Chia Seeds: 3 Fun and Delicious Recipes
Chia seeds have a large number of nutrients and properties that are beneficial for your body. Consuming them through different recipes is an excellent way to keep your diet delicious and healthy.
Chia or chan is a herbaceous plant from Latin America. It grows in countries such as Mexico, Salvador, Costa Rica, and Nicaragua. In these countries, chia seeds have been extracted and consumed as food for many years.
Chia seeds are rich in omega-3, proteins, calcium, and antioxidants. They also have zinc, potassium, iron and dietary fiber. As you can see, including them in your meals can benefit you in many ways.
Three recipes with chia seeds
Although it may be a little complicated to integrate the chia seeds into the recipes we normally prepare, we must take advantage of all the nutrients they offer. In the following list, we’ll share three easy and delicious recipes that you can make without too much trouble.
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1. Chicken salad with chia seeds
This recipe is ideal for a light and fresh lunch, it’s very easy too and it’s super delicious. To prepare this chicken salad with chia, you need the following ingredients:
- 6 small chicken breasts
- Salt and pepper
- 2 eggs
- Mustard
- Grated coconut (without sugar)
- 2 tablespoons of chia seeds
- 4 tablespoons of olive oil
- 4 tablespoons of lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon of honey
- Half a cup of chopped red onion
- 10 cups of kale
- 6 cups of lettuce strips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 356 degrees F. Meanwhile, take the chicken breasts and apply salt and pepper to taste.
- In a bowl, mix the eggs with two or three tablespoons of mustard.
- In another container, mix the chia seeds and grated coconut.
- Pass the breasts through the egg mixture and then through the chia seeds and coconut mix. Make sure they’re well covered.
- Bake the chicken for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Combine in a bowl: olive oil, lemon juice, honey, a teaspoon of mustard and a pinch of salt and pepper. Mix with cabbage, onion, and lettuce.
- Once the chicken is cooked, you can cut it into pieces and mix it with the lettuce and cabbage.
2. Cinnamon and chia granola
The granola with chia is excellent for a breakfast with Greek yogurt and fruits, to eat as a mid-morning snack, or to eat right after a workout, to have energy. The preparation is simple and you can keep it outside the fridge for over a week.
Discover more: Five Healthy and Protein-Packed Snacks
Ingredients
- Oatmeal in traditional flakes
- 2 tablespoons of chia seeds
- Half a tablespoon of cinnamon
- 1/4 cup of nutmeg
- 2 tablespoons of honey
- 1 tablespoon of canola oil
- 1 cup of almonds (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 240 degrees F. Place some baking paper over a tray and sprinkle it with a little cooking spray.
- Mix honey and canola oil in a small bowl. In a separate bowl, integrate oats, chia seeds, nutmeg, almonds, and cinnamon. Once they are well mixed, add honey and canola oil.
- Place in the tray, as evenly as you can.
- Bake for approximately 15 minutes, until the granola is crispy. Let it cool before eating.
- You can serve with milk, yogurt, fruit, or just eat it on its own.
3. Chia seeds and chocolate smoothie
A smoothie is a perfect option to incorporate chia into your daily diet since it does not require a lot of effort to make. Plus, smoothies are made of fruits and vegetables, so it’s a potent combination of nutrients and vitamins.
Ingredients
- 1 and a half cups of milk of your choice
- A spoonful of chocolate protein powder
- 1 cup of frozen strawberries
- 1/2 cup of frozen banana
- 1 tablespoon of chocolate powder
- 2 tablespoons of chia seeds
- A handful of fresh spinach
Instructions
- Mix the milk and frozen fruit in a blender.
- Add the spinach and blend until you have a homogeneous mix.
- Then, add the protein powder, chocolate powder, and chia. Mix until you get an even smoothie, without chunks (unless you like those!)
- You can serve it in cups and decorate with pieces of chocolate and some chia seeds. You can also serve in small containers, take them to the refrigerator for two hours, then decorate with strawberries and serve as a cold dessert.
Chia seeds are ideal to nourish your body and improve metabolism. Therefore, if you’re looking for a healthy alternative to supplement your diet, you should definitely prepare these chia recipes.
All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.
- US Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service & National Genetic Resources Program. (2014). Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). https://doi.org/10.1016/S1386-1425(02)00418-3
- Agrarias, C., & Distribuci, U. N. R. (2016). Chía : importante antioxidante vegetal. Revista Agromensajes, 24, 1–5. https://doi.org/16698584
- de Souza Ferreira, C., de Sousa Fomes, L. de F., da Silva, G. E. S., & Rosa, G. (2015). Effect of chia seed (Salvia hispanica l.) consumption on cardiovascular risk factors in humans: A systematic review. Nutricion Hospitalaria. Grupo Aula Medica S.A. https://doi.org/10.3305/nh.2015.32.5.9394
- Ixtaina, V. Y., Nolasco, S. M., & Tomás, M. C. (2008). Physical properties of chia (Salvia hispanica L.) seeds. Industrial Crops and Products, 28(3), 286–293. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indcrop.2008.03.009
- Taga, M. S., Miller, E. E., & Pratt, D. E. (1984). Chia seeds as a source of natural lipid antioxidants. Journal of the American Oil Chemists’ Society, 61(5), 928–931. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02542169
