Why You Need These Powerhouse Seeds In Your Diet
You may have seen these tiny little seeds, or maybe you heard their name in trendy recipes. So today we talk about Chia seeds, benefits. So what exactly are Chia Seeds, their benefits and how to use them in your diet for health.
If you want to use chia seeds to boost your diet and health, you’ll need to know about the benefits of this ingredient. In the US and UK, and Canada you can easily find chia seeds in a grocery store. The seeds are sold in health food markets, pharmacy and vitamin stores, as well as online stores.
Above Image of Organic Chia Seeds on Amazon <
When you want to buy chia seeds online, remember to pick a reputable retailer to protect your heaths. Chia seed is a wonderful healthy ingredient that has become popular all over the world for years. It is excellent to use for those who pursue a healthy lifestyle and on a diet.
Let’s dive in and discover places where you can buy chia seeds, the benefits and amazing alternatives of chia seeds.
What Is Chia Seed? (Powerhouse Seeds)
Chia seeds are tiny, black and white seeds that come from the Salvia hispanica plant, which is native to Mexico and Guatemala. Due to the numerous health benefits chia is an ever popular food on the must have list.
Many people in the world consider chia seeds as a wonderful food as it includes a number of minerals and vitamins that are vital for their health. Therefore, finding chia seeds in a grocery store will not be a difficult task.
Chia seeds include an enormous quantity of phosphorus, magnesium, calcium, protein, fibre and manganese. This means that these seeds can assist to enhance the immune system as they consist of beneficial nutrients that are necessary for people’s bodies.
They have a plain taste, which makes them easy to add in to all of your dishes without losing the flavor of food.
How to Use Chia Seeds
Chia seeds are a versatile and easy-to-use ingredient that can be added to a variety of dishes to boost their nutritional value. Here are some of the ways to use chia seeds:
- Chia Pudding: Mix the seeds with almond or coconut milk and let sit for a few hours or overnight. The mixture will thicken into a pudding-like consistency, which can be flavored with various sweeteners, spices, or fruit.
- Baked goods: Use them for baked goods such as bread, muffins, and cakes, to add a crunchy texture and a boost of nutrients. In addition you can use them to make vegan recipes.
- Smoothies: Add them to smoothies for an extra boost of fiber, protein, and healthy fats.
- Salad dressing: Mix chia seeds with vinegar and oil to create a nutritious and flavorful salad dressing.
- Yogurt: Sprinkle on top of yogurt for a crunchy texture and an extra dose of nutrition.
- Oatmeal: Stir into oatmeal for a nutritious and filling breakfast.
- Energy bars: Mix into energy bars for an extra boost of fiber, protein, and healthy fats.
- Add to yogurt and fruit for a healthy snack or breakfast
- Make simple chia jam
Another convenient way to utilize them is to bake an apple cake at home. The process is easy that you can follow. Firstly, you have to throw chia seeds, baking soda, cinnamon, coconut sugar and flour all in a big mixing bowl. Blend these ingredients until they shape a dough. Then you add sliced apples and keep mixing. The following step is to put the mixed ingredients in a baking tray and set them in the oven for 45 minutes. The chia seeds offer a great soft and smooth texture to the vegan cake.s
Besides putting chia in yogurt I put them in cookies, muffins, and put the into homemade granola for extra nutrition. Use Chia seeds as a substitute for poppy seeds on bagels. Or you can make goat cheese balls by rolling the cheese in these seeds. They can also be utilized to make granola at home, which is a great alternative to flax seeds.
Is Chia Only Available in Seed Form
Chia seeds are also available as chia flour and chia gel. This is ideal for vegetarians and vegans who want to make healthy and recipes. As they are a nutritious alternative to traditional flours and gelling agents.
It is recommended to soak chia seeds in liquid for at least 15 minutes before using them in recipes, as this will help them expand and become more gelatinous. This can help prevent digestive issues and improve the absorption of nutrients from the seeds.
Where to Buy Chia Seeds
You will often find chia in the health section due to their healthy properties; the backing section as they are a gluten free option for cooking and baking.
