CHIA: Not just the pottery that grows

Healthy food was not part of my eating repertoire when I was growing up. Things changed in 2009 when I moved to Phoenix and was living with my sister Danielle. She had a disease that went into remission when she drastically changed her diet, cutting out processed foods and sugars. Since I was living in the same household, I ate the things she prepared and I immediately noticed a difference in the way I felt. I wasn’t constantly tired and lethargic – it was wonderful! 

Since that time I’ve made little changes to my diet. I started to eat more fruits and vegetables and less mac and cheese. Then there was chia. The first time I tried chia was when Danielle put it in a smoothie. “This is the stuff that goes on the pottery that grows?!” Yes. It’s true. I started researching the benefits and it was enough to keep me buying. Extra fiber, omega-3, protein? Sign me up. Here are some ways you can incorporate chia into your diet: 

1. Put it in a smoothie! 

2. Iskiate. Back to Scratch’s post about “Born to Run.” The people featured in this book concoct a super drink with water, chia seeds, and add a little flavor. Not amazing, but not bad! And, it’s quite filling. Take about 12 oz. of water, add a tablespoon of chia seeds, a squirt of lime or lemon juice, just a touch of honey and stir it up. Let the seeds soak for 10+ minutes. The chia takes on a gelatinous consistency. I like to let it soak overnight (and I omit the honey). 

3. Chia sprouts. Do you like alfalfa? Grow some chia sprout greens of your own! We used the sprouts on salads and sandwiches. They are a great little treat. 

4. Add them to granola. Scratch makes some great homemade granola and throws some chia in along with flax seed. 

5. Add to oatmeal, pancakes, or anything really.

We get our chia from Sprouts and buy the Spectrum brand, but I’m sure there are other great brands out there. We’ve also tried this Mamma Chia drink from Whole Foods. Pretty tasty! Kashi makes a Berry Lemonade granola bar that includes chia. We buy these in bulk from Costco. Another great thing about chia seeds is that they have a slight nutty flavor. This makes them extremely versatile to incorporate into different foods. Go get some chia!