PIX 11 News Feature: How To Use Chia Seeds To Enhance Your Foods

http://pix11.com/2014/10/20/how-to-use-chia-seeds-to-enhance-your-foods/

(PIX11) – Keren Gilbert, MS, RD, shares ways to use chia seeds (yes, like those used to sprout grass from Chia Pets) to enhance your food.

  • HD Diet based on hydrophilic foods.
  • Hydrophilic foods have the ability to absorb water due to its high soluble fiber content.
  • Foods that have the capacity to absorb water promote weight loss by
    • Steadying blood sugar levels and diminishing cravings
    • Keeping you full
    • Maintaining digestive health

Chia seeds are a quintessential hydrophilic food.

Black or white seeds have the capacity to hold water up to 12 times its weight.

Chia seeds are an ancient super food used as  a staple in the Aztec and Mayan cultures as an energy food due to their unbelievable nutritional profile.

Protein, calcium, potassium, antioxidants, iron, essential fatty acids omega 3 and 6 and of course the ability to keep you full for hours due to high soluble fiber content.

Here are the 5 ways to incorporate chia seeds into your diet- consume less calories and lose weight:

First make chia gel

  •         1/3 cup of chia
  •         2 cups of warm water
  •         Combine, stir occasionally for 10 minutes

Chia Peanut Butter

  •         1 tablespoon of peanut butter
  •         3 tablespoons of gel
  •         Mix together until smooth

Nutritional Comparison

  •         1 tablespoon peanut butter= 90 calories and 8 grams of fat
  •         4 tablespoons of peanut butter= 360 calories and 32 grams of fat

BUT

  •         1 tablespoon peanut butter and 3 tablespoons of chia gel= 150 calories and 15 grams of fat

So you are displacing fat and calories, adding nutrition and eating more for less.

Chia Smoothie

  •         1 tablespoon of raw chia seeds or 3 tablespoons of chia gel
  •         1 cup frozen strawberries or mixed berries
  •         1 cup of vanilla unsweetened almond milk
  •         Blend all together

Chia Crusted Salmon

  •         1 Decision Nutrition Chia bagel
  •         2 cloves of garlic
  •         1 tablespoon or raw seeds
  •         1 teaspoon of olive oil
  •         Blend together and apply to two four ounce salmon fillets.
  •         Bake at 375 for 25 minutes

Chia Drink

  • 2  cups coconut water
  • 1.5 tbsp chia seeds
  • 1/2 tbsp fresh lemon or lime juice, or to taste
  • Sweetener, to taste- 1/2 tbsp maple syrup or stevia
  • Combine ingredients and mix.  Serve right away- serves 2

Greek Chia Yogurt

  •         6 ounces Greek yogurt
  •         2 dried figs
  •         2 apricots almonds
  •         10 almonds
  •         1 tbs chia seeds
  •         Combine all the ingredients for delicious yogurt parfait.