In addition you may find them in the spice aisle. It may take a little time to find them but the search is well worth it.
Below is a few places to find them:
Amazon
This is one of the largest online market stores where you can effortlessly purchase all types of health food items. The benefit of buying on Amazon is that it is super convenient, fast delivery and easy to purchase.
Grocery Stores
You can see a wide range of brands at Walmart such as Navitas, and Nutiva. If you are having problems finding Walmart stores near you, you can simply utilize the online store locator to check the nearest supply in your area that provides chia seeds. Furthermore, you can also check whether your selected product is on stock or not by using the app.
Local Health Food Store
The benefits of chia seeds are widely spread so it is easily seen in your local health store. As it is extremely healthy and organic. You can purchase them in bulk if you need to stock for future applications.
Guide To Buy Chia Seeds
After you know some places and websites where to find chia seeds, it would be much simpler for you to get chia seed products now. Here are several things you should keep in mind before buying chia seeds. To choose the finest quality of chia seeds, following our tips:
What Color Is a Chia Seed
These little powerhouse seeds come in black and white (they may appear grey in appearance). And both are packed with the same nutrition. However you can pick the color depending on the aesthetics of the recipe (if this matters to you).
With this said if you see brown chia seeds it may be a sign that they are not grown fully. That means their nutrition value is low compared to black and white seeds and normally have a bitter flavor.
Price
Chia seeds have a reasonable price, making them an excellent choice for everyone. Relying on the size of the bag you buy, ground price varies. Nonetheless, the bags of 10 to 12 ounces just range from $5 to $10.
Meanwhile, whole seeds have a similar price to the ground types. Which range from $8 to $12 for approximately 8 to 12 ounces.
Best Chia Seed Alternatives
Flax Seeds
Hemp Seeds
If you are not able to buy them you can use flax and hemp hearts as an alternative to chia (however the nutritional value will vary).
Organic Gluten Free Flaxseed
It comes with 2 variations available for you to choose from, which are brown and golden. However, the brown one offers a more delicious taste than the golden one. Flax seeds also contain mucilage like that is a kind of soluble fiber. When immersing seeds in water, mucilage increases a bulk gel coat.
Thanks to their mucilage feature, you can use both as a substitute for eggs, which adds crunch and texture to various foods.
Hemp Seeds
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Certified Organic Hemp Hearts
Hemp seeds do not bring any harm to your health. Although hemp seeds do not contain mucilage like chia or flax seeds, they are still healthy. These seeds are not produced with the soluble fiber gel, but they still offer many health advantages including omega-
They consist of more omega-6 compared to chia and flax seeds. You can put them in salads, oatmeal and smoothies for an excellent crunchy feel.
Health Benefits
Chia seeds have a ton of benefits such as:
- Rich in nutrients: they are a great source of fiber, protein, omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, and several important minerals like iron, calcium, and magnesium.
- Supports heart health. The omega-3 fatty acids help reduce inflammation and lower the risk of heart disease.
- Aids digestion: The seeds are high in fiber, which helps to regulate digestion and prevent constipation.
- Supports weight loss: helps with weight loss and weight management due to their ability to keep you feeling full and by reducing food cravings.
- Boosts energy: great source of energy due to their high content of healthy fats, fiber, and protein.
- Promotes healthy skin: Full of antioxidants that can help protect the skin from damage caused by free radicals, promoting healthy skin.
- Supports bone health: excellent good source of calcium, which is essential for to build and maintain strong bones.
Overall, they are a nutritious and versatile food. Easy to add into dishes which adds texture to dishes while adding lots of health benefits. With this said, it is important to consume these seeds in moderation as part of a balanced diet.
Concluding About Chia Seeds – How to Use Them and Their Benefits
Now that you know what are chia seeds, how to use them and their health benefits, it’s time to buy some and add them into your diet. Rest assured you will love the taste and reap their multiple health benefits. I buy them on Amazon. This way I get them delivered to my home which saves me time for important things in life!