If you’re like me, you’re used to seeing daily uploads on Instagram of “#cleaneats” meals. One thing a lot of these food-grams have in common is the inclusion of chia seeds – and there’s a reason why. Actually, there are plenty of reasons! These gluten-free seeds are a power food packed with benefits that can easily be added to any meal, from smoothies to salads. Here’s a list of some (but definitely not all!) benefits of adding chia to your diet.
1. Feel Full Faster
While any diet needs to be supplemented with healthy eating and exercise, the chia seed is excellent in helping to maintain a healthy body weight. When soaked in water, chia seeds retain 8-9 times their weight, and forms an interesting gel coating. This increase in size and weight and gelling action helps you feel full faster and keeps you full for hours. The trytophan (an amino acid also found in turkey) helps to regulate appetite, sleep, and improves moods. Oh, and FYI: Chia seeds are flavorless, which means you can add them to virtually anything without sacrificing or altering flavor!
2. Omega-3 Oil
If you’re a vegetarian or don’t like fish, it’s hard to find an alternative source for omega-3 to improve heart and cholesterol health. Well, search no longer! The richest plant-source for omega-3 oil is found in the chia seed. Also, by weight, chia seeds actually contain more omega 3 than salmon!
3. Guilt-Free Baking
Sometimes you have an itch that only a chocolaty brownie or peanut butter cookie can scratch. Luckily for the health-conscious, chia gel can be used as a substitute for butter in most recipes. Simply mix a one-to-eight ratio of chia seeds to water, mixing well, and let it sit for 15-20 minutes. It can last in the fridge for about a week. Then divide the amount of butter called for in the recipe by half, and use that amount of chia gel as a substitute. Chia gel can also replace eggs in vegan baking; replace one egg with ground seeds in 1/3 water and let sit for 10 minutes.
4. What You Love Eating Tastes Even Better!
Yes, the seeds are absolutely flavorless, but they also enhance the taste of whatever you add them to. This happens when the seeds hydrate; they distribute the flavor of the food and never dilute the tastes. You can also reap the benefits of chia both with and without grinding them, unlike other seeds which require grinding in order to take advantage of their healthy benefits.
5. Anti-Oxidants
We all know the health benefits of stocking up on anti-oxidant rich food like pomegranates and blueberries, but you can also get your daily dose through the chia seed. Anti-oxidants aid in the prevention of free-radical damage to your body, which leads to tissue inflammation and premature skin aging, among other complications. The anti-oxidant also helps keep the chia seed fresh, giving it a shelf life of over two years.
6. Balanced Blood Sugar
Having a balanced blood sugar level helps in both maintaining a constant energy throughout the day as well as reducing your chances in developing type 2 diabetes. Chia seeds also fight insulin resistance. By eating chia with a meal, your food will be more readily able to provide you with a steady energy level. Chia contains a unique combination of soluble and insoluble fibre. This, along with the seed’s gelling action slow down the body’s conversion of starches into sugars.
7. Packed with Fibre, Calcium, and Protein
A one-ounce serving of chia seeds has 11 grams of dietary fiber (that’s one third of your recommended daily intake), and 4.4 grams of protein (10 percent of your daily intake). Chia also contains 18 percent of your daily recommended calcium intake, and by weight, it actually contains more calcium than whole milk. The high-protein content of Chia seeds along with their vitamin and mineral content help you maintain a healthy energy all day long while cutting cravings for less healthy foods.
8. Cost-efficient
Being a student, it’s not always easy to eat healthy on a budget. However, a one-month supply of chia (that’s about 1-2 tablespoons a day) costs less than a dollar per day! You can also use as much or as little amounts as you want.