You might remember that I used Chia seeds a while back in a
breakfast smoothie, well since then I’ve branched out and started sprinkling
them over all sorts of things. They’re fab in a banana bread mix or add a tasty
crunch to a salad for instance. I do tend to find that I come back to them time
and time again for breakfast.
So my advice, give the recipe a try and taste it, if you
think it needs a saccharine kick then drizzle in something like Rice Malt Syrup
or Agave, just steer clear of the white stuff at breakfast!
Hang on a minute,
what on earth is Chia??
I don’t really like the term “superfood” it’s mostly just a
marketing ploy to get us to part with our hard earned money, it basically seems
to equate to food that has lots of nutrients but is conveniently left by the
wayside for the cheaper options (like Eggs for example, I think they definitely
fit the superfood definition). That said, Chia Seeds are pretty awesome and
could arguably be worth of the accolade but again that of course comes with a
rather expensive price tag. Here are some of the reasons that I’ve started
including Chia in my diet:
Omega Oils
As a vegetarian I am very conscious of lack of Omega Oils in
my diet since I don’t eat fish. I already had some sesame and linseed
(flaxseed) in my diet to compensate but it seems that Chia seeds are the best
source, they’ve got more omega than you could shake a stick at (never quite
figured out the origin of this saying but I love it).
It’s Swell
When added to liquid, Chia seeds swell to 17 times their
original size. This helps fill you up and also slows down the rate of digestion
preventing blood sugar spikes. No spikes, no need to snack. Studies have shown
that this can help to prevent diabetes and decrease bounce in your belly
(insulin overproduction has been shown to be a factor in putting on fat around
the tummy area).
Loaded with
Nutrients
It’s not just Omega Oils that make Chia seeds so nutritious,
they are a fab source of fibre, calcium, manganese and phosphorous. They are
particularly good for healthy teeth and bones.
Not bad for a tiny seed, it might not pack much of a punch
in the flavour department (you’ll need to find that elsewhere in your food) but
there is something to be said about having a spoonful of chia in your day.
Summer Fruits Chia
Seed Pudding
In a bowl mix up the following:
2 cups of Milk (I like Kara/Koko milk – its coconut based
and has a slight natural sweetness)
4 tablespoons of chia seeds
1 cup summer fruits from the freezer
1 pod vanilla seeds (or a good splodge of pure vanilla)
Some kind of sweetener if you’re using it – Agave or Rice
Malt Syrup would be my preference for a breakfast food.
Leave to sit for 30 minutes at the very least, the chia
seeds will swell.
Pop into a blender and whizz up, the mixture will thicken at
this point. You could use a hand blender too; it will just take a little
longer.
Pop into bowls (or Tupperware to take to work) and put in
the fridge.
NB: Make sure you cover the mixture, I had my latest batch
in the fridge at the same time as a bunch of wild garlic and the result wasn’t
overly pleasant!
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this looks very tasty. I have been using chai as a binder in cooking, in place of egg. I too, was wondering about the origins of that phrase. I found this page very interesting http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-sha2.htm, but it seems no-one knew for sure.
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