add a ‘chia egg’. mix 1 tablespoon of chia seeds with 3 tablespoons of water and let the chia seeds become gel like, to resemble the texture of an egg.
- Granola or protein bars- add chia seeds into your favourite homeamde granola recipe or bars to help them stick together!
- Oatmeal or yoghurt bowls- If you enjoy either of these for breakfast or quick snack, try adding in some chia seeds next time for some extra fiber!
Hope you’ve learnt something new about all the benefits chia seeds can bring, or at least gotten some inspo for how to use them! Let me know if you try out any of these chia recipe ideas in the comments below.
And remember to stay CHIA-ful!
