…but minus the green hair and freaky faces.

Chia seeds are my new favourite food. Or, rather, they form the basis of my new favourite dish, which is chia pudding.

Chia seeds are a “superfood”. There has been a lot of talk lately about these “superfoods” – foods that have a high phytonutrient content. I do think they’re pretty super.

Are you a numbers person? Here’s how 1 rounded tablespoon of dry seeds (15g) breaks down…80 cals, 5g fat, 1g omega 6, 3g omega 3, 5g fiber, 3g protein, and 10% of the ‘daily recommended intake’ of both calcium and iron. See? I kid you not. These seeds pack a lot of punch!

chia can be white or black in colour...no nutritional difference

Some background on Chia, summarized from my good friends at Wikipedia:

Salvia hispanica (Chia) is a plant of the genus Salvia in the family Lamiaceae native to Mexico. It was cultivated by the Aztecs in pre-Columbian times, and was so valued that it was given as an annual tribute by the people to the rulers. It is still widely used in Mexico and South America, with the seeds ground for nutritious drinks and as a food source. (Sorry folks, it aint local)

Chia is grown commercially for its seed, a food that is very rich in omega-3 fatty acids, since the seeds yield 25-30% extractable oil, mostly α-linolenic acid (ALA). It also is a source of antioxidants and a variety of amino acids. For all these health related benefits, chia is in the process of application before the EU authorities to be considered as a novel food. (Read: the highest level of evolution in the plant world…it’s like being knighted.)

Chia seeds absorb 8X their weight in water, meaning if you soak them, they absorb the water, forming a substance that is a cross between a raw egg and jello. Appetizing, I know.

Chia goop...just add water!

At this point you must be wondering how this bizarre food has become the flavour du jour chez moi. Well, despite the bizarre texture, chia seeds have no flavour. Or maybe they do, but encased in a jelly cocoon you wouldn’t be able to tell. Luckily, there are a plethora of fantastic tasting things in the world that you can mix with soaked chia seeds, transforming them from frog, to prince!

Ta Da!

Chia Pudding Recipe

Serves 1, but you can easily multiply the recipe since it lasts several days in the fridge.

Take 2 Tbsp dry chia seeds and place in a sealable jar. Then add 8X that amount of water (so for this it would be 16 Tbsp or 1 cup of water).

With the handle of a wooden spoon, stir the mixture thoroughly in one direction, creating a funnel. Then stir vigorously in the opposite direction to achieve the funnel once more. The reason for this is to make sure all the seeds are fully saturated and will therefore absorb the water. They have a tendency to clump so the vigorous stirring helps prevent that.

Once fully mixed, close the container and let it sit overnight unrefridgerated. If you’re in a pinch and don’t do this the night before, it has been known to work if you let it sit for 30-60 min.

Toppings (i.e. flavours) - I’m still exploring all the differnt toppings this goes well with. Here are some that I can say for sure are quite tasty:

Soaked & pureed/mashed dates with soaked seeds/nuts, then blended/mashed together in a food processor to create a sweet, high protein sauce to compliment the chia. Soaking nuts/seeds the night before is important. Blend them in the morning.

Cheater’s version = Soaked dates, mashed with a fork, mixed with a nut butter of your choice. I’m an almond butter girl though.

Other flecks of fun… coconut flakes, fresh fruit, jam, apple butter…I’ve even tried fresh mint with lime and raw cacao powder! If you come up with your own inventive combo, do tell!

Don’t feel compelled to painstakingly arrange your ingredients into neat layers and hold a photo shoot on your roof. You’re just going to mix it all up anyway to make it more pudding-like.

You can buy chia seeds pre-packaged but some natural food stores have them in bulk too, which is way cheaper in my experience. Essence of Life in Kensington (Toronto) has them in bulk and I’m on the hunt for other such vendors.

Other uses for chia seeds: Toss a 1/2-1tsp in your smoothie for added fibre, soak them as described above but use 1 Tbsp (in gel form) as an egg replacer in baking recipes, or add it to your granola. Here‘s a great article on chia including some raw chia recipes. If you want to relive your Chia Pet days, you can also sprout your seeds and add them to salads and sandwiches.

I personally find this to be a fantastic breakfast. It’s filling, but at the same time really light and keeps my energy up. It’s fibrous nature also makes it good for digestion (speeding it up or slowing it down – whatever’s needed). Try it for a week and see if you notice a difference.

Ok! Now, un, deux, trois….chéa!

To those of you who received mini-chia-packets recently, you should have exactly 1 Tbsp to play with :)